What do councils actually do?

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Local government affects almost every part of our daily lives: bins, roads, planning, housing, schools, social care, public health, libraries, parks and more. But despite this, local elections are often discussed mainly as a test of national politics - with far less attention paid to what councils actually do, what councillors can change, and why so many councils are under such severe financial pressure.

In this episode, we ask what local government is responsible for, how councils are funded, and why rising funding has not been enough to keep up with rising demand. We look at the pressures from social care, homelessness, SEND and other statutory services, and ask what it really means when a council is described as effectively bankrupt.

Helen is joined by David Phillips from the Institute for Fiscal Studies and Aileen Murphie, honorary Professor at Durham University, and formerly at the Department for Communities and Local Government, and the National Audit Office.

Zooming in discussion questions:

These are a set of questions designed for A Level economics students to discuss, written by teacher Will Haines.

1. How are councils funded?

2. Assess the impact of rising council debt on the UK economy.

3. Having listened to this episode, what reforms, if any, would you propose to the way councils are funded and managed to ensure their long term financial sustainability?