In this episode, Marcus and Michael are joined by Stuart Rimmer and Alison Young from Thames Freeport for a wide-ranging discussion on one of the UK’s most significant economic growth initiatives.

The conversation explores the role of Freeports in driving investment, trade, innovation and regeneration, and examines how Thames Freeport is seeking to create long-term economic value across one of the country’s most important industrial and logistics corridors.

Alongside a deep dive into the Freeports agenda, the episode also reflects on the aftermath of the recent local elections, considering what the results may mean for local government leadership, devolution, economic growth and place-based investment.

The episode concludes with an idiosyncratic journey into the history of the Cinque Ports, exploring what a medieval network of coastal towns can still teach us about trade, governance and economic power today.

In this special episode, Michael and I are joined by Nathan Spencer, Managing Director of UKREiiF, for a discussion recorded live at the UK’s Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum in Leeds.

Together, we explore how UKREiiF has evolved into one of the key gathering points for conversations around investment, regeneration, infrastructure and place leadership, and what this says about the changing priorities of local government and the wider market.

The discussion covers:

• The dominant themes emerging from UKREiiF 2026
• Investor appetite versus delivery reality
• The growing importance of infrastructure, energy and digital capacity
• The emerging focus on AI, data centres and digitally-enabled places
• The increasing prominence of social infrastructure, including housing, health and stadium-led regeneration
• A look ahead at what themes may shape UKREiiF 2027

The episode also explores what makes places genuinely investible in today’s market, from political leadership and governance, to certainty, delivery capability and long-term vision.

We’re grateful to Nathan for taking the time to join us during what is undoubtedly one of the busiest weeks in the sector calendar. We’re already looking forward to next year’s gathering.

This week, Marcus and Michael are joined by special guest Paul Harrison, former adviser to the Prime Minister and now of Lexington Communications, for a deep dive into the 2026 local election results and what they really mean for local government.

Drawing on his experience operating at the heart of Government in Number 10, Paul explores:

• The changing political landscape across English councils

• What the results may signal for devolution, LGR and local leadership

• The relationship between central and local government, and the potential implications of looming by-elections

Alongside the elections discussion, the episode also covers:

• The NAO’s new productivity-focused work

• The House of Lords review into devolution

• And, in true Star Chamber fashion, an idiosyncratic journey into the surprising links between council tax… and the bubonic plague

A wide-ranging conversation on politics, policy and the future direction of local government.

In this episode of The Star Chamber Podcast, Marcus and Michael reflect on the latest developments shaping local government.

Along with an overview on key news topics ranging from New Towns to Best Value Commissioners, their deep dive explores the rise of AI Growth Zones — what they are, why they’re being proposed, and what they mean for local authorities. From the energy and infrastructure constraints of data centres, to questions of local benefit and incentive, they consider whether councils are positioned to lead the next wave of digital infrastructure.

Finally, in their idiosyncrasy, you’ll find out why Michael opted for recording in a tricorn hat.

In this special episode of The Star Chamber Podcast, Marcus and Michael record live from MIPIM in Cannes, the global gathering of investors, developers and cities shaping the future of the built environment.

They reflect on the history and significance of MIPIM, and how it has become a key forum where local government, private capital and global investors come together around place-based regeneration and development.

The conversation explores the increasingly important role local authorities play in place investment, regeneration and infrastructure delivery, and how councils are demonstrating ambition in bringing forward major projects that shape the future of their places.

In this episode of The Star Chamber Podcast, Marcus and Michael are joined by Peter Arnold, EY’s UK Chief Economist, for a discussion on the relationship between local government and economic growth.

They reflect on recent developments across the sector, including the Government’s latest announcements on SEND reform, the expanding use of Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) for councils, and the economic context set by the Spring Statement.

Their deep dive explores the relationship between local government and economic growth — historically, today, and in the future. From Victorian municipal infrastructure to modern regeneration and place leadership, we consider how councils influence economic activity, the incentives built into the current finance system, and whether the fiscal model genuinely rewards authorities for promoting growth.

Finally, their idiosyncrasy turns to the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, the landmark reform that reshaped local governance in Britain — sweeping away closed municipal elites and laying the foundations for modern elected councils.

What do Disney, Dairy Milk, and the credit crunch have to do with local government reorganisation?

In this episode of The Star Chamber Podcast, Michael and Marcus turn to the world of corporate mergers and acquisitions to explore what local government can learn from some of the most high-profile deals in recent history, examining why some created lasting value while others fell short. From culture and leadership to integration and strategic clarity, they consider how these lessons apply as Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) moves back up the policy agenda.

The conversation also reflects on the political volatility currently shaping the sector, including uncertainty around elections, alongside insights from recent publications such as CIPFA’s Financial Resilience Index and EY’s S151 Confidence Barometer, both of which paint a revealing picture of resilience, pressure and preparedness across local authorities.

Finally, we explore the practical implications of reorganisation through the lens of wards, electoral boundaries and democratic representation, and why these structural details matter just as much as financial sustainability when reshaping the architecture of local government.

In this episode of The Star Chamber Podcast, Marcus and Michael are joined by Amanda Evans, EY’s global Government and Infrastructure Strategy and Transactions lead, for a forward-looking conversation on what the year ahead holds for local government.

We begin by surveying the landscape for 2026, from anticipated policy reforms and structural change to the political developments likely to shape the sector, and consider the big strategic choices facing councils as they look ahead.

Our deep dive explores the enduring challenge of “doing more with less.” Through the lenses of productivity, innovation and commerciality, we discuss how councils are rethinking service delivery, making better use of data and technology, developing new partnerships, and deploying their assets and balance sheets more strategically.

Finally, in our idiosyncrasy, we turn to the curious and often overlooked world of town twinning, and how these relationships have linked communities, and local governments, across the UK, Australia and towns across the world for decades, offering a revealing lens on the international connections of municipal life.