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.