Best Michael Clifford And Marcus Richards Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 6: Power, Ports and Productivity 37:00

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4d ago37:00

37:00

In this episode, Marcus and Michael take a tour through some of the biggest issues shaping local government today. We reflect on the recent ministerial appointments of Steve Reed, Matthew Pennycook and Alison McGovern, and what their arrival at MHCLG might signal for the sector. We also cover the New Towns Taskforce report — its objectives, the pri…

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Episode 5: The Net Zero Puzzle: Funding, Fragmentation and the Road to 2050 39:10

1M ago39:10

39:10

In Episode 5 of The Star Chamber Podcast, Michael Clifford and Marcus Richards are joined by Amardeep Gill of Trowers & Hamlins to unpack local government’s role in delivering the UK’s net zero ambitions. We explore the statutory context, the fragmented and short-term funding landscape, and the legal and financial complexities councils face in turn…

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Episode 4: Power, Pounds and Place - and the origins of the Silken Rope 30:12

2M ago30:12

30:12

In Episode 4 of The Star Chamber Podcast, we dive deep into the evolving architecture of English localism. We begin with the new Devolution and Community Engagement Bill, unpacking its implications for devolution and ambition across regions. We then interrogate the long-awaited Fair Funding Review – asking whether authorities will see it as a momen…

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Episode 3: Infrastructure, Industry, Investment – and the Curious Matter of Earl Grey 42:19

3M ago42:19

42:19

In this episode of The Star Chamber Podcast, we unpack the recent flurry of government announcements – the Spending Review, the Industrial Strategy, and the UK Infrastructure Strategy – and explore what they really mean for local government. We discuss how authorities can respond to these evolving agendas to unlock investment, attract private capit…

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Episode 2: Banners, Boroughs and Business Rates: Power, Politics and Property from the Tudors to Today 37:21

5M ago37:21

37:21

In this episode of The Star Chamber Podcast, we unpack the fallout from the recent local elections before tackling the potential moral hazard of central government interventions in local authority debt. We then head north to UKREiiF to explore placemaking, investment, and how these themes tie into the evolving role of Combined Authorities - includi…

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Episode 1: The Medieval Origins of The Star Chamber, Exceptional Financial Support and The History of Local Government Reorganisation in London 29:55

5M ago29:55

29:55

Join Michael Clifford and Marcus Richards for a series of discussions on the world of local government! In their first episode, they talk about the medieval origins of the term Star Chamber, how Liverpool in the 1980s shaped the concept of Exceptional Financial Support and what mountaineers have to do with Local Government Reorganisation.…