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 turning plans into projects. International lessons — from Nordic municipal energy networks to German KfW lending — bring fresh perspective to the debate on whether net zero should be treated as a core local responsibility.

We also take stock of the latest news, from the government’s reorganisation plans to Reform’s focus on Local Government pensions.

And, as always, we close with an idiosyncratic dive into local government’s past — from the Saxon origins of council tax used to pay off murderous Vikings, to the peculiarities of how MPs are permitted to resign.