Kevin Muldoon-Smith and Mark Sandford look to Germany, Italy and Japan for inspiration as they put forward four proposals for transforming the fortunes of local government finance in England

The Spring Budget on the 6 March will likely be the last financial act of the current Government. It will be delivered when public finances are weak and pressure on the public purse remains stark. Local government finance should be front and centre in these considerations. England’s councils are in serious financial trouble. Six, including Birmingham, Nottingham and Croydon, have effectively announced their bankruptcy in the form of section 114 notices, since 2020. A cross-political party enquiry also recently indicated that government must plug a £4bn funding gap across the board.