Re-municipalisation? A horrible word, but across Europe and the UK, local government is on the rise. Instead of succumbing to the inevitability of decline and being the last line in mopping up social pain, more in local government are stepping in and making the economy work better for all.

For many years, economic growth hitched to public sector reform has been the mantra. For some areas, it is working. But growth is often meagre or fails to trickle down and reform is often eroded by demand.