British politics is rotting from the bottom up: pity our crisis-hit local councils

‘Rishi Sunak won’t give Birmingham another penny but he will happily speed an exodus of Brummies to the bright lights of London.’ The Council House, Birmingham. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

Every review of Britain 2023 says the same. The country is not being well run. From policing to care homes, from postal services to sewage spills, from youth clubs to potholes, everywhere is failure. Small wonder just 20% of Britons now have any faith in their national politicians, one of the lowest figures in a western democracy.

Nowhere is this decline more evident than in local government. It is going bust. Birmingham, Nottingham, Croydon and four other councils in England have issued section 114 notices since 2020, indicating that their expenditure will exceed income. According to the Local Government Association (LGA), in the coming year, one in five councils expect to fail financially. Commissioners have already been sent to Woking and Slough, effectively suspending their local democracy.