Good morning. Today Michael Gove, the housing secretary, is expected to appoint commissioners to take over the day-to-day running of Birmingham city council – the biggest local authority in Europe – after it effectively declared itself bankrupt.
It’s a big deal for the people of Birmingham – as it will probably lead to higher council tax and a reduction in services – but also for the rest of the country with dozens of other local councils also teetering on the brink of collapse.
