More councils have gone bust in 2023 than in the 30 years before 2018, with eight effectively declaring bankruptcy since that year: Northamptonshire, Croydon, Slough, Northumberland, Thurrock, Woking, Birmingham and Nottingham. But why are councils going bust? Anoosh Chakelian, Britain editor, is joined by policy correspondent Megan Kenyon and Jonny Ball, associate editor of the New Statesman’s policy section, Spotlight, to delve into what’s happening in townhalls across the country.Read Anoosh's report on Thurrock: The town that was gambled awayFollow the council bankruptcy trackerSAVE £££ THIS CHRISTMAS:⭐️ Gift big ideas, bold politics, and proper journalism from just £2LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.