The Truth About Being a Councillor

Britain's councils are responsible for everything from social care and bin collections to potholes, planning and council tax. But with local authority debt now at a record high and many town halls warning of a financial crisis, how much power do councillors really have to change things? Podcast host Duncan Barkes is joined by Councillor Elliot Keck, formerly of the TaxPayers' Alliance, and Jonathan Eida of the TPA to discuss the reality of life inside local government, what it is really like being a councillor, and whether councils are victims of Westminster or authors of their own misfortune. They also discuss the TaxPayers' Alliance's latest local authority debt research, why borrowing has spiralled to almost £155 billion, whether councillors have enough control over spending, and what needs to change to protect local taxpayers from higher bills and worse services.