Recent events in Northamptonshire hammered home the fact local government has reached a financial tipping point. Anyone who thinks the problems faced at the council are unique is in for a rude awakening. In this context, is it time for a new municipalism?

With policy pressures piling up and budgets diminishing for many services, it is time for local authorities to take back control of their areas by reclaiming entrepreneurship, rather than thinking someone else should do this for them. This is not about acting commercially in the blind pursuit of income generation, but identifying the policy puzzles facing communities and thinking creatively about how to solve these conundrums. It’s time for local councils to step up.