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LED Confidential

LED Confidential
Local Economic Development
Devolution
Placemaking
Fiscal Devolution
Economic Development
Local Elections
Reform Party
UK Government
Sustainable Development Goals
Mayoral Combined Authorities
Economic Inactivity
Pride In Place
UK National Infrastructure Strategy
NHS 10-Year Plan
Local Government Financial Crisis
Health Inequalities
Innovation Districts
London
Poverty
Total Place

Podcast about local economic development and placemaking. Co-hosted by Mike Spicer of PolicyDepartment and David Marlow of Third Life Economics. Mike, David and guests address the divisive, often unspoken issues facing economic development professionals in 2020s Britain. Website: www.ledconfidential.co.uk

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes124Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Government

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Latest Episodes

This is the second in LEDC’s short run of episodes on AI — focusing on the economic impacts on places and what that means for local skills and growth plans. Drawing on live work on local skills planning, David and Mike reflect on how uncertain employ... more

In this episode, David and Mike are joined by Claire Ward, the first Mayor of the East Midlands Combined County Authority, to explore what it really takes to lead a new devolved English region through its first term. She reflects on how newer Combine... more

The UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer put fiscal devolution firmly on the table with her 2026 Mais Lecture, including a road map for sharing national tax revenues with English regions. Does this foreshadow a permanent shift of power, or the familiar b... more

In this Espresso Shot episode David and Mike unpack the UK Government’s 25 March 2026 announcements on Local Government Reorganisation in England. These included proposed moves from 44 authorities to 16 unitaries across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Hamps... more

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Recent Guests

Claire Ward
Mayor of East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCA)
East Midlands Combined County Authority
Episode: Building the plane while flying it: East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward on making devolution deliver
Liz McAreavey
Chief Executive of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce
Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce
Episode: Team Edinburgh: the growing role of business leadership in shaping modern local economic development
Peter Hetherington
Journalist and advocate on regional affairs; Northern and Regional Affairs Editor for The Guardian; former chair and vice president of the Town and Country Planning Association
The Guardian (journalist)
Episode: From rhetoric to regeneration: rebuilding England’s regional policy
Sarah Murray
Chief Executive Officer of the Forth Green Freeport
Forth Green Freeport
Episode: Inclusive growth meets global trade: inside Scotland's Green Freeport model
Dr. Michael Glass
Global researcher on city, region, governance, and infrastructure
University of Pittsburgh
Episode: Innovation Districts 2.0: making growth inclusive
Alex Plant
Chief Executive of Scottish Water
Scottish Water
Episode: Liquid assets: rethinking water’s role in economic development and placemaking
John Denham
Former Southampton Labour MP and government minister, currently a Professorial Research Fellow and Director of the Centre for English Identity and Politics.
University of Southampton
Episode: Total Place 2.0 and the politics of belonging
Paul Swinney
Director of Policy and Research at Centre for Cities
Centre for Cities
Episode: Place before sectors? Rethinking UK industrial strategy with Paul Swinney
Kevin Morgan
Professor at Cardiff University
Cardiff University
Episode: Feeding the future: rethinking local economies through the foundational lens

Hosts

David Marlow
Co-host of LED Confidential; affiliated with Third Life Economics
Mike Spicer
Co-host of LED Confidential; affiliated with PolicyDepartment

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#197
United Kingdom/Government
Apple Podcasts
#175
Austria/Government

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Inclusive growth meets global trade: inside Scotland's Green Freeport model
Q: What are the key challenges and opportunities for the Forth Green Freeport as it enters operational mode?
Key challenges include securing sufficient power for investments, while opportunities lie in regional economic regeneration and leveraging government support.
Liquid assets: rethinking water’s role in economic development and placemaking
Q: What are the opportunities for the water industry in light of upcoming infrastructure investments?
There is potential for innovative approaches like nature-based solutions and a shift to collaborative planning that could unlock broader economic, social, and environmental benefits.
Liquid assets: rethinking water’s role in economic development and placemaking
Q: How can local and regional leadership teams secure water utilities' contributions to economic goals?
Decision makers need to collaboratively align water utility planning with local development initiatives and actively engage water companies in these discussions.
Reorganising Local Government in England: 17 proposals, 56 councils -zero consensus?
Q: Do we know when the government is expected to signal its preferences for its favoured proposal within each area?
There is speculation that the government may announce preferences around the budget, but clarity is needed before the next proposals due at the end of November.
Total Place 2.0 and the politics of belonging
Q: How do we actually set about doing that?
Denham emphasizes the need to involve the community in discussions about local problems, advocating a more engaged and participatory approach to governance.

Audience Metrics

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Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About LED Confidential

What is LED Confidential about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A show focused on local economic development and placemaking, it often examines how policy choices, governance structures, and funding mechanisms shape regional growth. Across episodes, hosts explore timely topics such as devolution, fiscal arrangements for local authorities, infrastructure investment, and how global developments—from trade tensions to energy and water infrastructure—reverberate at the local level. The conversations frequently center on practical strategies for communities: how to empower local leadership, engage residents, deploy public funds effectively, and design inclusive growth that benefits workers, small businesses, and underserved areas. A standout trait is the willingness to tackle hard, under-discussed issues—ide... more

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Which podcasts are similar to LED Confidential?

These podcasts share a similar audience with LED Confidential:

1. Politics Weekly UK
2. The State of It
3. The Rest Is History
4. Hidden Brain

How many episodes of LED Confidential are there?

LED Confidential launched 4 years ago and published 124 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on LED Confidential?

Recent guests on LED Confidential include:

1. Claire Ward
2. Liz McAreavey
3. Peter Hetherington
4. Sarah Murray
5. Dr. Michael Glass
6. Alex Plant
7. John Denham
8. Paul Swinney

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