Local government is often regarded as unglamorous and pedestrian, but it takes decisions on some of the issues that affect us most in our everyday lives. In this episode, Eliot Wilson talks to Patrick Melia, chief executive of Sunderland City Council, to discuss the changes he has seen in the North East over his career and the redevelopment that he and his political masters have driven in the region. He talks about the city's post-industrial decline, both real and perceived, and lays out ambitious plans for its economic future, and describes how a public institution with widespread responsibilities manages the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.