The government has more eye-catching policies, such as a plan to build millions of homes and a promise to “smash the gangs” that smuggle asylum-seekers across the English Channel. But the policy with the greatest chance of changing England for good is local-government reform. Labour’s plans in that area are bold. They are also deeply unpopular in some quarters, as local politicians made clear on January 10th in their initial responses to the government’s proposals.