Centralisation, Devolution And The Future Of Local Government In England (routledge Studies In British Politics)

"English local government is in a state of decline after 40 years of incremental but cumulative centralisation by central government. This book is the first to directly address this trend's impact upon the institution of local government, a crucial element in the democratic viability of a unitary state. The process of centralisation, and its corrosive effect on the status and responsibilities of local government, have been widely recognised and deplored among politicians and senior officers within local government, and by academics with an interest in this field. However, there has been no study exploring in detail its impact, and, equally important, suggesting ways in which the growing imbalance between the powers of central and local government should be rectified. This book fills this gap. This text will be of key interest to scholars, students and practitioners of local government, and more generally to those interested in what has been happening to British politics and governance."--Provided by publisher Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Table of Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction: the plight of local government and central-local relationships. -- PART I: The current situation -- 1. The justification for local government -- A local government-free state? -- Economies and diseconomies of scale -- Accountability and representative democracy -- The case against 'single-purpose authorities' -- The requisite characteristics of a viable local government system -- Core values of local government. -- The importance of community identity -- The promotion of participation for an active democracy -- Dispersing power -- The need to reassess the role of local government -- Notes -- 2. How the past can inform the present: five stages in the development of local government -- Introduction -- Stage 1: Municipal Enterprise (1870-1914) -- Stage 2: Municipal Socialism (1919-1939) -- Stage 3: The Era of Services Domination (1945-1979) -- Stage 4: The increasing dominance of the centre (1979-2010) -- Stage 5: Damage Limitation (2010-2015) -- Conclusion: Has there ever been a golden age? -- 3. The myth of localism -- Introduction -- A Localism Act or a Centralism Act -- Local authority or local community-based localism? -- The missing participants in localism -- The absence of a finance dimension -- Education -- Policing and crime prevention -- Land-use planning -- Social housing -- 4. Central-local relations: an interpretation -- The centralisation of land-use planning -- The role of changing assumptive worlds in Whitehall and Westminster -- Is change possible? -- PART II: Moving forward -- 5. The need for constitutional change -- The meaning of local government -- Education -- Policing and crime prevention -- Social housing -- Health -- Competitive tendering -- 6. Rethinking local-government finance English local government is in a state of decline after 40 years of incremental but cumulative centralisation by central government. This book is the first to directly address this trend's impact upon the institution of local government, a crucial element in the democratic viability of a unitary state. The process of centralisation, and its corrosive effect on the status and responsibilities of local government, have been widely recognised and deplored among politicians and senior officers within local government, and by academics with an interest in this field. However, there has been no study exploring in detail its impact, and, equally important, suggesting ways in which the growing imbalance between the powers of central and local government should be rectified. This book fills this gap. This text will be of key interest to scholars, students and practitioners of local government, and more generally to those interested in what has been happening to British politics and governance. Book jacket Introduction : The Plight Of Local Government And Central-local Relations -- The Justification For Local Government -- How The Past Can Inform The Present : Five Stages In The Development Of Local Government -- The Myth Of Localism -- Central-local Relations : An Interpretation -- The Need For Constitutional Change -- Rethinking Local Government Finance -- Politics, Parties And Local Democracy -- Central-local Relations And Local Government Reorganisation -- The Devolution Agenda -- Reflections And Conclusions. Steve Leach, John Stewart And George Jones. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This book is the first to directly address the impact of the English government's state of decline after forty years of incremental but cumulative centralisation by central government, on the institution of local government; a crucial element in the democratic viability of a unitary state.