Ian Leigh is Professor of Law at the University of Durham. Before returning to academic life he practised as a solicitor with a large district council. He is co-author (with Professor Laurence Lustgarten) of In the Cold: National Security and Parliamentary Democracy (Clarendon Press, 1994) and has written extensively on public law and human rights.

... this book is far from being an arid legal text, devoid of 'political' insights ... Students of local government will find this book both up-to-date (incorporating the 2000 Local Government Act) and very user-friendly. It is the sort of book to have readily available for reference.

• PART I: LEGAL AND POLITICAL FOUNDATIONS ; 1. Local Democracy in its Constitutional Setting ; 2. The Powers of Local Government ; PART II: ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE PUBLIC ; 3. Information, Public Participation, and Accountability ; 4. Financial Accountability ; 5. Consumer Accountability ; PART: III: POLITICAL LEADERSHIP AND DECISION-MAKING ; 6. Party Groups, Councillors, and the Law ; 7. Executive Structures ; 8. Officers and Politics ; PART IV: THE COUNCIL IN THE COMMUNITY ; 9. Politics and Contracts ; 10. Local Government, Business, and partnership ; 11. Conclusion: The New Local Government

Ian Leigh is Professor of Law at the University of Durham. Before returning to academic life he practised as a solicitor with a large district council. He is co-author (with Professor Laurence Lustgarten) of In the Cold: National Security and Parliamentary Democracy (Clarendon Press, 1994) and has written extensively on public law and human rights.

... this book is far from being an arid legal text, devoid of 'political' insights ... Students of local government will find this book both up-to-date (incorporating the 2000 Local Government Act) and very user-friendly. It is the sort of book to have readily available for reference.

• PART I: LEGAL AND POLITICAL FOUNDATIONS ; 1. Local Democracy in its Constitutional Setting ; 2. The Powers of Local Government ; PART II: ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE PUBLIC ; 3. Information, Public Participation, and Accountability ; 4. Financial Accountability ; 5. Consumer Accountability ; PART: III: POLITICAL LEADERSHIP AND DECISION-MAKING ; 6. Party Groups, Councillors, and the Law ; 7. Executive Structures ; 8. Officers and Politics ; PART IV: THE COUNCIL IN THE COMMUNITY ; 9. Politics and Contracts ; 10. Local Government, Business, and partnership ; 11. Conclusion: The New Local Government

Ian Leigh is Professor of Law at the University of Durham. Before returning to academic life he practised as a solicitor with a large district council. He is co-author (with Professor Laurence Lustgarten) of In the Cold: National Security and Parliamentary Democracy (Clarendon Press, 1994) and has written extensively on public law and human rights.

... this book is far from being an arid legal text, devoid of 'political' insights ... Students of local government will find this book both up-to-date (incorporating the 2000 Local Government Act) and very user-friendly. It is the sort of book to have readily available for reference.

• PART I: LEGAL AND POLITICAL FOUNDATIONS ; 1. Local Democracy in its Constitutional Setting ; 2. The Powers of Local Government ; PART II: ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE PUBLIC ; 3. Information, Public Participation, and Accountability ; 4. Financial Accountability ; 5. Consumer Accountability ; PART: III: POLITICAL LEADERSHIP AND DECISION-MAKING ; 6. Party Groups, Councillors, and the Law ; 7. Executive Structures ; 8. Officers and Politics ; PART IV: THE COUNCIL IN THE COMMUNITY ; 9. Politics and Contracts ; 10. Local Government, Business, and partnership ; 11. Conclusion: The New Local Government