Government beyond the Centre – serie

During its 13 years of office, Labour's modernization agenda transformed the world of UK local government. Amidst a starkly altered political and economic climate the coalition government formed in 2010 pledged to implement equally radical changes to the system. Taking account of the coalition's programme for government and its first round of spending cuts, the completely revised and updated fifth edition of this popular and established text is timed to take full advantage of this historic juncture.David Wilson and Chris Game provide readers with systematic coverage of the UK's local government. The book examines its defining features, its history, changing structure, operations, functions, financing, and its relations with central government.The fifth edition gives additional emphasis to local government in the devolved regions of the UK, and provides more extensive analysis of centre-local government relations. The authors deliver a thorough critique of Labour's third term in office. Looking ahead, the book anticipates the future of local government under the coalition government. Two themes look likely to dominate policy making: decentralization and cuts to public spending. With its clear, accessible, non-technical style and popular illustrations, Local Government in the United Kingdom will be essential reading for students, practitioners, and anyone with an interest in local politics.

During its 13 years of office, Labour's modernization agenda transformed the world of UK local government. Amidst a starkly altered political and economic climate the coalition government formed in 2010 pledged to implement equally radical changes to the system. Taking account of the coalition's programme for government and its first round of spending cuts, the completely revised and updated fifth edition of this popular and established text is timed to take full advantage of this historic juncture.David Wilson and Chris Game provide readers with systematic coverage of the UK's local government. The book examines its defining features, its history, changing structure, operations, functions, financing, and its relations with central government.The fifth edition gives additional emphasis to local government in the devolved regions of the UK, and provides more extensive analysis of centre-local government relations. The authors deliver a thorough critique of Labour's third term in office. Looking ahead, the book anticipates the future of local government under the coalition government. Two themes look likely to dominate policy making: decentralization and cuts to public spending. With its clear, accessible, non-technical style and popular illustrations, Local Government in the United Kingdom will be essential reading for students, practitioners, and anyone with an interest in local politics.

Local government organisation and management in Britain is in the throes of a major transformation brought about by changing economic, social and political circumstances and central government legislation. This book outlines the major pressures for change and analyses and assesses local government's response in terms of role, culture, structure and internal process. Particular attention is paid to the consequences of new decentralised, competitive/regulatory and enabling models of what local authorities should be like in the mid 1990s.

Written by experts from all over Europe, this book provides an overview of issues and developments in European local government and in-depth analysis of its changing status, functions, management and control in each of the main countries. 'Local Government in Europe' is a stimulating and thought-provoking book, well produced and attractively presented by the publishers, which adds to the incentive to read it rather than just buy it and shelve it for future use'. - John Benington, Public Administration.

The transformation of British local government into a new and complex system of local governance raises fundamental theoretical questions as well as empirical ones. Rethinking Local Democracy argues that traditional defences of local government are no longer adequate and that the case for local autonomy and local democracy needs to be radically rethought. It brings together a set of specially-commissioned chapters by leading academics designed to stimulate and contribute to debate on these issues.

The transformation of local governance in the 1980s and 1990s has put the nature and prospects for local democracy in question. Drawing together original research by leading academics commissioned by the Commission for Local Democracy, this book presents in a lively and accessible form the clearest available picture of the problems of participation, representation and accountability besetting local government, their consequences and possible avenues for reform.

Based on the author's unparalleled in-depth knowledge and experience, this major new book provides a systematic assessment of the diversity and common features of British local government today, set in a clear historical context.

Decentralise authority and let managers manage' has been an almost universal message in UK public services over the last 15 years. But does it really work? Drawing on their own - and a wide range of other research - the authors show that behind the ministerial rhetoric the experiences of NHS trusts, grant maintained schools and housing associations were in practice distinctly mixed. The book offers a sophisticated theoretical analysis of the origins and results of decentralised public management in the UK.

Decentralise authority and let managers manage' has been an almost universal message in UK public services over the last 15 years. But does it really work? Drawing on their own - and a wide range of other research - the authors show that behind the ministerial rhetoric the experiences of NHS trusts, grant maintained schools and housing associations were in practice distinctly mixed. The book offers a sophisticated theoretical analysis of the origins and results of decentralised public management in the UK.

This book presents a detailed analysis of the new management of public services at the local level, drawing on the work of the ESRC Local Governance Programme. The radical transformation of public service delivery is assessed in terms of its overall impact as well as its operation in particular service areas. Efficiency has improved and services have gained a user focus yet the new management appears to be full of contradictions and distortions, in many respects creating as many problems as it solves.

This book examines the changing nature of local politics, drawing on the latest research from the ESRC Local Governance Programme. It assesses the emergence of new forms of élite organisations and changing power relations in the context of increasing roles for business and other partners. Public responses to changes in local governance are covered in depth including new forms of participation and protest. The book concludes with a consideration of the extent to which the emerging system of local governance can meet the social and economic challenges created by globalization.

This book examines the changing nature of local politics, drawing on the latest research from the ESRC Local Governance Programme. It assesses the emergence of new forms of élite organisations and changing power relations in the context of increasing roles for business and other partners. Public responses to changes in local governance are covered in depth including new forms of participation and protest. The book concludes with a consideration of the extent to which the emerging system of local governance can meet the social and economic challenges created by globalization.

Drawing on the author's unrivalled experience and expertise in both research and policy-making, this important new book provides a systematic assessment of the changing nature of local governance in Britain and a conceptual framework for understanding the new governance of localities. The author analyzes in detail what New Labour has been trying to do to local governance and management and assesses how and why it has achieved only a mixed record of change. The book concludes by providing a vision of good local governance and an assessment of future challenges for research and reform.

Drawing on the author's unrivalled experience and expertise in both research and policy-making, this important new book provides a systematic assessment of the changing nature of local governance in Britain and a conceptual framework for understanding the new governance of localities. The author analyzes in detail what New Labour has been trying to do to local governance and management and assesses how and why it has achieved only a mixed record of change. The book concludes by providing a vision of good local governance and an assessment of future challenges for research and reform.

New forms of local governance require new ways of working and in this important new book, Sue Goss assesses the nature of the challenge and how individuals and organisations have responded. Drawing on a wide range of political and management theory and research and her own extensive experience, she provides the clearest picture yet of the emergence of new 'relationship organisations' and of their engagement with the new roles of citizens, public managers and local politicians.

The search for a more holistic approach to policy and management looks set to be as much a hallmark of public service reform in the early twenty first century as the changes introduced under the rubric of 'new public management' or 'reinventing government' were in the closing decades of the twentieth. Towards Holistic Governance presents an authoritative assessment of successes and failures to date and a new framework for analysis and implementation based on extensive research both in the UK - where the New Labour government has been an early enthusiast and pathfinder for 'joined-up government' just as its predecessors were for privatisation and contracting out - and elsewhere.

The search for a more holistic approach to policy and management looks set to be as much a hallmark of public service reform in the early twenty first century as the changes introduced under the rubric of 'new public management' or 'reinventing government' were in the closing decades of the twentieth. Towards Holistic Governance presents an authoritative assessment of successes and failures to date and a new framework for analysis and implementation based on extensive research both in the UK - where the New Labour government has been an early enthusiast and pathfinder for 'joined-up government' just as its predecessors were for privatisation and contracting out - and elsewhere.

Interest in the governance of London has remained high in the years following the election of a London mayor and all the twists and turns of Mayor Livingstone's term of office, including struggles with Whitehall and the boroughs. Written by a leading authority, The Politics of London provides a definitive critique of the politics, administration and government of one of the world's leading cities and recommends major changes to the capital's government to address its longstanding crisis of governability.

Collaboration between governments, business, the voluntary and community sectors is now central to the way public policy is made, managed and delivered. This book provides the first comprehensive and authoritative account of the theory, policy and practice of collaboration. Written by two leading authorities in the field the book explores the experience of collaboration in regeneration, health and other policy sectors, and assesses the consequences of the emergence of public-private partnerships contrasting the UK experience to that elsewhere in the world.

Collaboration between governments, business, the voluntary and community sectors is now central to the way public policy is made, managed and delivered. This book provides the first comprehensive and authoritative account of the theory, policy and practice of collaboration. Written by two leading authorities in the field the book explores the experience of collaboration in regeneration, health and other policy sectors, and assesses the consequences of the emergence of public-private partnerships contrasting the UK experience to that elsewhere in the world.

A broad-ranging assessment of continuities and change in local governance in the western industrialized world providing in-depth assessments by leading experts of a wide range of countries exemplifying between them the whole spectrum of types and models of local government systems and networks. A central focus is on the impact of public management reforms, new forms of community governance and changes in central-local relations.

A broad-ranging assessment of continuities and change in local governance in the western industrialized world providing in-depth assessments by leading experts of a wide range of countries exemplifying between them the whole spectrum of types and models of local government systems and networks. A central focus is on the impact of public management reforms, new forms of community governance and changes in central-local relations.

What is the current state of local government in Britain and where is it going? Edited by two leading experts and with an all-star cast of contributors, British Local Government into the 21st Century brings together a set of specially-commissioned and tightly-edited chapters to provide a comprehensive assessment of the issues and challenges facing local authorities as they search for a new role in a new century.

What is the current state of local government in Britain and where is it going? Edited by two leading experts and with an all-star cast of contributors, British Local Government into the 21st Century brings together a set of specially-commissioned and tightly-edited chapters to provide a comprehensive assessment of the issues and challenges facing local authorities as they search for a new role in a new century.

In this important new text, Rajiv Prabhakar reviews the evidence for different models of public services arguing that a combination of state, market and civil society provision is essential in the 21st century and drawing out the implications for different contexts, services and forms of provision.