The Future of Local Government

267 Pages·1989·23.496 MB·English

by  John Stewart, Gerry Stoker (eds.)

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GOVERNMENT BEYOND THE (ENTRE
SERIES EDITORS: GERRY STOKER & STEVE LEACH
The world of sub-central government and administration - includ
ing local authorities, quasi-governmental bodies and the agencies
of public-private partnerships - have seen massive changes in
recent years and is at the heart of the current restructuring of
government in the United Kingdom and other Western democra
cies.
The intention of the Government Beyond .the Centre series is to
bring the study of this often-neglected world into the mainstream
of social science research, applying the spotlight of critical analysis
to what has traditionally been the preserve of institutional public
administration approaches.
Its focus is on the agenda of change currently being faced by
sub-central government, the economic, political and ideological
forces that underlie it, and the structures of power and inftuence
that are emerging. Its objective is to provide up-to-date and
informative accounts of the new forms of government, manage
ment and administration that are emerging.
The series will be of interest to students and practitioners of
politics, public and social administration, and all those interested
in the reshaping of the governmental institutions which have a
daily and major impact on our lives.
Government Beyond the Centre
Series Editors: Gerry Stoker and Steve Leach
Published
Wendy Ball and John Solomos (eds)
Race and Local Politics
John Gyford
Citizens, Consumers and Councils
Richard Batley and Gerry Stoker (eds)
Local Government in Europe
John Stewart and Gerry Stoker (eds)
The Future of Local Government
Fo rthcoming
Clive Gray
Government Beyond the Centre
Steve Leach, John Stewart and Kieron Walsh
The Changing Organisation and Management of Local Government
Yvonne Rydin
The British Planning System
David Wilson and Chris Game
An Introduction to Local Government
Series Standing Order
If you would like to receive future titles in this series as they are
published, you can make use of our standing order facility. To place a
standing order please contact your bookseller or, in case of difficulty,
write to us at the address below with your name and address and the
name of the series. Please state with which title you wish to begin
your standing order. (lf you live outside the United Kingdom we may
not have the rights for your area, in which case we will forward your
order to the publisher concemed.)
Standing Order Service, Macmillan Distribution Ltd,
Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 2XS, England.
Tbe Future of Local
Government
Edited by
Jobn Stewart
and
Gerry Stoker
M
MACMILLAN
Selection and editorial matter, Introduction © John Stewart
and Gerry Stoker 1989
Individual chapters © Desmond S. King, Steve Leach,
Graham Mather, Stewart Ranson and Hywel Thomas,
Kenneth M. Spencer, John Stewart, Gerry Stoker, Tony Travers,
Kieron Walsh 1989
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of
this publication may be made without written permission.
No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or
transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with
the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988,
or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying
issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court
Road, London WIP 9HE.
Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this
publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil
claims for damages.
First published 1989 by
THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD
Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 2XS
and London
Companies and representatives
throughout the world
ISBN 978-0-333-49486-8 ISBN 978-1-349-20179-2 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-20179-2
A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library
Reprinted 1991, 1992
To the Institute 01 Local Government Studies on its
25th anniversary
Contents
List of Tables
Notes on the Contributors
Preface
1 Introduction
lohn Stewart and Gerry Stoker
I THE AGENDA OF CHANGE
2 Community Charge and other Financial Changes
Tony Travers
3 Competition and Service in Local Government
Kieron Walsh
4 Education Reform: Consumer Democracy or Social
Democracy?
Stewart Ranson and Hywel Thomas
5 Local Government and the Housing Reforms
Kenneth M. Spencer
6 Strengthening Local Democracy? The Government's
Response to Widdicombe
Steve Leach
7 Inner Cities, Economic Development and Social
Services: The Governrr.ent's Continuing Agenda
Gerry Stoker
vii
viii Contents
BI WHAT FUTURE?
8 Creating a Local Government for a Post-For<list 141
Society: The Thatcherite Project?
Gerry Stoker
9 The Changing Organisation and Management of 171
Local Authorities
lohn Stewart
10 The New Right, the New Left and Local Government 185
Desmond S. King
11 Thatcherism and Local Government: An Evaluation 212
Graham Mather
12 A Future for Local Authorities as Community 236
Government
lohn Stewart
Index 255
List of Tables
2.1 Gains and losses because of redistribution of grant 17
and non-domestic rates, 1988-9
2.2 Effects, by household, of moving from rates to 19
community charge, 1988-9
2.3 Relationship of rates and community charge to net 21
household income, England, 1986-7 prices
3.1 Proportion of local authority construction and 37
maintenance work done by DLOs, 1982-3 and
1985--6
3.2 Competitive tendering and the Williamson 47
variables
8.1 Rank ordering of major local government services 150
by spending level, 1885-1975 (selected years)
10.1 Five theories of local government 205
12.1 Average population size of local authorities 240
ix
Notes on the Contributors
Desmond S. King is Leeturer in Government at the London Sehool
of Eeonomies and Politieal Seience. He is the author of The State
and the City (with Ted Gurr) and The New Right: Politics, Markets
and Citizenship, both published by Maemillan.
Steve Leach is a Senior Leeturer at the Institute of Loeal Govern
me nt Studies, University of Birmingham. He has written widely on
loeal polities, poliey planning and other issues of eoneern in loeal
government. One of his most reeent publieations, written with
John Gyford and Chris Game, is The Changing Politics 0/ Local
Government.
Graham Mather beeame General Direetor of the Institute of
Eeonomic Affairs in 1987, having previously been Head of the
Institute of Direetors Poliey Unit. By profession a solieitor, he was
a member of Westminster City Council from 1982 to 1986. He
writes, broadeasts and leetures regularly on eeonomie and publie
poliey issues. He is a member of the Monopolies and Mergers
Commission.
Stewart Ranson is Professor of Edueation in the Sehool of Eduea
tion at Birmingham and ehairs the Centre for Edueation and
Management Studies at the Institute and the Sehool. He has
written widely in the field of the changing policies and government
of edueation. He is author of Politics o[ School Reorganisations.
Kenneth M. Spencer is a Senior Leeturer in the Institute of Loeal
Government Studies, University of Birmingham. He has written
on social and eeonomic policies and on loeal government manage-
x