Modern Local Government

Modern Local Government is a unique assessment of local government reform from the perspective of both local and central government, which is fully informed an analysis of the role of the European Union. This text provides a systematic review of the reform of local government since the election of New Labour in 1997.

Key Features

• Provides the relevant historical context for the predicted "death of local government" in the Thatcher era
• Explains the New Labour agenda for local government and the components which make up local governance in England today
• Offers substantive discussion of: decision making; community strategies; performance measures; procurement, privatization, partnerships; the role of e-government; standards and corruption
• Analyzes the implications of reform at different spatial scales – from the local to the regional – and offers a rich discussion of the "new localism"
• Presents an overview of the role of EU legislation in areas like employment, environment, and competition
• Concludes with a consideration of the possible futures for local government including Local Area Agreements, Local Public Service Boards, and choice

It will be the key resource for all students of local government in Planning and related disciplines.

Janice Morphet, a member of the Modernising Local Government team and e-government advisor at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, has been appointed as an Honorary Professor at the Bartlett for a five year period from January 2005.