Local government and democracy in Britain
Local government in the UK is in crisis. The book argues that it is now neither local in terms of the geography and populations of its principal units, nor does it govern in these areas. Over the last two hundred years local government has been changed from a system in which local interests held gov...
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| Format: | Online |
| Idioma: | anglès |
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Manchester University Press
2026
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| Accés en línia: | https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/109986 |
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| _version_ | 1869516261985091584 |
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| author | Barnett, Neil Chandler, J. A. |
| author_browse | Barnett, Neil Chandler, J. A. |
| author_facet | Barnett, Neil Chandler, J. A. |
| author_sort | Barnett, Neil |
| collection | Directory of Open Access Books |
| description | Local government in the UK is in crisis. The book argues that it is now neither local in terms of the geography and populations of its principal units, nor does it govern in these areas. Over the last two hundred years local government has been changed from a system in which local interests held governance over localities to one in which central government, national and multinational agencies, and corporate business increasingly dominate governance of local and community decision-making. These changes seriously undermine the important contribution that local government can bring to the effectiveness of democracy in the UK. The study provides an update on the structures and powers of local government since 2010. Despite change and austerity, a democratic hope still persists at the local level concerning local governments’ potential as a fundamental building block for democratic renewal. It is argued that the local remains a central arena of democratic practice, and that more direct forms of democracy should form part of a renewed democratic infrastructure. Following the ideas of J. S. Mill, the book also presents an argument that citizens have a right to participate in the government of their localities on issues that affect only their area, thus enhancing the capacity of citizens to become involved in understanding of our political culture. |
| format | Online |
| id | doab-20.500.12854ir-172120 |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Books |
| language | eng |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Manchester University Press |
| publisherStr | Manchester University Press |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | doab-20.500.12854ir-1721202026-02-18T05:17:26Z Local government and democracy in Britain Barnett, Neil Chandler, J. A. Local government Local democracy Community Unitary authority Councillor Austerity Centralisation Right to local government Innovation in local government Localism Aims of the book Terminology Structure of each chapter Democracy in local government Autocracy in local government Universal franchise in local government Localism and democracy in parish government Squirearchy Effects of industrialisation J. S. Mill Liberal thought Hobhouse and the Webbs 1930s demands for larger authorities William Robson G. D. H. Cole Post-1945 theorists Right of decision-making in communities Banham Commission Expansion of unitary authorities Combined authorities Decline of district councils Privatisation Contracting out Education services Police and fire services Social services Local government taxation Central grants Status of councillors and leaders pre-2000 Executive mayors Cabinet government New scrutinising role of backbench councillors Directly elected mayors Unitary authorities Consequence of change for democracy Local autonomy Changes to local autonomy since the late nineteenth century Policy concerning central–local relations post-2010 Local Government Act 2011 Neighbourhood planning Effect of austerity COVID-19 Theorising autonomy Neoliberalism and local agency Innovation Entrepreneurialism Innovation and entrepreneurialism in local government New municipalism Devolution of power How central government determines the discretion given to local government Self-interest of central political elites Lack of an ideological perspective and ethical theory to justify British centralism Critiques of liberal democracy Problems of democracy in local governance in the United Kingdom How far can direct discursive decision-making be effective in theory Role of central government Can direct discursive governance meld with liberal representative democracy Politics thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes::JPHV Political structures: democracy thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPB Comparative politics Local government in the UK is in crisis. The book argues that it is now neither local in terms of the geography and populations of its principal units, nor does it govern in these areas. Over the last two hundred years local government has been changed from a system in which local interests held governance over localities to one in which central government, national and multinational agencies, and corporate business increasingly dominate governance of local and community decision-making. These changes seriously undermine the important contribution that local government can bring to the effectiveness of democracy in the UK. The study provides an update on the structures and powers of local government since 2010. Despite change and austerity, a democratic hope still persists at the local level concerning local governments’ potential as a fundamental building block for democratic renewal. It is argued that the local remains a central arena of democratic practice, and that more direct forms of democracy should form part of a renewed democratic infrastructure. Following the ideas of J. S. Mill, the book also presents an argument that citizens have a right to participate in the government of their localities on issues that affect only their area, thus enhancing the capacity of citizens to become involved in understanding of our political culture. 2026-02-18T05:17:25Z 2026-02-18T05:17:25Z 2026-02-17T12:35:59Z 2026 book https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/109986 9781526150660 9781526150653 9781526150646 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/172120 eng open access image/jpeg Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/109986/1/9781526150660.pdf Manchester University Press 10.7765/9781526150660 10.7765/9781526150660 bcb4ab08-c525-4e6c-88e5-a0cf0a175533 9781526150660 9781526150653 9781526150646 311 Manchester open access |
| spellingShingle | Local government Local democracy Community Unitary authority Councillor Austerity Centralisation Right to local government Innovation in local government Localism Aims of the book Terminology Structure of each chapter Democracy in local government Autocracy in local government Universal franchise in local government Localism and democracy in parish government Squirearchy Effects of industrialisation J. S. Mill Liberal thought Hobhouse and the Webbs 1930s demands for larger authorities William Robson G. D. H. Cole Post-1945 theorists Right of decision-making in communities Banham Commission Expansion of unitary authorities Combined authorities Decline of district councils Privatisation Contracting out Education services Police and fire services Social services Local government taxation Central grants Status of councillors and leaders pre-2000 Executive mayors Cabinet government New scrutinising role of backbench councillors Directly elected mayors Unitary authorities Consequence of change for democracy Local autonomy Changes to local autonomy since the late nineteenth century Policy concerning central–local relations post-2010 Local Government Act 2011 Neighbourhood planning Effect of austerity COVID-19 Theorising autonomy Neoliberalism and local agency Innovation Entrepreneurialism Innovation and entrepreneurialism in local government New municipalism Devolution of power How central government determines the discretion given to local government Self-interest of central political elites Lack of an ideological perspective and ethical theory to justify British centralism Critiques of liberal democracy Problems of democracy in local governance in the United Kingdom How far can direct discursive decision-making be effective in theory Role of central government Can direct discursive governance meld with liberal representative democracy Politics thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes::JPHV Political structures: democracy thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPB Comparative politics Barnett, Neil Chandler, J. A. Local government and democracy in Britain |
| title | Local government and democracy in Britain |
| title_full | Local government and democracy in Britain |
| title_fullStr | Local government and democracy in Britain |
| title_full_unstemmed | Local government and democracy in Britain |
| title_short | Local government and democracy in Britain |
| title_sort | local government and democracy in britain |
| topic | Local government Local democracy Community Unitary authority Councillor Austerity Centralisation Right to local government Innovation in local government Localism Aims of the book Terminology Structure of each chapter Democracy in local government Autocracy in local government Universal franchise in local government Localism and democracy in parish government Squirearchy Effects of industrialisation J. S. Mill Liberal thought Hobhouse and the Webbs 1930s demands for larger authorities William Robson G. D. H. Cole Post-1945 theorists Right of decision-making in communities Banham Commission Expansion of unitary authorities Combined authorities Decline of district councils Privatisation Contracting out Education services Police and fire services Social services Local government taxation Central grants Status of councillors and leaders pre-2000 Executive mayors Cabinet government New scrutinising role of backbench councillors Directly elected mayors Unitary authorities Consequence of change for democracy Local autonomy Changes to local autonomy since the late nineteenth century Policy concerning central–local relations post-2010 Local Government Act 2011 Neighbourhood planning Effect of austerity COVID-19 Theorising autonomy Neoliberalism and local agency Innovation Entrepreneurialism Innovation and entrepreneurialism in local government New municipalism Devolution of power How central government determines the discretion given to local government Self-interest of central political elites Lack of an ideological perspective and ethical theory to justify British centralism Critiques of liberal democracy Problems of democracy in local governance in the United Kingdom How far can direct discursive decision-making be effective in theory Role of central government Can direct discursive governance meld with liberal representative democracy Politics thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes::JPHV Political structures: democracy thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPB Comparative politics |
| topic_facet | Local government Local democracy Community Unitary authority Councillor Austerity Centralisation Right to local government Innovation in local government Localism Aims of the book Terminology Structure of each chapter Democracy in local government Autocracy in local government Universal franchise in local government Localism and democracy in parish government Squirearchy Effects of industrialisation J. S. Mill Liberal thought Hobhouse and the Webbs 1930s demands for larger authorities William Robson G. D. H. Cole Post-1945 theorists Right of decision-making in communities Banham Commission Expansion of unitary authorities Combined authorities Decline of district councils Privatisation Contracting out Education services Police and fire services Social services Local government taxation Central grants Status of councillors and leaders pre-2000 Executive mayors Cabinet government New scrutinising role of backbench councillors Directly elected mayors Unitary authorities Consequence of change for democracy Local autonomy Changes to local autonomy since the late nineteenth century Policy concerning central–local relations post-2010 Local Government Act 2011 Neighbourhood planning Effect of austerity COVID-19 Theorising autonomy Neoliberalism and local agency Innovation Entrepreneurialism Innovation and entrepreneurialism in local government New municipalism Devolution of power How central government determines the discretion given to local government Self-interest of central political elites Lack of an ideological perspective and ethical theory to justify British centralism Critiques of liberal democracy Problems of democracy in local governance in the United Kingdom How far can direct discursive decision-making be effective in theory Role of central government Can direct discursive governance meld with liberal representative democracy Politics thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes::JPHV Political structures: democracy thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPB Comparative politics |
| url | https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/109986 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT barnettneil localgovernmentanddemocracyinbritain AT chandlerja localgovernmentanddemocracyinbritain |