{"product_id":"local-government-from-thatcher-to-blair-the-politics-of-creative-autonomy-paperback-softback-9780745622040","title":"Local Government from Thatcher to Blair; The Politics of Creative Autonomy (Paperback \/ softback) 9780745622040","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eLocal Government from Thatcher to Blair\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cfont size=\"5\"\u003eThe Politics of Creative Autonomy\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eHugh Atkinson (Author), Stuart Wilks-Heeg (Author)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9780745622040, Polity Press\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003ePaperback \/ softback, published 18 October 2000\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e320 pages\u003cbr\u003e23.1 x 15.2 x 2.4 cm, 0.463 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e'This book is a powerful and exciting statement of the creative autonomy of British local Government. It explores how local authorities have found ways of pursuing innovative strategies, even in adversity. It is well-informed and right up-to-date in the concerns it raises. The authors' arguments represent a powerful corrective to the currently dominant academic and political \"common sense\", with its simple slogal of \"modernisation\".' \u003ci\u003eAllan Cochrane, Open University\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cp\u003e'The book has much to offer. Its promotion of the concept of creative autonomy is forceful, insightful, and a valuable contribution to the literature on local governance in the United Kingdom.' \u003ci\u003eEnvironment and Planning\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"This is an excellent book combining the offer of a comprehensive and authoritative text suitable for advanced undergraduates and masters students with the advancement of an important thesis.\" \u003ci\u003eSocial Policy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eThis accessible text summarizes and explains the structure of British local government, focusing on key changes introduced during the Thatcher\/Major years and initiatives implemented by the current Labour administration. While offering a detailed discussion of these policies, the book examines how local government has sought to respond in a proactive way to a range of important social, political and economic changes. \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Readers are introduced to local government as a lively and complex site of political engagement. British local government is set in a wider political, social and theoretical context. Throughout, the authors argue that the attempt by the Thatcher and Major administrations of 1979-97 to push local government into the role of merely administrating centrally defined policies was largely short-circuited. While outlining and explaining these changes and their effects, the authors argue that far from being defenceless victims of central government, local authorities devised numerous strategies to protect their independent policy-making role. The authors go on to examine the proposals for change introduced by the Labour government and assess their implications for local government in the twenty-first century.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This book will be essential reading for lecturers and students of local government, politics, public policy and urban policy, as well as practitioners.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eList of Figures and Tables. \u003cp\u003ePreface and Acknowledgements.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eList of Abbreviations.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePart I: The Context of UK Local Government.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 1: The Evolution of Local Government in the UK.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 2: Theories of Local Government and Local Governance.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 3: British Local Government since 1979: Two Decades of Change.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePart II: Local Government from Thatcher to Major: Three Dimensions of Change.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 4 The Financing of Local Government.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 5: The Changing Structure and Shape of Local Government.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 6: Local Government and the Private Sector.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePart III: Local Government Reinvents Itself?.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 7: Local Elections, Political Realignment and Change in Local Authorities.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 8: Getting Their Own Houses in Order: New Directions in Local Government Internal Organization.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 9: Global Problems, Local Solutions: Government and Sustainable Development.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 10: The Europeanization of British Local Government?.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePart IV: Sub-national Government under New Labour.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 11: Towards Regional Government? The Introduction of Regional Offices, the Moves towards Devolution and the Notion of Regionalism.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChapter 12: Local Government under New Labour.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eConclusion.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNotes.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eReferences.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndex.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eSubject Areas: Politics \u0026amp; government [\u003ca title=\"See our other books on Politics \u0026amp; government\" href=\"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/search?q=%22Politics%20\u0026amp;%20government%20%5BJP%5D%22\"\u003eJP\u003c\/a\u003e]\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"Polity","offers":[{"title":"Brand New","offer_id":52470043738392,"sku":"9780745622040","price":18.89,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0730\/2037\/5320\/files\/9780745622040.jpg?v=1785629790","url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/local-government-from-thatcher-to-blair-the-politics-of-creative-autonomy-paperback-softback-9780745622040","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}