Local government and democracy in Britain

Abstract

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.