Local Government from Thatcher to Blair: The Politics of Creative Autonomy

List of Figures and Tables. Preface and Acknowledgements. List of Abbreviations. Introduction. Part I: The Context of UK Local Government. Chapter 1: The Evolution of Local Government in the UK. Chapter 2: Theories of Local Government and Local Governance. Chapter 3: British Local Government since 1979: Two Decades of Change. Part II: Local Government from Thatcher to Major: Three Dimensions of Change. Chapter 4 The Financing of Local Government. Chapter 5: The Changing Structure and Shape of Local Government. Chapter 6: Local Government and the Private Sector. Part III: Local Government Reinvents Itself?. Chapter 7: Local Elections, Political Realignment and Change in Local Authorities. Chapter 8: Getting Their Own Houses in Order: New Directions in Local Government Internal Organization. Chapter 9: Global Problems, Local Solutions: Government and Sustainable Development. Chapter 10: The Europeanization of British Local Government?. Part IV: Sub--national Government under New Labour. Chapter 11: Towards Regional Government? The Introduction of Regional Offices, the Moves towards Devolution and the Notion of Regionalism. Chapter 12: Local Government under New Labour. Conclusion. Notes. References. Index.