Renewing Local Democracy? The Modernisation Agenda in British Local Government

The Labour government's modernization proposals for local government promise to bring about a new era of local democracy through which local authorities are more in touch with their citizens. Plans to increase electoral turnout, pioneer new modes of public participation and introduce new "cabinet style" political management arrangements are all converging to redefine the nature of local democracy in the UK. How are local authorites responding to this modernization agenda, and what problems face those who would reform local democracy?
This study includes a contribution from the main architect of the modernization agenda, Local Government Minister Hilary Armstrong MP, as well as research on various features of democratic renewal taking shape in local government.

Bringing together research on different features of the democratic renewal agenda to investigate how local authorities are responding, this text includes a contribution from the main architect of the modernization, Local Government Minister Hilary Armstrong.

Defining democratic renewal, Lawrence Pratchett; the key themes of democratic renewal, Hilary Armstrong; democratic renewal in local government - continuity and change, Andrew Gray and Bill Jenkins; public participation and the democratic renewal agenda - prioritization or marginalization?, Steve Leach and Melvin Wingfield; researching public participation, Marian Barnes; the party group - a barrier to democratic renewal, Colin Copus; political leadership in the new urban governance - Britain and France compared, Peter John and Alistair Cole; rebuilding trust in central/local relations - policy or passion?, Vivian Lowndes.

Lawrence Pratchett