Local Government Reform in Great Britain

Local government remains in a state of flux in Great Britain. Currently being 'modernised' by the New Labour Government, it has been subject to radical programmes of reform for most of the last twenty years. This paper will describe and analyse those programmes of reform focusing attention on the kinds of reform strategy that have been introduced, the goals of those reform strategies (legitimacy, efficiency and effectiveness) and their consequences for localities. The paper will consider the Conservative Government's programmes of reform (1979-1997) and the New Labour Government's programme (1997-) separately and then draw together and discuss the key themes and the continuities/differences in strategy employed in the two periods. Finally the paper will consider the impact of contextual and structural factors on central government's capacity to deliver reform, paying particular attention to the fact that Britain has no codified constitution. Before describing and examining the respective reform strategies the paper will provide a brief overview of the development of local government in Great Britain.