Reforming Local Government in England: An Examination of the Blairite Agenda

<p>This article examines the impact of the reformist agenda implemented in English local government since the election in 1997 of the first Blair government. Under 18 years of Conservative administrations (1979-1997), English local government had survived what some described as a legislative o...

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Main Author: Andy ASQUITH
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca 2006-06-01
Series:Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences
Online Access:https://rtsa.ro/tras/index.php/tras/article/view/391
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author Andy ASQUITH
author_facet Andy ASQUITH
author_sort Andy ASQUITH
collection DOAJ
description <p>This article examines the impact of the reformist agenda implemented in English local government since the election in 1997 of the first Blair government. Under 18 years of Conservative administrations (1979-1997), English local government had survived what some described as a legislative onslaught which had been designed to direct, control and remove functions from local authorities. Against this background, the first Blair administration inherited a system of local government upon which it would depend for key policy implementation. However, many within the Blair inner circles were deeply suspicious as to the motivations and capacity of local government to deliver on these key policies. The result therefore was a widespread overall of how local authorities were to be managed and importantly how they were to connect with their respective communities. As the article will examine, one of the key strategies for achieving Blair’s objectives was to be, in terms of the UK, both a radical and controversial innovation. Central to the Blairite agenda was the introduction to the UK of the concept of a directly elected mayor.</p>
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spelling doaj.art-1691ba049e6d461b9b791b8fcd66ac722025-02-26T12:09:38ZengBabes-Bolyai University, Cluj-NapocaTransylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences1842-28452006-06-01217515407Reforming Local Government in England: An Examination of the Blairite AgendaAndy ASQUITH0Professor, Department of Management and International Business, Massey University – Auckland, New Zealand<p>This article examines the impact of the reformist agenda implemented in English local government since the election in 1997 of the first Blair government. Under 18 years of Conservative administrations (1979-1997), English local government had survived what some described as a legislative onslaught which had been designed to direct, control and remove functions from local authorities. Against this background, the first Blair administration inherited a system of local government upon which it would depend for key policy implementation. However, many within the Blair inner circles were deeply suspicious as to the motivations and capacity of local government to deliver on these key policies. The result therefore was a widespread overall of how local authorities were to be managed and importantly how they were to connect with their respective communities. As the article will examine, one of the key strategies for achieving Blair’s objectives was to be, in terms of the UK, both a radical and controversial innovation. Central to the Blairite agenda was the introduction to the UK of the concept of a directly elected mayor.</p>https://rtsa.ro/tras/index.php/tras/article/view/391
spellingShingle Andy ASQUITH
Reforming Local Government in England: An Examination of the Blairite Agenda
Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences
title Reforming Local Government in England: An Examination of the Blairite Agenda
title_full Reforming Local Government in England: An Examination of the Blairite Agenda
title_fullStr Reforming Local Government in England: An Examination of the Blairite Agenda
title_full_unstemmed Reforming Local Government in England: An Examination of the Blairite Agenda
title_short Reforming Local Government in England: An Examination of the Blairite Agenda
title_sort reforming local government in england an examination of the blairite agenda
url https://rtsa.ro/tras/index.php/tras/article/view/391
work_keys_str_mv AT andyasquith reforminglocalgovernmentinenglandanexaminationoftheblairiteagenda