{"product_id":"9780745622040","title":"Local Government from Thatcher to Blair The Politics of Creative Autonomy","description":"\u003ch1\u003eLocal Government from Thatcher to Blair\u003c\/h1\u003e\u003ch2\u003eThe Politics of Creative Autonomy\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHugh Atkinson | Stuart Wilks-Heeg\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cb\u003ePolitical Science \/ Public Policy \/ General\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eThis accessible text summarizes and explains the structure of British local government, focusing on key changes introduced during the Thatcher\/Major years and initiatives implemented by the current Labour administration. While offering a detailed discussion of these policies, the book examines how local government has sought to respond in a proactive way to a range of important social, political and economic changes. \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Readers are introduced to local government as a lively and complex site of political engagement. British local government is set in a wider political, social and theoretical context. Throughout, the authors argue that the attempt by the Thatcher and Major administrations of 1979-97 to push local government into the role of merely administrating centrally defined policies was largely short-circuited. While outlining and explaining these changes and their effects, the authors argue that far from being defenceless victims of central government, local authorities devised numerous strategies to protect their independent policy-making role. The authors go on to examine the proposals for change introduced by the Labour government and assess their implications for local government in the twenty-first century.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This book will be essential reading for lecturers and students of local government, politics, public policy and urban policy, as well as practitioners.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e  \u003cb\u003eDr Hugh Atkinson\u003c\/b\u003e is principal lecturer in politics and head of the Politics Division at South Bank University. His specialism is British local government and he is co-author of \u003ci\u003eBritish Local Government since 1979; The End of an era?\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eStuart Wilks-Heeg\u003c\/b\u003e has researched and published widely in the area of local government and urban policy, and is the co-author of \u003ci\u003eBritish Local Government since 1979; The End of an era?\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eTalking About Tomorrow: A new Radical Politics.\u003c\/i\u003e, he is Research Fellow, Centre for Sustainable Urban and Regional Futures, University of Salford.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublication Date: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e22 December 2000\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublisher: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePolity Press\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eImprint: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePolity\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eISBN-13: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9780745622040\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFormat: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePaperback \/ softback\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePage Count: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e320\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWeight (oz): \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e16.32\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Polity Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44314996375692,"sku":"9780745622040","price":37.35,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/9545\/1788\/files\/9780745622040_9cfde65f-da2b-4c33-9cf0-bce954ed7e44.jpg?v=1780157769","url":"https:\/\/lateknightbooks.com\/products\/9780745622040","provider":"Late Knight Books and Services, LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}