First published in 1966, Local Government in Crisis presents a comprehensive overview of the challenges and limitations of the local government in Britain. William A. Robson discusses major themes like loss of municipal functions and public utilities; transfer of powers from county districts to county councils; increased central control and dependence on central finance; attitude of local authorities to municipal reforms; the Local Government Act, 1958; and work of the Local Government Commission, to showcase the demand for far reaching substantial changes in a) the structure and finance of local government, b) the relations of local authorities with central departments and c) the power entrusted to local councils. This book is an essential read for scholars and researchers of public administration, political science, and public policy.
Preface 1. The Loss of Municipal Functions 2. The Loss of Public Utilities 3. Socialist Belief in Municipal Trading 4. New Towns 5. Some Local Government Gains 6. The Transfer of Powers from County Districts to County Councils 7. Delegation of Powers to District Councils 8. Regional Planning 9. Increased Central Control 10. Local Dependence on Central Finance 11. A Diagnosis 12. The Attitude of Local Authorities to Municipal Reform 1942-3 13. The Labour Party’s Report, 1943 14. The Coalition White Paper on Local Government, 1945 15. The Local Government Boundary Commission 1945-49 16. The Boundary Commissions Proposal 1947 17. Mr. Aneurin Bevan and Local Government Reform 18. The Proposals of Four Associations of Local Authorities, 1953 19. The Attitude of The Association of Municipal Corporations 20. The Attitude of the County Councils Association 21. The Concordat, 1956 22. The White Paper on Areas and Status 1956 23. The Local Government Act, 1958 24. The Work of the Local Government Commission 25. The Case of Rutland 26. The Upsurge of the Counties 27. The Situation in Wales 28. The Liberal Party’s Scheme for Wales, 1962 29. The Principal Defects of the Structure 30. Democratic Regional Government 31. The Reform of London Government 32. Plain Speaking by Mr Crossman 33. Conclusions Index
Biography
W. A. Robson
