Introduction - Our Aims And Approach

Abstract

There are many ways of starting off a book on UK local government. We have chosen a previously unrecorded anecdote concerning ‘a recent Cabinet Minister of our acquaintance’. Pretentious perhaps, but it is relevant. The politician had better remain nameless, though his (a small but not very helpful clue!) identity may well be guessable from his having served as both Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Minister for Local Government. Reminiscing about the two posts, he recalled that, on the occasion of both appointments, the congratulations of many of his parliamentary colleagues had been tempered by at least a hint of commiseration. This commiseration, he decided, was because both agriculture and local government tend to be seen politically as rather specialised and exclusive subjects — endlessly fascinating to those personally involved with them, but of distinctly limited interest to almost everyone else. If there was a difference between the two subjects, the Minister suggested, it was that while people outside the world of agriculture were prepared to concede it might well be interesting if only they knew rather more about it, local government, they were unshakeably convinced, was intrinsically and irredeemably boring.