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Centralisation: The Constant Struggle

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Local Government in England

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Abstract

Local government faces a constant struggle against centralisation and an erosion of its role and place within the governance of the country, and that struggle continues despite periodic claims of devolution and decentralisation that the centre may make. The logic and reasons for centralism are displayed through ideas about the purpose of local government, and that purpose has a supporting policy narrative. The chapter sets out the main ideas behind the competing views of centralists and localists and explores how the dominant narrative of centralisation has come to shape so much public and policy debate that even devolution and decentralisation are structured and delivered to fit a centralist perspective. The chapter examines whether localism has a chance of developing as a specific approach towards government and governance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. De Montfort University, Leicester, UK

    Colin Copus & Rachel Wall

  2. Leicester Business School, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK

    Mark Roberts

Authors
  1. Colin Copus
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  2. Mark Roberts
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  3. Rachel Wall
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Copus, C., Roberts, M., Wall, R. (2017). Centralisation: The Constant Struggle. In: Local Government in England . Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-26418-3_1

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