Some error occured while loading the Quick View. Please close the Quick View and try reloading the page.
Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.
As devolution transforms governance across the UK, local authorities face unprecedented challenges in delivering services whilst managing severe budgetary constraints. This book investigates and provides insights into how local governments operate within Britain's evolving constitutional framework.
This comprehensive edited collection examines the realities of devolved powers across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, revealing why simply transferring responsibilities from Westminster hasn't reduced social inequalities. The authors identify critical pressure points—from inadequate expertise to accountability failures—that undermine local governance effectiveness.
Essential reading for public administration scholars, policy makers and practitioners seeking evidence-based solutions to strengthen local democracy and promote social justice through better territorial governance.
Yseult Marique is Professor of Law at Essex Law School.
Eugenio Vaccari is Associate Professor of Law at Royal Holloway University of London.
1. Mapping Powers, Resources, Accountability, and Social Justice – Eugenio Vaccari and Yseult Marique
Part I: The Constitutional and Financial Foundations of Local Governance
2. Local Government Finance: Constitutional Foundation and Central-Local Relations – John Stanton
3. Human Rights Local: A Contribution to Make Human Rights Locally Relevant – Koldo Casla
Part II : Local Powers in Practice: Housing, Education, Social Care and Policing
4. Local Taxation – Stuart MacLennan
5. Social Housing – Rebecca Amor
6. Extracting Accountability from Local Authorities in Delivering Essential Learning Provision to Children With SEND: The Challenges, Responsibilities, and Delivery – Mohammad Sabuj
7. Adult Social Care – Karl Mason
8. Police – Matt Clement
Part III: Accountability, Audit, and Governance Failures
9. Rethinking Local Government Accountability: Towards a Pluralistic Approach – Bernard Kofi Dom, André Feliciano Lino and Ileana Steccolini
10. Fraud in Social Housing – Andrew Lane
11. Local Standards and Financial Distress – Eugenio Vaccari
Part IV: Perspectives from the Devolved Nations
12. Social Justice in Scottish Local Government – Tom Mullen
13. From the Troubles to Transformation: Local Government and Social Justice in Northern Ireland – Duncan Morrow and Gavan Rafferty