English local government is in a state of decline after 40 years of incremental but cumulative centralisation by central government. This book is the first to directly address this trend's impact upon the institution of local government, a crucial element in the democratic viability of a unitary state. The process of centralisation, and its corrosive effect on the status and responsibilities of local government, have been widely recognised and deplored among politicians and senior officers within local government, and by academics with an interest in this field. However, there has been no study exploring in detail its impact, and, equally important, suggesting ways in which the growing imbalance between the powers of central and local government should be rectified. This book fills this gap. This text will be of key interest to scholars, students and practitioners of local government, and more generally to those interested in what has been happening to British politics and governance.

First published in 1985, Between Centre and Locality provides the detailed accounts of the relations between central and local government in Britain since 1970s. The confrontation of centre and locality has been a constant theme of political debate and legislative action since Mrs Thatcher came to power. It discusses range of policy issues including education, the police, housing, race relations and finance. In addition, theoretical chapters are included which set the empirical studies in the broader context of theories of the State and of policy making. The chapters have each been written by an acknowledged authority on the particular subject and are based upon extensive research. The book will be of interest not only to academics in a number of fields but also to politicians, officers, and civil servants in central and local government.

Strong and sober, George Jones looks back on his life with searing candor. From his roots in an impoverished East Texas family to his years of womanizing, boozing, brawling, and singing with the voice that made him a star, his story is a nonstop rollercoaster ride of the price of fame. It is also the story of how the love of a good woman, his wife Nancy, helped him clean up his act.

A painter, army officer and eminent Royal Academician, George Jones (1786 1869) enjoyed a close friendship with the sculptor Sir Francis Chantrey (1781 1841). Britain's portrait sculptor of choice at the peak of his career, Chantrey is most celebrated for works such as his busts of Sir Walter Scott and John Horne Tooke, his statue of James Watt, the equestrian bronze of Sir Thomas Munro in India, and The Sleeping Children in Lichfield Cathedral. Originally published in 1849, this book is an affectionate tribute to the man and his work, featuring also a selection of his letters to Jones, the engraver Charles Turner, and other correspondents. Whereas Jones's patriotism led him to enlist, Chantrey's was reflected in his enthusiasm for the advancement and promotion of his country's art: his generous bequest to the Royal Academy allowed for the purchase of numerous works of British art, now held by the Tate.

English local government is in a state of decline after 40 years of incremental but cumulative centralisation by central government. This book is the first to directly address this trend's impact upon the institution of local government, a crucial element in the democratic viability of a unitary state. The process of centralisation, and its corrosive effect on the status and responsibilities of local government, have been widely recognised and deplored among politicians and senior officers within local government, and by academics with an interest in this field. However, there has been no study exploring in detail its impact, and, equally important, suggesting ways in which the growing imbalance between the powers of central and local government should be rectified. This book fills this gap. This text will be of key interest to scholars, students and practitioners of local government, and more generally to those interested in what has been happening to British politics and governance.

Based on two years of unprecedented access to the inner workings of Whitehall, this book by a leading team of scholars reveals the reality of regulation inside government. It examines the army of inspectors, auditors, grievance-chasers and other bodies devoted to oversight of public organizations. It documents the remarkable growth of such regulators over the two decades when public bureaucracies were being cut back substantially and explores the way they work in five different domains.