This book examines the parlous state of local government in England where an increasing number of local authorities are becoming financially unsustainable as years of austerity and underfunding take their toll. Meanwhile, centralism and centralist thinking have continued to intensify since the 1980s, with Westminster and Whitehall increasingly viewing local government as an agent of the centre rather than as politically representative governing institutions. 
Against this backdrop, the book explores the long-term crisis affecting local government in England. It analyses the key values that underpin the idea of local government, and the extent to which these values have been ignored or diluted over the past fifty years. It also examines the potential local government holds to provide local solutions to local problems, drawing on examples from Europe to illustrate how that potential can be realised. Finally, the book sets out an agenda for constitutional, strategic, and operational reform to reverse the persistent drift toward centralism, and enable local government to once again fulfil a genuinely governmental role. 
Following Labour’s victory in the 2024 election, this book offers a timely reassessment of the importance and future of local government in England. It will appeal to readers interested in politics and public administration, as well as practitioners and policymakers.

Steve Leach is Emeritus Professor of Local Government, De Montfort University, England, UK. 
Colin Copus is Emeritus Professor of Local Politics, De Montfort University, England, and Visiting Professor at the University of Ghent, Belgium.