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Kavanagh et al: British Politics 5e

Chapter 15

Local government

Department for Communities and Local Government
www.communities.gov.uk/
The Department for Communities and Local Government was created in May 2006 and is responsible, as the name suggests, for local government issues. Clicking on the local government section of the site will lead you to links on the performance of local councils, material on local democracy and local government finance. The website also provides links to external sites of interest.

Local Government Performance
www.bvpi.gov.uk/pages/Index.asp
As the text of this chapter points out, the current government has been particularly keen to ensure that local government is efficient in its delivery of services. This website provides a means of examining the performance of local government in England and Wales. For most the 'Key Facts' will provide enough information. However, you can go beyond this by creating your own comparative tables using any of the variables of local government performance available on the site.

The New Local Government Network
www.nlgn.org.uk/
The New Local Government Network is a think-tank established in 1996 by, among others, Professor Gerry Stoker of the University of Manchester. It aims to promote reforms which increase the relevance of local government to the public. It is widely considered to have been a significant influence behind New Labour's reforms of local government.

Local Government Association
www.lga.gov.uk/
The Local Government Association was created in 1997 and promotes the interests of English and Welsh local authorities. The site provides a combination of news, basic information (through a series of factsheets) and downloadable copies of some of its policy publications from the last three years. The website also provides links to other LGA run sites on local democracy and the reputation of local government.

London
www.london.gov.uk/
The website of the London Mayor, the London Assembly and the Greater London Authority, all of which were established by the current government in response to the Thatcher government's abolition of the Greater London Council in 1986. Here you will find a rich source of information about these institutions and the policies which they are pursuing on behalf of seven and a half million Londoners.