The Hollowing out of Local Democracy and the Fatal Conceit of Governing Without Government

Books Reviewed Stewart J (2000) The Nature of British Local Government. Basingstoke: Macmillan ISBN 0-333-66569-4 viii + 310pp Stoker G (ed) (1999) The New Management of British Local Governance. Basingstoke: Macmillan ISBN 0-333-72815-7 xxvi + 280pp Stoker G (ed) (2000) The New Politics of British Local Governance. Basingstoke: Macmillan ISBN 0-333-72818-1 xvii + 294pp Introduction On 4th May 2000, Ken Livingstone was elected Mayor of London on a turn-out of only 33.6%, a day when around 30% of voters turned out in local council elections. New Labour has broadcast its intention to revive participation in local democracy and these voting figures undermine the credibility of its policies. Now is therefore a good time to ask whether recent research into local politics sheds any light on problems of local governance and democracy. Three recent texts published by Macmillan in the Government Beyond the Centre series provide useful insights into local political processes, covering The New Management of British Local Governance (Stoker, 1999), The New Politics of British Local Governance (Stoker, 2000), and The Nature of British Local Government (Stewart, 2000)/