Devolution, Localism and Good Governance in England

Abstract

David Smith and Enid Wistrich, Middlesex University, United Kingdom, London davidsmithhbo@hotmail.com Abstract Globalization continues to raise questions about the future form of the nation state which has led to increasing academic interest in sub-national forms of government and governance (Hooghe, 2012, Rhodes, 1996, Putnam 1993). In Britain there was substantial popular disengagement from conventional national politics before the 2008 economic crisis (Power, 2006). Devolution and "Localism" have been themes espoused by all recent British governments though they vary in their interpretation, level of application and consistency of approach. The Labour Government (19972010) first embraced regional devolution to Scotland, Wales, and N. Ireland and attempted unsuccessfully to develop regional governance within England. Later it moved towards a New Localism agenda placing emphasis on sub-regional levels. The present Coalition Government, elected in 2010, also embraces Localism and has replaced the English regional structure with its own sub-regional approach based on Local Economic Partnerships. In this paper we review developments, consider some of the practical implications of "New Localism" in England, and make some recommendations, illustrating with our own data drawn from our study (2009, 2012) in which we interviewed members of regional and local elites including local council leaders, politicians, local authority CEOs, local business leaders, and representatives from the 3rd sector.