Councils in Conflict

The past decade has seen unparalleled upheavals in local government. From being a political backwater, local councils have become the battleground for a clash of ideologies between Left-led local authorities and a Right-wing government intent on curbing their powers. This book details the experience of the Left in controlling several of the biggest local councils in the land and examines both the successes and failures of this experiment in municipal socialism. It suggests that the gains from this experience have been underestimated and that there is still potential for further success, despite the radical legislative programme brought in by Mrs Thatcher's third government.