Party Politics and Local GovernmentThis book provides an explanation of the inter-relationship between local government and political parties. It examines the differences between the political party outside the council and the political party group of councillors within the council. The book explores the impact of parties on council business, decision-making, policy development and local representation, and addresses two fundamental questions about local representative democracy - who s it that the councillor represents, and are councillors elected to govern or serve? The book analyses democratic theory and its relevance to local politics, considering the role of political parties in local government. It looks at the dynamics of council chamber politics and approaches taken by the main parties towards local party politics, going on to examine the councillor's role in the local representative system. The conclusion suggests that for councils to become politically meaningful, they must radically change the way they conduct local politics and decision making. |
Contents
the party or the people? | 14 |
a democratic necessity or a sectional | 56 |
the Leviathan of local politics | 92 |
Local party groups and the national party | 123 |
Party political exchanges | 154 |
crises | 180 |
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Common terms and phrases
action amongst approach Basingstoke Borough Bulpitt campaign candidates cerned challenge cillors citizen coherent communities of place community politics concerns conduct of council Conservative councillor Conservative group Conservative Party Copus coun council affairs council chamber council politics directly elected mayor electorate ensure exist explore focus full council group cohesion group discipline group meeting group policy group system Hambleton ical impact indirectly elected leader interests involvement issues Labour councillor Labour group Labour Party leader and cabinet Liberal Democrat councillors London Macmillan Maud Committee mayor and cabinet membership model standing orders Moreover national party national political non-party opposition organisation overview and scrutiny party and party party locally party members party person party politics political activity political decision-making political party group political processes relationship representative democracy responsibility result role rules scrutiny committees seats seek structure tion unity views vote Whilst whip Widdicombe wider