Reform in England: What if Local Government was Funded Differently in England

This chapter applies the international findings to the situation in England. It sets out proposals for reform in England and then, building on the various transition processes seen overseas, it considers how change could be managed in England. The chapter approaches this task from the vantage point of how change could happen and what would it look like within what appears to be a critical juncture of change in the mode of governance in England. The proposals have been developed mindful of key characteristics of the UK’s short- to medium-term political context. First, money is in short supply—and ‘new taxes’ are always unpopular—so the proposals focus on the more effective use of existing funds. Second, moving from a top-down central–local relationship to a more partnership-based polity is a large and unfamiliar step for the British political system. New sources of funding will generate effects across the local government system: for this type of change to endure, those effects must be acknowledged and managed. This calls for consensus and trust and cautions against wholesale change in the short term.