Bringing together the key arguments of the book

Local government's current preoccupation in England is to cope with the unprecedented level of public expenditure cuts imposed by central government. It therefore seems presumptuous to talk about reclaiming local democracy when councillors are being forced to reduce service levels and grants to the voluntary and community sector, a process opposed by almost all councillors of all political persuasions. Yet, this is precisely the time when it is most important to reflect with citizens around priorities and how the local authority is going to work with employees and residents to shape the future.

It would be all too easy for policymakers to make the hard decisions behind closed doors to avoid the inevitable protests. Such an approach is likely to bolster trends (outlined in this book) that reinforce the market's control of local government policymaking. Many councils are implementing the model of the enabling authority, with a focus on commissioning, efficiency and effectiveness. Sometimes, councils are pursuing privatisation because the scale of change is so overwhelming that it is easier to shift responsibility to the private sector than work with unions to find the best way forward, whatever the longer-term consequences of this approach. Sometimes, they are pursuing this option because of an ideological commitment to the New Right beliefs described in Chapter Two. Most frequently, I would suggest, they are caught by the dominant discourse of private sector efficiency looked at in Chapter Six: the need for increased responsibilisation and coercion to decrease demand for services, and the requirement to develop a competitive local area to attract more employment and growth. In those councils that are pursuing this agenda, very little attention is put into thinking through the wider implications of the policy or discussing alternatives and values with those in need, or reflecting on appropriate management strategies for the public domain. There is only limited engagement with local residents as users of council services or about neighbourhood facilities.

The book has argued that this approach increases inequality and reduces the well-being of all those living in the local area. It reinforces the separation between representative democracy and participative democracy, weakening the role of the councillor and leading residents to further distrust politics and local politicians.