The politics of public sector reform : from Thatcher to the coalition / Michael Burton.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Burton, Michael, 1952- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Civil service reform--Great Britain.

Civil service reform.

Great Britain.

Civil service--Great Britain.

Civil service.

Great Britain--Politics and government--1979-1997.

Politics and government.

Great Britain--Politics and government--1997-2007.

Great Britain--Politics and government--2007-.

Physical Description:

vi. 276 pages ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire ; New York, NY : Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.

Summary:

The UK public sector faces an unprecedented long-term challenge. A decade of plenty in the public finances has been followed by a decade and more of austerity. Public services are undergoing long-term annual spending cuts even as demographic changes create soaring demand in health, education and adult care. The challenge for the public sector is how to radically transform and adapt to the new era while avoiding the mistakes of previous reform programmes. In this first comprehensive 'bird's eye' account of public sector reform supported by studies from over 400 official sources, the book offers an invaluable practical guide to all those in the public, private and voluntary sectors grappling with the twin challenges of public spending austerity and the pressure to transform public services and ensure they are 'fit for purpose'. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part I The Background to Reform

1 Reform Under the Conservatives 1979-1997 17

2 Reform Under Labour 1997-2010 27

3 Reform Under the Coalition 2010-2015 37

Part II The Drivers of Reform

4 Number 10 and the Cabinet Office 53

5 The Treasury 64

6 The Role of Parliament 78

7 The Role of the Consumer and Competition 88

Part III Reforming the Key Public Services

8 Whitehall 107

9 The National Health Service 128

10 Local Government 149

11 The Police 172

12 Welfare 189

13 Education and Schools 202

Part IV The Role of Performance Regimes in Public Sector Reform

14 Measuring Performance 219

15 Monitoring Performance 233

16 The International Context 240.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780230363656

0230363652

9780230363649

0230363644

OCLC:

828486390