Local government finance has recently been the subject of a review, three consultation papers, a White Paper and major reports from both the House of Lords and House of Commons. This article examines current and feasible changes to the system of local government finance with particular reference...

This paper reviews arguments for and against the central government controlling local government expenditure of macroeconomic purposes.

Two major policy innovations of the Thatcher governments are analysed -- privatisation and poll tax. A public choice analysis is used to predict and explain why poll tax will be a less popular policy electorally than privatisation. The explanation focuses on the distribution of gains and losses...

It is widely accepted that local authorities in England have been placed under increasing fiscal pressure during the 1980s by the block grant system combined with the rising level of grant penalties. Controversy surrounds the question of which local authorities have been worst treated by the new...