This article explores the scale and growth of regulation inside UK government, defined as standard-setting and monitoring by bodies constituted at arm’s-length from those they oversee. It argues regulation inside government is comparable in scale to regulation of business and has grown sharply...

London's main transport modes are over-loaded. An important part of the solution is CrossRail, a new east-west underground railway. It was agreed and fully planned all of ten years ago; but the obstacles to its construction are severe and have become worse as time has passed. While the value of...

Tony Travers analyses the outcome of the 2009 local and European elections - contrasting the difference between first past the post and proportional representation-based results - and predicts trouble for Labour, whose support, he argues, has been reduced to its core vote Copyright (c) 2009 The...

Transport has been a dominant political and public funding issue in London for decades. The growth of the city's economy and population has created demands for new and improved services and to reduce congestion. Proposals have been made to build new railway and underground lines, though the...

This report considers the potential/appropriate role for local authorities (LAs) in relation to the downturn phase of the current recession. It focuses on the most valuable functions which they can fulfil in this context, and takes a cautious view about the potential for extending any boost to...

Block grant was introduced by the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980. The grant, which is paid for out of central government taxation and borrowing, partially equalises between local authorities' different rateable values and between a government measure of their spending needs. In...

London Authority, consisting of a Mayor and Assembly, is an oddity: it is both a renewal of London city government and a component of the Labour government's devolution reforms which have set out some of the parameters for devolution to the other English regions. The GLA's powers are strategic...

The authors examine two main research issues. First, they focus on the way in which funds for education are targeted on disadvantage at the level of the local education authority (LEA). They explore the relationship between various indicators of disadvantage and national test and public...