two masters - the dilemma of central- local relations in england

摘要

The UK2070 Commission's task, to address the deep-rooted spatial inequalities of the UK, is a daunting one. Few political actors in the UK would challenge the existence, or salience, of the issue, and recent governments have frequently heralded large-scale policy programmes to address it. While it is hard to point to tangible policy impact in recent decades, it would be equally hard to argue that policy ideas themselves are underdeveloped: there is no shortage of research and think-tank reports advocating the wholesale transformation of UK governance. This suggests that obstacles to change exist at the stage of politics and implementation.