Independence and dependence in central-local relations: multilevel governance and state capacity in England since the 1970s

Eckersley, P ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9048-8529 and Dom, BK ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0889-2571, 2026. Independence and dependence in central-local relations: multilevel governance and state capacity in England since the 1970s. Public Money and Management. ISSN 0954-0962

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Abstract

The authors draw on secondary analyses of central–local relations in England over recent decades to suggest that conflicting perspectives on what local government should be for—its role in the UK state—have resulted in an unstable and incoherent governance landscape, hampered strategic thinking, and made it more difficult for public bodies to address pressing challenges. Specifically, ministerial efforts to use local authorities primarily as a mechanism for achieving national policy priorities have created a context of local dependence and central control, which undermines local desires for greater independence and autonomy to shape places. These opposing views lead to mutual distrust and hinder attempts at greater vertical interdependence, despite broader recognition that more joined-up approaches can increase the capacity of the state to achieve its objectives. We suggest that recent reforms outlined in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (published in July 2025) will leave these tensions unresolved.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Public Money and Management
Creators:	Eckersley, P. and Dom, B.K.
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
Date:	1 April 2026
ISSN:	0954-0962
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1080/09540962.2026.2651719 DOI 2596604 Other
Rights:	© 2026 the author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/),which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
Divisions:	Schools > Nottingham Business School
Record created by:	Laura Borcherds
Date Added:	24 Mar 2026 13:29
Last Modified:	02 Apr 2026 12:16
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/55461

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