This paper describes the spatial distribution of tax base, local expenditures, and local tax rates over the period from 1974/1975 to 1980/1981. The paper then analyses the extent to which resource and expenditure patterns are related to inner-city stress (as measured by partnership and other statutory status following the 1978 Inner Urban Areas legislation) and local political party colour. From the use of analysis of covariance methods, the conclusion is drawn that urban stress has little relation to resource and expenditure differences, but that local party colour is strongly correlated with expenditure and tax base differences. Deriving from the role of the rate support grant, tax rates show no significant relation to urban status or local party colour.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ACIR, 1977Measuring the Fiscal ‘Blood Pressure’ of the States 1964–1975 report M-l 11, US Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, Washington, DC
2.
AltJ E, 1971“Some political and social correlates of county borough expenditures”British Journal of Political Science149–62
3.
AltJ E, 1977“Politics and expenditure models”Policy and Politics582–92
4.
AshfordD E, 1975“Resources, spending and party politics in British local government”Administration and Society7286–311
5.
AshfordD EBerneRSchrammR, 1976“The expenditure-financing decision in British local government”Policy and Politics55–24
6.
BennettR J, 1980The Geography of Public Finance: Welfare under Fiscal Federalism and Local Government Finance (Methuen, London)
7.
BennettR J, 1982“The financial health of local authorities in England and Wales: Role of the rate support grant 1974/1975-1980/1981”Environment and Planning A14(10) forthcoming
8.
BenthamC G, 1980“The classification of local authorities in the UK Inner Urban Areas Act 1978”Environment and Planning A12703–712
9.
BerryB J L, 1976Urbanization and Counterurbanization (Sage, Beverley Hills, CA)
10.
BerryB J LGillardG, 1977The Changing Shape of Metropolitan America (Ballinger, New York)
11.
BoadenN, 1971Urban Policy Making (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge)
12.
BoyleL, 1966Equalisation and the Future of Local Government Finance (Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh)
13.
BurchellR WListokinD, 1980Cities under Stress: The Fiscal Crises of Urban America (Center for Urban Policy Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ)
14.
CELGF, 1976Committee of Enquiry into Local Government Finance Chairman: F Lay field, Cmnd 6348 (HMSO, London)
15.
DaviesB, 1968Social Needs and Resources in Local Services (Michael Joseph, London)
16.
DrewettRGoddardJSpenceN, 1976“Urban Britain: Beyond containment” in Urbanization and Counterurbanization Ed. BerryB J L (Sage, Beverley Hills, CA) pp
17.
FerryJ, 1978“Politics and the rates”CES Review456–59
18.
FerryJ, 1979“Rates and elections”CES Review55–7
19.
FosterC DJackmanRPerlmanM, 1980Local Government Finance in a Unitary State (George Allen and Unwin, Hemel Hempstead, Herts)
20.
GorhamWGlazerN, (Eds), 1976The Urban Predicament (The Urban Institute, Washington, DC)
21.
HallPGraceyHDrewettRThomasR, 1973The Containment of Urban Englandtwo volumes (Political and Economic Planning, London)
22.
HallPHayD, 1980Growth Centres in the European Urban System (Heinemann, London)
23.
HarrisonASmithM, 1978“Reacting to crisis: The impact of economic fluctuations on local authority finance”CES Review440–44
24.
HicksJ RHicksU K, 1945The Incidence of Local Rates in Britain (Cambridge University Press for NIESR, Cambridge)
25.
HillR M C, 1977“State capitalism and the urban fiscal crisis in the United States”International Journal of Urban and Regional Research176–100
26.
HM Government, 1971The Future Shape of Local Government Finances Green Paper, Cmnd 4741 (HMSO, London)
27.
HM Government, 1977Local Government Finances Green Paper, Cmnd 6813 (HMSO, London)
28.
HM Government, 1978Inner Urban Areas Act circular 68/78, Department of the Environment, London
29.
HM Government, 1980Public General Acts—Elizabeth II, 1980, Chapter 65: Local Government Planning and Land Act (HMSO, London)
30.
IlersicA, 1973“Grant determination and its distribution”Proceedings of Conference on Local Government Finance (Institute of Fiscal Studies, London)
31.
JackmanRSellarsM, 1978“Local expenditure and local discretion”CES Review363–73
32.
JohnsonJ HWoodP ASaltJ, 1975Housing and Migration of Labour in England and Wales (Saxon House, Aldershot, Hants)
33.
JohnstonR J, 1979Political, Electoral and Spatial Systems (Oxford University Press, London)
34.
KirwanR M, 1979“The fiscal context” in The Future of the British Conurbations: Policies and Prescriptions for Change Ed. CameronG (Longman, Harlow, Essex) pp 72–100
35.
NewtonK, (Ed.), 1980Balancing the Books: Financial Problems of Local Government in West Europe (Sage, London)
36.
NewtonK, (Ed.), 1981Urban Political Economy (Frances Pinter, London)
37.
NicholsonR JTophamN, 1971“The determinants of investments in housing by local authorities: An econometric approach”Journal of the Royal Statistical Society A134273–313
38.
NicholsonR JTophamN, 1972“Investment decisions and the size of local authorities”Policy and Politics123–44
39.
NicholsonR JTophamNWattP A, 1973“Housing investments by different types of local authorities”Bulletin of Economic Research2765–86
40.
OliverF RStanyerJ, 1969“Some aspects of the financial behaviour of county boroughs”Public Administration47169–184
41.
SharpeJ, 1981The Local Fiscal Crisis in Western Europe: Myths and Realities (Sage, London)
42.
WilenskyH, 1975The Welfare State and Equality (University of California Press, Berkeley, CA)
