Austerity, political control and supplier selection in English local government: implications for autonomy in multi-level systems. Issue 1 (2nd January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Eckersley, Peter; Flynn, Anthony; Ferry, Laurence; Lakoma, Katarzyna
• Is Part Of: Public management review. Volume 25:Issue 1(2023)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 21
• Publication Date: 2023-01-02
• Subjects: Public contracting -- political control -- austerity -- local government -- procurement; Local government -- Periodicals; Public administration -- Periodicals; 351.05
• DOI: 10.1080/14719037.2021.1930122
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-9037

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Analysis of 60, 000 contracts awarded by English councils between 2015–19 reveals that austerity constraints are a key predictor of councils outsourcing services to for-profit suppliers, regardless of their political control. Conservative Party-controlled councils are also more likely to contract with for-profit suppliers, although we found no link between Labour-controlled councils and not-for-profit suppliers, nor evidence that political or budgetary factors influence whether councils contract with providers based in their own region. We argue that centrally imposed funding cuts, and a belief that for-profit suppliers represent a cheaper option, could be overriding Labour Party councils' ideological preference for not-for-profit providers.