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The first comprehensive ´bird´s eye´ account of public sector reform supported by references from over 400 official sources, this book is an invaluable guide to all those in the public, private and voluntary sectors grappling with the twin challenges of managing public spending austerity and the pressure in response to transform public services.

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Table of contents Introduction PART I: THE BACKGROUND TO REFORM 1. Reform under the Conservatives 1979-97 2. Reform under Labour 1997-2010 3. Reform under the Coalition 2010-2015 PART II: THE DRIVERS OF REFORM 4. Number Ten and the Cabinet Office 5. The Treasury 6. The role of Parliament 7. The Role of the Consumer and Competition PART III: REFORMING THE KEY PUBLIC SERVICES 8. Whitehall 9. The NHS 10. Local Governnment 11. The Police 12. Welfare 13. Education and Schools PART IV: THE ROLE OF PERFORMANCE REGIMES IN PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM 14. Measuring Performance 15. Monitoring Performance 16. The International Perspective Conclusion

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The Politics of Public Sector Reform by Michael Burton is a rich yet concise account of public service reform over the past three decades that goes beyond the politics of public service reform to also look at reforms in each key area of public services

Sonia Sodha, Progress Online.

http://www.progressonline.org.uk/2013/10/02/the-politics-of-public-sector-reform/

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Michael Burton is one of the UK´s foremost commentators on the public sector and local government and has been writing on the subject for over 25 years. He is former editor and now editorial director of The MJ (Municipal Journal) the UK´s leading news weekly about local government and the public sector and he is a graduate in modern history from Sussex University.

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