Introduction; The Localism Act 2011, Open Public Services and the neoliberalisation of councils; Imposed ‘metro’ mayors: new wine in old bottles; Police and Crime Commissioners: another half-baked' import; Local government finance; Towards a new basis for federal, regional and local democracy.

In this provocative book, Peter Latham argues that the UK Conservative Government’s devolution agenda conceals their real intention: to complete the privatization of local government and other public services. Using illustrative examples from across the United Kingdom, including the so-called Northern Powerhouses and the Midlands, Who Stole the Town Hall? explains the far-reaching implications of this reorganization of local government—a reorganization already affecting vital public services, including education, health, housing, and policing. Proposing an overhaul of the UK taxation system—including land value taxation, a wealth tax, and a more progressive income tax—to fund an increase in state-provided services, Latham argues for an alternative economic and political strategy, a vital new basis for federal, regional, and local democracy.