Best Value and the politics of pragmatism

Maile, S.; Hoggett, P.; Maile, Stella; Hoggett, Paul

Abstract

This article frames and highlights critical themes emerging from the contributions to this Best Value section: that Best Value possesses subtle, and not so subtle, political, organisational, strategic and governmental dimensions. Drawing on these themes we develop our own argument that, during Blair's first term. Best Value was presented as a potentially enlightened 'user-friendly' tool for the expression of diverse social and organisational interests. Increasingly, it is emerging as yet another of a long line of retrograde managerial techniques. The pragmatism of Best Value is becoming more overtly bound up with government centralisation, support for neoliberalism and the private finance initiative.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2001
• Journal: Policy and Politics
• Print ISSN: 1470-8442
• Publisher: Policy Press
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 29
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 509-519
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1332/0305573012501503
• Keywords: managerialism modernisation, governance discourse
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1085268
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1332/0305573012501503
• Additional Information: Additional Information : The proportional contribution from Maile was 60%.