Public sector restructuring and regional development: The impact of compulsory competitive tendering in the UK

This paper contributes to the analysis of contemporary public sector restru cturing in the UK through an evaluation of the impact of the introduction o f compulsory competitive tendering (CCT) for the provision of local public services. Public services play an important stabilizing role in regional ec onomic development but the introduction of CCT has undermined that role. Pu blic service workers have suffered deteriorating levels of pay and conditio ns of service, and the capacity of local authorities to act to support loca l economic development has been reduced. Thus the introduction of CCT has u ndermined the contribution of local public services to the maintenance of i nterregional economic stability and to regional development.