Reframing Regulation: ‘Privatisation’, De-democratisation and the End of Social Protection?

This paper considers how the re-framing of regulation, in ways that have allowed an inter-penetration of private sector mentalities and actors with state regulators, have combined in the UK to produce both a de-democratisation and the erosion of social protection. It does so through an exploration o...

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Main Author: Steve Tombs
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centre de Recherche et d'Etudes en Civilisation Britannique 2021-01-01
Series:Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/7826
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author Steve Tombs
author_facet Steve Tombs
author_sort Steve Tombs
collection DOAJ
description This paper considers how the re-framing of regulation, in ways that have allowed an inter-penetration of private sector mentalities and actors with state regulators, have combined in the UK to produce both a de-democratisation and the erosion of social protection. It does so through an exploration of the enforcement of law designed to regulate business. In particular, I examine enforcement and regulatory policy at Local Authority level under the guise of the Better Regulation initiative and, then, conditions of austerity. These contexts have produced the opportunities for reframed – that is, specifically, marketised – forms of regulation which prioritise the interests of business over social protection. The paper also argues that they have been crucial in producing conditions whereby the fire at Grenfell Tower must be partly understood – conditions of de-democratisation and the decline of social protection.
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spelling doaj-art-f178c2028c2e45f58627ea2da63ba8c02024-12-09T15:25:55ZengCentre de Recherche et d'Etudes en Civilisation BritanniqueRevue Française de Civilisation Britannique0248-90152429-43732021-01-0126210.4000/rfcb.7826Reframing Regulation: ‘Privatisation’, De-democratisation and the End of Social Protection?Steve TombsThis paper considers how the re-framing of regulation, in ways that have allowed an inter-penetration of private sector mentalities and actors with state regulators, have combined in the UK to produce both a de-democratisation and the erosion of social protection. It does so through an exploration of the enforcement of law designed to regulate business. In particular, I examine enforcement and regulatory policy at Local Authority level under the guise of the Better Regulation initiative and, then, conditions of austerity. These contexts have produced the opportunities for reframed – that is, specifically, marketised – forms of regulation which prioritise the interests of business over social protection. The paper also argues that they have been crucial in producing conditions whereby the fire at Grenfell Tower must be partly understood – conditions of de-democratisation and the decline of social protection.https://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/7826regulationde-democratisationenforcementGrenfellPrimary Authorityprivate companies
spellingShingle Steve Tombs
Reframing Regulation: ‘Privatisation’, De-democratisation and the End of Social Protection?
Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique
regulation
de-democratisation
enforcement
Grenfell
Primary Authority
private companies
title Reframing Regulation: ‘Privatisation’, De-democratisation and the End of Social Protection?
title_full Reframing Regulation: ‘Privatisation’, De-democratisation and the End of Social Protection?
title_fullStr Reframing Regulation: ‘Privatisation’, De-democratisation and the End of Social Protection?
title_full_unstemmed Reframing Regulation: ‘Privatisation’, De-democratisation and the End of Social Protection?
title_short Reframing Regulation: ‘Privatisation’, De-democratisation and the End of Social Protection?
title_sort reframing regulation privatisation de democratisation and the end of social protection
topic regulation
de-democratisation
enforcement
Grenfell
Primary Authority
private companies
url https://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/7826
work_keys_str_mv AT stevetombs reframingregulationprivatisationdedemocratisationandtheendofsocialprotection