Governance in the UK: fuzzy federalism

In this paper Dr Coghill argues that the complexity of modern British society and the uncertain environments in which governments operate require new approaches to governance. Whitehall must question whether good governance is increasingly endangered by impossible contradictions between the desire for central control over events and the stifling impact of centralism on the innovation required to provide the responsive rule which is at the heart of democracy. The implications and potential benefits of approaching U K society as a decentralised complex adaptive system rather than basing governance on centralised control from Westminster are examined and possible areas for research discussed.