Whatever happened to local government? Labour market policy in the UK and Denmark

This article builds on the emerging body of work concerned with local state restructuring under New Labour. Set within the context of labour market and welfare state restructuring, we suggest that there is an emerging consensus for a more robust and proactive involvement by local government. The article argues that initiatives for reactivating the local state have been deployed and tested in Denmark, with local government playing a central role in socioeconomic governance. The article unpacks what we term Denmark's 'welfare-through-work' model - a policy-making system built around negotiated and inclusive systems of regulation and governance - and then highlights some lessons for re-engaging local authorities in the UK.