Ruling the Regions: an Interpretivist Analysis of Institutional Development in the English Regional Assemblies
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Ruling the Regions: An Interpretivist Analysis of Institutional Development in the English Regional Assemblies by Tatum G. Matharu A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham For the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Institute of Local Government Studies School of Government and Society University of Birmingham February 2012 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT This thesis presents an interpretivist analysis of institutional development in the English regional assemblies. It presents a history of institutional development in the regions, arriving at a conceptualization of this tier as a site of ‘institutional ambiguity.’ Exploring the theoretical bases of institutions and conducting a thorough critique of the schools of institutionalism, this thesis takes forward the theory of ‘constructivist institutionalism.’ A theoretical framework focussed on the processes of institutional design and change is built from constructivist institutionalism, as is a complementary and coherent methodological package to explore the empirical sites of the West Midlands and North West regional assemblies. The concepts of ‘frames’ and ‘stories’ are set out as interpretivist tools through which the primary interview data is analysed, to capture the development of the democratic institution of representation as it relates to the local government and stakeholder actors involved in these two regional assemblies. This thesis finds actors engaged in interplay between structure and agency while contributing to the processes of institutional design and change. Actors draw together their ideas with the pre-existing institutional context, relating them together in discursive constructions (frames, stories) that underpin their strategic-relational action, which in turn underpins the institutions of the assemblies. Regional representation transpires to mimic local governmental norms due to the dominant influence of the pre-existing context. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis could not have been completed without the generous support of countless colleagues, friends and family. In first place, I would like to thank my supervisors: Professor Chris Skelcher, Dr Pauline Jas (for the formative years) and Dr Steven Griggs (all too briefly). It will not suffice to have Chris merely head this list – his knowledge was invaluable, his experience was inspiring and his support was unwavering throughout. Special mention must go to the team behind the European Summer School in Policy Analysis 2007, which transpired to be my ‘Eureka fortnight,’ as well as to the individuals involved in my external supervision from the English Regions Network, most particularly Olwen Dutton. Of course, I must acknowledge the generous resources that supported this research in the form of a joint ESRC/ERN CASE studentship, as well as all the interviewees who gave me their time and their words. Finally, I would like to thank all the colleagues who became friends (in particular, Belisa, Jeff, Katie, Mark and Thom), as well as the friends who remained friends through all my periods of isolation (in particular, Abi, Ali, Anna, Jane and Jon). And, last but certainly not least, to my family who gave me the strength and space to do this – I am eternally grateful. CONTENTS Chapter 1: Governance, Institutions and Ambiguity 1 1.1 Introducing regional governance 1 1.2 The art of the state and the state of the art 5 1.3 Thesis outline 10 Chapter 2: A History of the English Regions 16 Introduction 16 2.1 From prehistory to precursor 17 2.2 An attempt at regional government 26 2.3 From regional government to regional governance 34 2.4 An ambiguous present and the future for the regions 42 Conclusion 60 Chapter 3: Towards a Theory of Institutional Design 62 Introduction 62 3.1 Institutionalism 63 3.2 Institutional stability, change and design 77 3.3 Towards an interpretivist institutionalism 92 Conclusion 105 Chapter 4: Meanings, Methods and Matters Arising 107 Introduction 107 4.1 The ‘-ology’ triad to research design 108 4.2 Methods 116 4.3 Limitations, complexity and ongoing debates 145 Conclusion 151 Chapter 5: The West Midlands Regional Assembly 153 Introduction 153 5.1 The West Midlands region 154 5.2 Local government’s association: natural home and host 160 5.3 The business stakeholders...and the others 173 5.4 Relationships framed, and institutional change? 187 Conclusion 198 Chapter 6: Reflections and Revision 199 Introduction 199 6.1 Collusion in the West Midlands Regional Assembly 200 6.2 Collusion or consensus? 209 Conclusion 214 Chapter 7: The North West Regional Assembly 217 Introduction 217 7.1 The busy background of the NWRA development 219 7.2 Stories supporting institutional development 231 7.3 The stories reframed 244 Conclusion 258 Chapter 8: Theoretical Analysis 261 Introduction 261 8.1 Forming frames in the West Midlands Regional Assembly 262 8.2 Sharing stories in the North West Regional Assembly 269 Conclusion 276 Chapter 9: Final Conclusions 277 9.1 Thesis conclusions 277 9.2 Thesis contributions 281 9.3 Final words on governance, institutions and ambiguity 286 Appendix 287 A) Meetings attended 287 B) Example interview guide 287 C) (i) West Midlands case study – schedule of interviews 288 C) (ii) North West case study – schedule of interviews 289 D) ERN policy paper: Stakeholder Representation 290 Bibliography 300 LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES FIGURES 2.1 A map of the English regions 45 3.1 The material-ideational dialectic 97 4.1 A provisional model of intersubjective institutional design 115 5.1 The West Midlands region, showing urban settlement 155 5.2 WMRA organisational chart 159 7.1 The North West’s sub-regions 227 7.2 The North West region, showing population concentration 230 TABLES 4.1 Observations from scoping activities for case study selection 124 7.1 The changing North West region 228 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 4NW For North West AGMA Association of Greater Manchester Authorities AWM Advantage West Midlands BERR Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform BG Business Group BLT Business Leadership Team CASE Collaborative Award in Science and Engineering CBI Confederation of British Industry CLG Department for Communities and Local Government CPR Common Pool Resources CSR Comprehensive Spending Review CURDS Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies DETR Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions DTI Department of Trade and Industry DTLR Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions EERA East of England Regional Assembly EMRA East Midlands Regional Assembly ERN English Regions Network ESRC Economic and Social Research Council FSB Federation of Small Businesses GLA Greater London Authority GLC Greater London Council GO Government Office GONW Government Office North West GOWM Government Office West Midlands HC House of Commons HM Her Majesty’s HMSO Her Majesty’s Stationery Office IoD Institute of Directors KPG Key Priority Group LA Local Authority LCC London County Council LG Local Government LGA Local Government Association MEP Member of European Parliament NEA North East Assembly NLGN New Local Government Network NW North West NWRA North West Regional Assembly ODPM Office of the Deputy Prime Minister ONS Office for National Statistics OPSI Office of Public Sector Information OSG Other Stakeholder Group RA Regional Assembly RAWM Regional Action West Midlands RCU Regional Co-ordination Unit RDA Regional Development Agency REPB Regional Economic Planning Board REPC Regional Economic Planning Council RES Regional Economic Strategy RPB Regional Planning Board (also known as Regional Planning Body) RSS Regional Spatial Strategy SEEP Social, Economic and Environmental Partner SEERA South East England Regional Assembly SERPLAN London and South East Regional Planning Conference SNR Sub-National Review SWRA South West Regional Assembly TUC Trades Union Congress WM West Midlands WMIDA West Midlands Industrial Development Association WMLGA West Midlands Local Government Association WMPAC West Midlands Planning Authorities Conference WMRA West Midlands Regional Assembly WMRDA West Midlands Regional Development Agency WMREC West Midlands Regional Economic Consortium WMRF West Midlands Forum of County Councils (later, of Local Authorities) YHA Yorkshire and the Humber Assembly CHAPTER 1: GOVERNANCE, INSTITUTIONS AND AMBIGUITY 1.1 Introducing regional governance „Governance‟ is ubiquitous. Use of the term in texts, academic or otherwise, has proliferated over recent decades. It has become shorthand for what is, arguably, a significant change in the way policy is designed and delivered. Dubbed the shift „from government to governance,‟ this movement charts the gradual inclusion of multiple stakeholders in the policy-making process alongside or instead of the traditional units of government. It is a contentious issue. Theorists debate its novelty and are divided over its normative value (e.g. Rhodes 1997; Stoker 1998). Particularly pertinent are the ongoing considerations over the democratic