The public services are now at the centre of political debate in Britain: the National Health Service, education, housing, transport, social services, planning and the police are all matters of wide public and academic concern. So far the initiative in this debate has come overwhelmingly from the Right. Consuming Public Services offers a response from the Left. It presents a vivid panorama of the range of opportunities and problems that would be thrown up by the introduction of greater user control into Britain's public services.The contributors explore the theme of user control in seven public services that differ widely in character and organization. The editors' introduction sets these discussions in the context of a broader analysis and their concluding essay draws the threads together to provide a wide-ranging yet integrated analysis.