UK austerity policies include anti-regulatory pressures to 'free up' private capital to produce wealth, employment and tax revenues. This topical book by a recognised scholar on the regulation of corporate crime and social harm considers the economic, political and social consequences of the economic crisis, the nature of social protection and the dynamics of the current crisis of regulation. It is unique in documenting how economic and social welfare are inconsistent with corporate freedom, and in an empirical and theoretical analysis of regulatory reform within the context of wide-scale social change.

Based on empirical research and with a focus on environmental, food, and workplace safety, it considers how we reached the current crisis of anti-regulation and how we might overcome it. The author proposes radically rethinking 'regulation' to address conceptual, policy and practical issues, making the book essential reading for those interested in this important topic.