Local audit reforms don’t go far enough in preventing private sector chaos
Posted inUncategorized

Local audit reforms don’t go far enough in preventing private sector chaos

The government risks missing a key opportunity to fix the local audit crisis, leaving the whole country in the dark about council finances.The government has unveiled the plans to fix the local audit crisis with a new body, the Local Audit Office (LAO). Action can’t come soon enough. Last year only 4% of local councils submitted audited accounts on time for 2023/24, even lower than the 10% last year that prompted the National Audit office to take the unprecedented step to disclaim the Whole Government Accounts, essentially a refusal to sign off the accounts as correct. This year, that step... [continues]
New report on making councils’ financial information more accessible
Posted inAudit and Accountability Councils in Crisis Publications

New report on making councils’ financial information more accessible

 In new research in collaboration with the University of Sussex, we make a series of urgent recommendations for making council finances less opaque during this time of critical challenge and upheaval in local government.   At a time when scrutiny of council finances is even more important than ever – as authorities declare effective bankruptcy and rely on borrowing and flogging off their assets to balance the books – even experienced researchers, accountants and councillors struggle to find and understand local authority financial information. This is the core finding of a new report by Research for Action and the University of... [continues]
Press release: Local Audit Office plans in devolution bill do not go far enough in fixing crisis
Posted inAudit and Accountability Councils in Crisis Current

Press release: Local Audit Office plans in devolution bill do not go far enough in fixing crisis

15 July 2025 In a surprise announcement, the English Devolution & Community Empowerment Bill, published last week, outlined the government’s plans for the Local Audit Office. The government had previously promised to fix the local audit crisis and consulted on a range of ways of doing this, but now some of these measures do not feature in the devolution legislation.  The creation of the Local Audit Office (LAO) marks a significant change in the local audit regime. Since the abolition of the Audit Commission in 2015, local authorities have been audited by private companies. This has resulted in declining quality... [continues]
Summer News: governance upheavals, audit reform saga, how you can help our research
Posted inAudit and Accountability Councils in Crisis Current Newsletters Projects

Summer News: governance upheavals, audit reform saga, how you can help our research

Dear friends and followers,  Summer is in full swing and there’s lots happening in the world of local democracy. Here are some of the most recent news from Research for Action and friends, and a call for help with our current research…Government wants to abolish the committee system - against the will of Sheffield residents In June, the government announced its intent to ‘simplify’ governance arrangements for local authorities in England, effectively forcing all councils to transition to the leader and cabinet model. It said that the alternative, the committee system, ‘can be unclear, duplicative, and wasteful, leading to slower, less... [continues]
Sheffield democracy campaigners respond to Government intention to overturn their governance referendum
Posted inAudit and Accountability Citizen Auditors Councils in Crisis Current Guest blog

Sheffield democracy campaigners respond to Government intention to overturn their governance referendum

On 24th June, the government announced its intent to ‘simplify’ governance arrangements for local authorities in England. The proposed legislation would force all councils to transition to the leader and cabinet model, stating that the alternative, the committee system, ‘can be unclear, duplicative, and wasteful, leading to slower, less efficient decision-making’.  We at Research for Action have heard from councillors that strong leader models of local governance are more centralised, leading to the marginalisation of backbench councillors and thus are often less democratic. Generally, we have strong reservations about the upcoming English Devolution actually leading to further centralisation of power... [continues]
Posted inAudit and Accountability Current fearless cities

Research for Action and rethinking local democracy 

This is an edited version of FJ’s speech at the opening panel at the municipalist summit Fearless Cities, which took place 2-3 November 2024 in Sheffield. The summit, which we co-organised with Opus Independents, Citizen Network, Care Full and Steve Rushton, aimed to consolidate a movement in Britain for claiming community assets, building communities and creating new forms of democratic decision-making, as well as to find our place in the global ‘municipalist’ movement that works on those themes. The programme consisted of four strands: Neighbourhoods of Care; Reimagining the Commons; Rethinking Governance & Local Democracy; and Municipalist Futures. Research for... [continues]
Council tax rises – do we really get a say?
Posted inCitizen Auditors Current Guest blog

Council tax rises – do we really get a say?

By Andrew Hill  What happened to residents’ right to vote on ‘excessive’ council tax increases? What does this have to do with councils in financial crisis? This article explores the curious case of the missing council tax referendum... Everywhere you look, local councils are in distress. News stories follow the same formula: A council in England says it is ’on the verge of bankruptcy’ because of the increased cost of Special Educational Needs or adult social care, the sky-rocketing interest payments on loans, unanticipated loss of income on major projects, and so on. The council then proposes to solve the... [continues]
Posted inAudit and Accountability Citizen Auditors Citizen Debt Audit Current Events Projects

National attention on local audit catastrophe :  we saw it coming – now action is needed

 On 26th November, the Government’s spending watchdog, the National Audit Office (NAO), refused to sign off the Whole of Government Accounts - for the first time ever. Their press release was clear in its blame for this unprecedented action; the crisis of local audit resulting in the huge backlog of unaudited council accounts in England. There have been warnings about the likelihood of this scenario and – having analysed local audit’s problems for several years – we are unsurprised. We are also worried.Why does this matter?The 2022-23 Whole of Government Accounts covers over 10,000 public bodies, including local authorities. As... [continues]
REPORT: Councillor Experiences of Scrutiny in Local Government
Posted inAudit and Accountability Current Projects Publications

REPORT: Councillor Experiences of Scrutiny in Local Government

“There are formal scrutiny committees, but I would see scrutiny as being much broader than that. For me, the point of scrutiny is being able to make issues public... and encourage public scrutiny, encourage public pressure.” This report explores councillor experiences of scrutiny in local government. It paints a picture where scrutiny is undervalued and often politicised; it also shows ways in which councillors have been able to make a difference in taking an active scrutiny role. We list some of the components of scrutiny in local government, and discuss the role of local government. We then present our findings... [continues]
Posted inEvents Uncategorized

Fearless Cities Sheffield – programme released

The programme for Fearless Cities is out! We are thrilled that the municipalist summit we have been working on all year (with partners from Opus Independents, Citizen Network and European Municipalist Network) is now very near. Come join us in Sheffield 2-3 November for a weekend of discussion, learning and making new connections.  Here’s the programme: Fearless Cities programme v2Download Here is the web link for the programme, if that is easier. You can register from this link The summit, which aims to rethink local democracy through different themes, takes place over Saturday and Sunday, with fringe programme on Friday... [continues]
a crowd of people facing forward
Posted inCurrent Events Uncategorized

Open Call: Contributions wanted for the UK’s first Fearless Cities summit!

Dear friends from community and campaign groups, neighbourhoods, social movements,  We are delighted to announce that the Fearless Cities summit will be coming to the UK for the first time. It will take place in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, from 1-3 November.  There will soon be more information on the website: https://www.fearlesscitiessy.org/ Fearless Cities summits are at the heart of the ‘municipalist’ movement to bring about change at the local level by reclaiming the commons, feminising politics and reimagining democracy. They are places where we can share ideas and practices that build the structures for a better, more caring and democratic... [continues]
REPORT: Democratising Local Governance
Posted inDemocratising Governance Projects Publications Uncategorized

REPORT: Democratising Local Governance

  This report describes the findings from an action research project in Glasgow and Sheffield, which examined the relationships between local governance and local activism.  Together with project partners from Solidarity Against Neoliberal Extremism (SANE) and It’s Our City! in the respective cities, we spoke to local campaigners and community groups between November 2022 and January 2023. Participants from both cities – working on a diverse range of issues – identified common experiences, themes, and demands for a more democratic local governance, as well as the prospects for more collectivised action. We heard widely shared concerns about local democracy and... [continues]
2023 in review: and looking forward….
Posted inAudit and Accountability Citizen Auditors Current Democratising Governance Newsletters Projects Uncategorized

2023 in review: and looking forward….

As 2023 draws to a close, we wanted to share with you some highlights of Research for Action’s work. It has not been a great year for democracy - for example in local audit, which is one of the areas we work in, the UK Government has chosen not to deliver promised new legislation. But at the same time we are part of new and growing networks of people determined to do things differently. It has been a year of great collaboration with others who care about local democracy, be it project partners in Sheffield, Glasgow or Europe-wide, or the... [continues]
Open Letter on Audit Reform
Posted inAudit and Accountability Citizen Auditors Current Projects Uncategorized

Open Letter on Audit Reform

21st November 2023This letter was originally published in The Byline Times. We represent a range of organisations and individuals working on audit and accountability, local government and local democracy. We are deeply concerned about the current situation in local government audit. In October, a cross-party group of MPs and Peers wrote to the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, asking him not to drop audit reform. We are also alarmed at the Government has shelving long-promised audit legislation, with no mention of it in the King’s Speech on 7th November. We are concerned that a lack of primary legislation is continuing to... [continues]
REPORT: Local Audit: Why public interest needs to count
Posted inAudit and Accountability Current Projects Publications Uncategorized

REPORT: Local Audit: Why public interest needs to count

Local government in the UK is in a state of deep crisis. Shrinking of the state, centralisation of power and the hollowing out of the local state have decimated the sector. Local audit should be one of the central accountability mechanisms in a well-functioning democracy, but it is not working.  Current audit arrangements in England are failing to provide oversight and scrutiny at a time when it is particularly essential. Private interests overshadow public interests, the capacity for scrutiny and challenge at all levels has been reduced, and there is less openness and transparency in local government and audit since... [continues]
EVENT- Local Audit: Why Public Interest needs to count
Posted inAudit and Accountability Citizen Auditors Current Events Uncategorized

EVENT- Local Audit: Why Public Interest needs to count

Online Event -   Local Audit: Why Public Interest Needs to Count Weds 16th August, 7-8.30 pmPlease sign up for the event here How can we get better local government accountability from the ground up? Launch event and discussion for Research for Action’s new report Local audit in England is in a state of deep crisis. Multiple scandals of accountability have emerged, and ordinary people suffer. The current audit arrangements are failing to provide oversight and scrutiny at a time when it is particularly essential. Private interests overshadow public interests, the capacity for scrutiny and challenge at all levels has been reduced,... [continues]
Summer newsletter: posters, films, podcasts and more
Posted inCurrent Newsletters

Summer newsletter: posters, films, podcasts and more

Research for Action Summer Newsletter 2023Hello!It’s been a while since we’ve been in touch, so this is a bumper Summer edition of our newsletter, with some beautiful posters centred on local community power, films and podcasts about radical municipalism across Europe, and some exciting developments in our work on local audit and accountability. Democratising Governance In March we launched one part of our project on democratising local governance in Sheffield and Glasgow; four posters by artist Reece Thompson centred on the themes of transparency, care, power and opposing austerity. Together with project partners from Solidarity Against Neoliberal Extremism (SANE) and... [continues]
Democratising Local Governance Posters
Posted inCurrent Democratising Governance Projects Publications

Democratising Local Governance Posters

Legislative changes in the last decade have increased the power of central government over local authorities. Democratic controls (transparency, participation, accountability and so on) have been continuously eroded. Under a culture of cuts and lack of care, cities have become an important site for residents and communities to provide for one another and drive forward the changes they want to see. But the deep democratic deficits we are facing, and the continuing capture of the local state by private interests, have a direct and damaging impact on people’s ability to exercise individual and collective power in their local areas. Over... [continues]
orange protest sign that says "the power of the people is stronger than the people in power"
Posted inCurrent Democratising Governance Events

Cities in Action: Democratising Local Governance launch 27 April

Thursday 27 April  7-8.30pm Join us on Thursday for the launch of the findings from our project Democratising Local Governance!  Register now on Eventbrite.  Legislative changes in the last decade have increased the power of central government over local authorities. Democratic controls (transparency, participation, accountability and so on) have been continuously eroded. Under a culture of cuts and lack of care, cities have become an important site for residents and communities to provide for one another and drive forward the changes they want to see. But, the deep democratic deficits we are facing, and the continuing capture of the local... [continues]
Posted inCurrent Newsletters Uncategorized

Newsletter: Winter 2022/Annual Roundup

Dear friends of Research for Action, 2022 has been a year of major growth and change for us.We grew our work on public interest and audit, began a project with groups in Sheffield and Glasgow on democratising governance and deepened our work with the European Municipalist Network. We have developed as a worker co-op, adding a new member, Gloria Dawson, and a board member, Tim Joubert. We have also developed our mission, vision and values as well as the policies and procedures we need for our co-op to reflect our values, and we are proud of the progress we have made... [continues]
Posted inCurrent Newsletters Uncategorized

Newsletter: Autumn 2022

Dear newsletter readers,    We are very excited to say that we have just launched a report that showcases the work of various citizen auditors across England!  The publication, called ‘Citizen Auditors: investigating local government's accountability gap’ shows ways in which local groups and individuals are scrutinising their local authorities, challenging poor governance and decisions they believe are not in the public interest. It draws on the experiences of a network we have been coordinating this year. Citizen auditors are working on a wide range of issues relating to council spending, but also on challenging poor governance. We support each... [continues]
REPORT – Citizen Auditors: Investigating local government’s accountability gap
Posted inAudit and Accountability Citizen Auditors Publications Uncategorized

REPORT – Citizen Auditors: Investigating local government’s accountability gap

Across the UK, concerned individuals and local groups are holding local government to account. Research for Action has been supporting this loose network to form closer ties, meet regularly to learn from one another, provide support and compare experiences and techniques.   This publication shows ways in which those local groups and individuals are scrutinising their local authorities, challenging poor governance and decisions they believe are not in the public interest. Citizen auditors are working on a wide range of issues relating to council spending, but also on challenging poor governance. In practice, the work involves attending council meetings and scrutinising... [continues]
Citizen auditor network starting in 2022
Posted inUncategorized

Citizen auditor network starting in 2022

In Spring 2022, we will start to coordinate a network of citizen auditors. The Local Audit and Accountability Act enables the public to inspect council accounts and residents to question the auditor as well as object to spending they believe is not in the public interest. We have made extensive use of these accountability rights in our work. However, we are far from the only ones using these rights - there are many more citizen auditors across the country scrutinising their councils’ spending.  Whether concerned residents or local journalists, we know that people using the public accountability rights often work... [continues]
Reflection of tall London buildings in window
Posted inAudit and Accountability Publications Uncategorized

REPORT: Rethinking local audit and accountability

There is a deep democratic deficit in local government. The UK is one of the most centralised countries in the world. Turnout in local elections is low. In many councils there is no effective opposition, further weakening accountability. This is no accident, rather a result of concentrated efforts by the central government to centralise power and undermine the public sector functions of local government.  This democratic deficit is further reinforced by a lack of oversight. Our previous report, ‘Democracy Denied: Audit and accountability failure in local government’ documented the way current local government audit arrangements contribute to a deficit in... [continues]
GUIDE: How To Read Your Council’s Accounts
Posted inUncategorized

GUIDE: How To Read Your Council’s Accounts

Introduction Local authorities are required to publish accounts every year that show how they spend their money. These cover a financial year: for example 2019/20 accounts would cover the period from 1st April 2019 to 31st March 2020. They look back at spending that has already happened: the budget is a forward-looking plan for how to spend money.  Councils publish draft accounts usually in the early summer. Over 30 days, the public then has the right to inspect the accounts and in England residents have the right to ask questions about them to the auditor. They can also file an... [continues]
Posted inCurrent Events Newsletters

New Year News: Councils in flux, and more…

Hello!Happy New Year from us. There is so much going on, and we wanted to share a quick roundup of where we are with local government right now. We also briefly reflect on Research for Action in 2024, before it gallops away in the rear-view mirror, before sharing some things we are looking forward to which you might be interested in too.- Councils in crisis, councils in flux - It is an incredibly busy time for those of us following local democracy. We are working on a long-term research project on council ‘bankruptcies’ and their implications for democracy and accountability;... [continues]