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]
DATA: LOBO loans database now live
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DATA: LOBO loans database now live

Our work on LOBO loans has reached an important milestone: we are publish all the data we hold on the loans in one comprehensive database. Councillors and residents will be able to search the database for their council and find out which banks they have loans with as well as which loans have been exited and at what price. The database is the first comprehensive depository of information about LOBO loans. We hope it will enable more UK councils to exit the loans, restoring public accountability and reclaiming public money for much-needed services. You can access the site here: https://loboloans.info/... [continues]
EVENT: LOBO loans uncovered
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EVENT: LOBO loans uncovered

Come and learn how you can take action on your council’s toxic bank loans with the help of our new database. 14 October 2021, 5-6pm REGISTER HERE Buy Tickets on Eventbrite Hundreds of councils across the country are locked into expensive and risky loans called LOBO loans, paying high interest to banks while struggling to provide services for residents. It doesn’t have to be this way. Some councils are getting out of these toxic deals. Research for Action has built a database that allows you to find out how bad your council's LOBO debt is and what you can do... [continues]
EVENT: Audit & accountability failure in local government – where next for reform? – 29 June
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EVENT: Audit & accountability failure in local government – where next for reform? – 29 June

https://youtu.be/Z9s34D5tslk     Tuesday 29th of June 10-11:30am A roundtable to discuss audit and accountability failure and its impact on local government, including how to tackle it. Research for Action’s latest report, “Democracy Denied: Audit and accountability failure in local government” shows a serious lack of accountability in local government. Our findings reveal the significant role played by private auditors in disempowering residents. Under the Local Audit and Accountability Act, the public has the right to inspect council accounts and any related documents. Residents can also ask questions to the council’s external auditor, and if they believe spending could be unlawful... [continues]
EVENT: Building local solidarity and horizontal power – 26 May
Posted inAudit and Accountability Events Uncategorized

EVENT: Building local solidarity and horizontal power – 26 May

26 May 2-4pm, register here. How can we as communities and social movements reimagine and reclaim our cities, towns and villages? For many of us, the local elections in May 2021 again provided little chance to change things. Local government has been decimated by successive legislative changes and austerity. Westminster politics provides little hope, with the biggest attack on our civil rights in decades underway and Covid having shown us the consequences of inequality like never before. Yet the pandemic has made us focus on our neighbourhoods. We have checked in on each other, shared food and started mutual aid... [continues]
Guide: How to challenge your council’s financial decisions
Posted inAudit and Accountability Publications

Guide: How to challenge your council’s financial decisions

Below is a guide for individuals and campaigners on how to use the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 to obtain information from local government and object to spending decisions not undertaken in the public interest. The right to inspect the accounts and any underlying documents apply to anyone who is either: a local resident on the electoral register and/ or a citizen journalist/ blogger or campaigner who has published any material online. Please note however that the rights to ask questions to the auditor and to object apply only to local residents, on the electoral register for the council in... [continues]
June Newsletter: object to your council’s accounts. We are winning on LOBO loans!
Posted inNewsletters

June Newsletter: object to your council’s accounts. We are winning on LOBO loans!

Hi all, Even if it hasn’t felt like summer this week, it is June and the season for inspecting council accounts. An important victory in Newham showed us that exiting LOBO loans is possible and can free up millions for housing and services... The summer also brings many exciting events both for us and in the wider networks for debt justice and local democracy - see below! TAKE ACTION Inspect your council’s accounts! You can inspect your council’s accounts and object to spending you believe is not in the public interest.  The period to do so is now in England,... [continues]
MP and councillor letter on LOBO loans
Posted inCitizen Debt Audit

MP and councillor letter on LOBO loans

Introduction: This letter is intended to be circulated cross-party to MPs and throughout networks of local government councillors in England, Wales and Scotland in councils (at least 2o0) affected by LOBO loans. The letter is calling for action from the Local Government Association (LGA), Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and HM Treasury (HMT). LOBO loans are a national problem, caused by failure to adequately regulate and monitor the financial system – and to protect councils and taxpayers from mis-selling and market abuse by powerful financial firms. We are calling for a political solution so that further taxpayer... [continues]
Posted inCitizen Debt Audit Publications

LOBO LOANS: a citizen audit of local authority debt

Over 200 councils across the country have taken out Lender Option Borrower Option (LOBO) loans. As a result, millions are flowing into the financial sector from austerity-ravaged local authorities. This pocket-sized booklet tells you all you need to know about this scandal to take action in your community. It gives the context of local government finance, explains LOBO loans and the conflict of interest and lack of oversight that allowed the scandal to happen, and what you can do to take action against illegitimate LOBO debt. You can download it below, or if you want copies to distribute locally, get... [continues]