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]
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]
GUEST BLOG: Building local power – reflections on municipalism
Posted inCurrent Guest blog

GUEST BLOG: Building local power – reflections on municipalism

By Steve Rushton In May 2021, Research for Action, Municipal Enquiry and Cities for Change organised an online event called “Building local solidarity and horizontal power”. I collaborated on this project as the local forums facilitator for the UK and Nordic countries for Cities for Change, a decentralised forum initiated and organised by Amsterdam City Council that aimed to strengthen and network municipalism across the continent. Together with Research for Action and Municipal Enquiry, we recognised that local government has been decimated by successive legislative changes and austerity, as Research for Action's work has documented. It often feels politics provides... [continues]