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]
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]
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]
Public Interest in Local Audit and Accountability
Posted inAudit and Accountability Past Projects

Public Interest in Local Audit and Accountability

Local government accountability and transparency is a thread that runs through all our work so far. Our latest project focuses on this area from two perspectives: local audit and public interest, aiming to increase accountability in local government through advocacy and action research. Building on our previous work on local audit and using the opportunity of planned legislative changes, we will influence the government’s proposals for audit reform to ensure that public interest is upheld when shaping the new regulator. We will also broaden our work on how local authorities protect public services and funds: with a focus on the... [continues]