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]
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]
REPORT: Democracy Denied: Audit and accountability failure in local government
Posted inAudit and Accountability Publications

REPORT: Democracy Denied: Audit and accountability failure in local government

Decades of funding cuts, outsourcing and commercialisation have driven local government to the brink of collapse. Scrutiny is more important than ever, yet our research shows that local authorities and their auditors actively prevent residents from exercising their rights to hold councils to account over spending decisions. Research for Action’s new report presents evidence of 155 citizen experiences of using the Local Audit and Accountability Act to scrutinise local government finances. It demonstrates serious accountability gaps, reveals the significant role played by private auditors in disempowering residents, and shows a concerning lack of accountability on the part of local authorities.... [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]
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]
Posted inCitizen Debt Audit Publications

Debt and Democracy In Newham – A Citizen Audit of LOBO Debt

The east London borough of Newham has the most bank debt in the form of LOBO loans of any local authority in the UK. Even in austerity conditions, the council is forced to make extortionate interest payments to the same banks responsible for the 2008 crisis. Through data analysis and investigation as well as interviews with residents, charity workers and campaigners, Research for Action has put together a picture of this hidden debt crisis. Our report ‘Debt & Democracy in Newham: A citizen audit of LOBO loans’ presents details of Newham Council's LOBO loan debt and assesses its legitimacy in... [continues]
Cuts and contempt – experiences of austerity and council democracy in Newham
Posted inCitizen Debt Audit Publications

Cuts and contempt – experiences of austerity and council democracy in Newham

This report was written by Research for Action to document residents’ lived experience of austerity in the London borough of Newham. It is part of evidence collection for a "citizen debt audit" that seeks to evaluate the social sustainability of Newham council’s borrowing from banks in the form of LOBO loans. The aim of a citizen debt audit is to improve the accountability of local government towards its residents in managing funds in the public interest. We hope to start a conversation about the legitimacy of the continued, ring-fenced expenditure towards the financial sector in the context of harsh austerity... [continues]