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]
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]
October newsletter: share your experiences of local accountability
Posted inNewsletters

October newsletter: share your experiences of local accountability

Hi all,  It’s a busy autumn after a summer break, and we need your help again! One of the most important strategies in our work on LOBO loans has been supporting residents to submit objections to the loans locally. The right to do this (as well as the right to inspect council accounts) is granted by a piece of legislation called the Local Audit and Accountability Act. The collective action of submitting objections has helped to bring attention to LOBO loans. Unfortunately, we and our networks have found that it rarely works in our favour, as auditors are reluctant to... [continues]
Share your experience of using the Local Audit and Accountability Act
Posted inAudit and Accountability

Share your experience of using the Local Audit and Accountability Act

Research for Action is investigating the effectiveness of the Local Audit and Accountability Act in relation to the rights it grants the public to: inspect council financial accounts ask a question to the auditor on the accounts object to items of the accounts We would like to base our evidence on the experience of as many people as possible who used the Act. Responses will inform a report we will publish in 2020.If you have used one or more of these rights we would value your responses to our questionnaire. All responses will be made anonymous and we will ensure... [continues]
July newsletter: festivals, council accounts & credit card cost cap
Posted inNewsletters

July newsletter: festivals, council accounts & credit card cost cap

Welcome to our July newsletter. Summer means picnics and barbeques, workshops at festivals and inspection of accounts (doesn’t it?). Here are our news for the month! NEWS Why we need a cap on credit card costs The End the Debt Trap campaign published a report on regulating the credit card market with a launch event in Parliament on 9 July. We are part of a coalition of organisations campaigning to cap the costs of all consumer credit so no one would have to pay back more in fees and interest than they originally borrowed. A cap was put in place... [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]