Press release: Local Audit Office plans in devolution bill do not go far enough in fixing crisis
Posted inAudit and Accountability Councils in Crisis Current

Press release: Local Audit Office plans in devolution bill do not go far enough in fixing crisis

15 July 2025 In a surprise announcement, the English Devolution & Community Empowerment Bill, published last week, outlined the government’s plans for the Local Audit Office. The government had previously promised to fix the local audit crisis and consulted on a range of ways of doing this, but now some of these measures do not feature in the devolution legislation.  The creation of the Local Audit Office (LAO) marks a significant change in the local audit regime. Since the abolition of the Audit Commission in 2015, local authorities have been audited by private companies. This has resulted in declining quality... [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]
REPORT: Democratising Local Governance
Posted inDemocratising Governance Projects Publications Uncategorized

REPORT: Democratising Local Governance

  This report describes the findings from an action research project in Glasgow and Sheffield, which examined the relationships between local governance and local activism.  Together with project partners from Solidarity Against Neoliberal Extremism (SANE) and It’s Our City! in the respective cities, we spoke to local campaigners and community groups between November 2022 and January 2023. Participants from both cities – working on a diverse range of issues – identified common experiences, themes, and demands for a more democratic local governance, as well as the prospects for more collectivised action. We heard widely shared concerns about local democracy and... [continues]