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]
Report summary: Experiences of austerity and council democracy in Newham
Posted inCitizen Debt Audit

Report summary: Experiences of austerity and council democracy in Newham

Research for Action is collecting evidence of Newham residents' experiences of cuts to services as part of our citizen debt audit. The aim of the project is to start a conversation about the legitimacy of the continued, ring-fenced expenditure to financial sector in the context of cuts in services in one of the most deprived areas in England. 43 per cent of children in Newham grow up in poverty. Yet since 2010, the council has cut spending on services by nearly a third. For this study, we asked 51 Newham residents about their experiences interacting with a range of council... [continues]