The government risks missing a key opportunity to fix the local audit crisis, leaving the whole country in the dark about council finances. The government has unveiled the plans to fix the local audit crisis with a new body, the Local Audit Office (LAO). Action can’t come soon enough. Last year only 4% of local councils submitted audited accounts on time for 2023/24, even lower than the 10% last year that prompted the National Audit office to take the unprecedented step to disclaim the Whol...| Research for Action
In new research in collaboration with the University of Sussex, we make a series of urgent recommendations for making council finances less opaque during this time of critical challenge and upheaval in local government. | Research for Action
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 th...| Research for Action
As the UK Government sets out to reform the local government sector again, this is a clear guide to the mess that English councils currently find themselves in. It focuses on how the government is intervening in failing authorities. In our guide you will find a breakdown of how councils are supposed to function, how they got into this crisis, how the government is currently intervening, and tips for getting more involved yourself.| Research for Action
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 tran...| Research for Action
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’. | Research for Action
Hello! Happy New Year from us. There is so much going on, and we wanted to share a quick roundup of where we are with local government right now. We also briefly reflect on Research for Action in 2024, before it gallops away in the rear-view mirror, before sharing some things we are looking forward […]| Research for Action
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 […]| Research for Action
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. ...| Research for Action
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. | Research for Action
Legislative changes in the last decade have increased the power of central government over local authorities. Democratic controls (transparency, participation, accountability and so on) have been continuously eroded. Under a culture of cuts and lack of care, cities have become an important site for residents and communities to provide for one another and drive forward the changes they want to see. But the deep democratic deficits we are facing, and the continuing capture of the local state by...| Research for Action
