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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Peter Eckersley, Professor Laurence Ferry
Data transparency and structural reforms are changing the nature of accountability in public services across the developed world, and English local government is no exception. Various central government initiatives since 2010 have increased the number of mechanisms through which councils can be held accountable, in line with a promise to improve ‘downwards’ accountability to citizens. However, these mechanisms are unlikely to be any more robust than their predecessors in improving this relationship. Instead, the reforms have actually strengthened ‘upwards’ accountability to central government for financial management, and sought (albeit largely unsuccessfully) to make local public bodies more responsive ‘horizontally’ to potential competitors in the public services marketplace. Indeed, since they are likely to result in greater outsourcing and privatisation of public services, the reforms can be seen as part of a wider neoliberal agenda that is contributing to ‘depoliticisation’ and a situation where policy decisions are taken increasingly by non-state or apolitical actors, to the detriment of democracy and public accountability.
Author(s): Eckersley P, Ferry L
Editor(s): Cuadrado-Ballesteros, B; García-Sánchez, IM
Publication type: Book Chapter
Publication status: Published
Book Title: Local Governments in the Digital Era: Looking for Accountability
Year: 2016
Acceptance date: 05/04/2016
Publisher: Nova Publishing
URL: https://www.novapublishers.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=59484&osCsid=531bcb71d152789ca1eb90980342c61b
Library holdings: Search Newcastle University Library for this item
ISBN: 9781634858915
