Overview and Scrutiny as a Dialogue of Accountability for Democratic Local Government

Abstract

The Local Government Act 2000 established a new set of political arrangements across England and Wales which included, for the first time, a distinct, separate overview and scrutiny function with the statutory duty to 'hold the executive to account'. This paper will explore the potential and limits of the overview and scrutiny function as a mechanism for public accountability in local government. It will be argued that effective processes of public scrutiny (as mechanisms for public accountability) are an essential component of good local governance with the potential to reconnect local citizens and the state within modernised forms of representative democracy. Reflecting current policy debates, it will be suggested that the future role of the local authority, as the democratically elected local tier of government, should be to create the conditions for public accountability in local governance and support officers and members engaged in public scrutiny.