Prime Minister Andy Burnham has criticised what he calls Britain's "unaccountable state" and has made English devolution a central idea of his premiership. His plan aims to grant England's mayors unprecedented power and money, but it will need to address the diminished scrutiny of local government.
Accountability mechanisms have reportedly declined as England's devolution map has evolved. The abolition of the Audit Commission in 2015 removed a source of information for Whitehall regarding local government spending. This decision, made by then-Prime Minister David Cameron, coincided with a period when councils were selling assets and making risky investments.
The government's recent pledge to appoint chief executives of mayoral strategic authorities as "local accounting officers" is seen as a positive step. The English devolution bill in 2026 also established a new Local Audit Office and introduced new powers for scrutiny committees. However, plans to give England's mayors a share of income tax generated in their areas may require deeper forms of accountability.