SWBG blog

Whose priorities are considered when local governments allocate budgets?

One of the first things we discuss with the Economic Empowerment Group is that budgets reflect a government’s priorities. It was therefore interesting to hear those introducing local government budgets articulate this so clearly. Phrases such as “this budget sets out what matters to the people” and “our priorities are shared priorities with the people of...” were frequently used.  

For the group, this raised the question of how politicians determine the priorities of their communities. Of the two local authorities examined, only one had carried out a pre-budget consultation; however, at the time the budget was set, the full analysis of responses was not publicly available, and it was unclear how these responses had informed decision-making.  In this local authority, gap identified was the lack of consideration given to health and social care. This was despite the Health and Social Care Partnership projecting a requirement to make £14 million in savings this year.  At the same time, additional recurring investment was allocated to community galas and events, despite previous proposals to cut this funding completely as part of budget consultations over the past two years.  

For group members from this local authority, it really made them question whose priorities are reflected in these decisions.  It also highlighted the lack of integration of budgets between the council and the Health and Social Care Partnership, leaving the most vulnerable at the sharp end of decision-making. 

The other authority had not undertaken any pre-budget consultation. In this area, additional investment was agreed for pavements in cemeteries. Given the poor condition of pavements more generally, which had recently resulted in a near miss for a group member, this raised questions about why cemeteries were prioritised and how this had been identified as mattering to people. 

Looking at the information made available after the budget-setting process, one council had no information on its website, while the other had a news release that focused on the areas it had chosen to invest in, but made no reference to the savings being made.  Most news coverage of the budget focused on Council Tax increases, making it difficult for the public to understand the full range of decisions taken or to assess whether these reflect their own priorities.  

The principles underpinning gender budgeting encourage greater transparency and participation in the budget-setting process. Members of our Women’s Economic Empowerment group felt that, in their local authority, there was a need for greater transparency around whose voices are being listened to and how this is being reflected in decision-making. 

Find out more: 

Gender Budgeting Toolkit

Women’s Economic Empowerment Project