Being a Local Councillor

Good Councillors Guide 2024

• • A Councillor’s normal term of office is 4 years
  • Is the holder of a public office and not a volunteer
  • Can receive expenses for their role
  • The main job of a councillor is to participate in the collective decision making processes of the council
  • He/she has no authority to make decisions about council business on his/her own
  • A local council may arrange insurance cover to indemnity its councillors against liability resulting from them being representatives of the council
  • A councillor’s financial and certain other interests in council business must be transparent
  • He/she is subject to obligations set out in the Code of Conduct adopted by the council
  • Information about councillors is available in the council’s publication scheme
  • The first business of the council’s annual meeting is the election of its chairman
  • Most councils appoint a Vice Chairman but this is optional
  • The normal term of office for the Chairman is one year.

Who is eligible?

The law specifies that to be eligible to stand as a councillor, you must be qualified by virtue of being a British or Commonwealth Citizen, citizen of the Republic of Ireland or European Union citizen, and have attained the age of 18 years and meet at least one of the four qualifications below:

(a) be registered as a local government elector for the parish

(b) have, during the whole of the twelve months preceding the appointment, occupied as owner or tenant land or other premises in the parish

(c) your principal or only place of work during those twelve months has been in the parish

(d) have, during those twelve months resided in the parish or within 4.8 kilometres of it.

Certain circumstances will mean that an individual may be “disqualified” from standing, these are set out in Section 80 of the Local Government Act 1972, check with your council if unsure.

What will I do if I’m elected?

• Attend council meetings
• Raise matters that the council can consider and formally decide to take action about at meetings
• Make informed contributions which influence the debate on the business that needs to be decided at those meetings
• Participate in the Council’s decision making process, which in itself is subject to strict rules and guidelines
• Represent the Council externally

Election Materials and Guides

SALC Webpage

http://www.alcshropshire.co.uk/elections

NALC Elections Webpage

NALC ‘It Takes All Sorts” (information for prospective candidates)

http://www.nalc.gov.uk/publications

NALC ‘Whatever – Yeah! Local Councils and Youth Provision’

http://www.nalc.gov.uk/publications

NALC ‘Power to the People’

http://www.nalc.gov.uk/publications

“Be a Councillor” website

http://beacouncillor.co.uk/

‘Become a Councillor’ website

https://www.gov.uk/government/get-involved/take-part/become-a-councillor

Be a Councillor – Local Government Association

Electoral Commission “Candidates and agents at parish and community council elections in England and Wales

http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/candidate-or-agent/parish-and-community-council-elections-in-england-and-wales