Strengthening the Standards and Conduct Framework for Local Authorities in England Consultation

The current regime for enforcing standards and conduct is, in my opinion, toothless. The is no ability to suspend or disqualify Councillors for even obvious and proven breaches in the code of conduct: you can only really act if they have actually broken the law and the Police will prosecute. This consultation represents a real opportunity to communicate its importance of sanctions.

The proposals being consulted upon include:

• The introduction of a mandatory minimum code of conduct for local authorities in England;
• A requirement that all principal authorities convene formal standards committees to make decisions on code of conduct breaches, and publish the outcomes of all formal investigations;
• The introduction of the power for all local authorities (including combined authorities) to suspend councillors or mayors found in serious breach of their code of conduct and, as appropriate, interim suspension for the most serious and complex cases that may involve police investigations;
• A new category of disqualification for gross misconduct and those subject to a sanction of suspension more than once in a 5-year period;
• A role for a national body to deal with appeals.

You can access the consultation here.