Reflecting on being a councillor, I am reminded of the words of John Smith shortly before his untimely death – ‘the opportunity to serve, is all we ask’.
Having had the privilege of being elected four times and serving as a councillor for 18 years, I certainly felt humbled to be able to serve my local community.
Local government plays a vital role for every family, community, and business. It is core to our democratic system. It matters - which is why we need committed and motivated councillors.
Thirteen years of austerity with cuts to local government funding have hollowed out every local authority. Too much government funding and potential devolved powers are now only awarded at the discretion of central government, which often only sees councils as its local agents. This may make being a councillor ‘seem’ less attractive than perhaps it once was, but more than ever, our communities need effective councils and excellent councillors.
Becoming a councillor for the first time can seem daunting but it does not have to be. It is a responsible role, but it can be a rewarding and enjoyable one.
A newly elected councillor or one who has been elected after a period of absence will have much to learn.
There will likely be induction, familiarisation and training programmes organised by the local authority (and perhaps by a political group). The Local Government Association (LGA) website offers much good advice here.
However, no one can learn everything in one or two briefing sessions or from reading documents and websites.
Senior councillors and former councillors can also provide advice and possibly even mentoring.
A priority is to become knowledgeable about governance arrangements; the rights, responsibilities, and duties of a councillor; and the behaviours expected, including the Standards in Public Life Principles.
New councillors should familiarise themselves with what the council does and can realistically do given its competencies, powers, resources, and wider influence – the latter being vital as councils seek to live up to their place shaping role.
Councillors must know what services the council provides, to what standard, and the risks associated with them. Critically, councillors must remember that they are strategic representatives and not managers.
Every councillor needs to understand the basics of local government finance and the financial state of their authority, not least because of their fiduciary duty but also because only financially secure authorities can sustain quality services and serve their communities. Austerity and tight budgets make understanding finance essential – not an option.
Council officers will provide briefings. My advice is to start with the premise that officials are to be trusted and are committed to fulfilling their duties professionally in a non-partisan manner. However, no councillor should rely solely on their council and its officers for data, information, or ideas. There are many sources of information for services, performance and ideas for change and improvements including other councils, inspectorates, auditors (including the National Audit Office (NAO)), the LGA, trade unions, political parties, professional bodies, academia, think-tanks and charitable/community organisations. Access them all.
Councillors should research their chosen areas of policy and, critically, meet relevant stakeholders to ensure that the council policies and performance reports, audit and inspection reports and wider published material is augmented by the direct experience and feedback from those involved in (or on the receiving end) of every aspect of these policies.
Councillors need to ensure that they are knowledgeable about local economic, social, and environmental issues. Neither they nor their council operates in a vacuum.
Being a ward councillor can be the most rewarding aspect of the role. Councillors should be: accessible and responsive to residents, businesses, and community groups; listen; have regular dialogue with them; and report back regularly.
Advocating for a fair allocation of resources and services for one’s ward is important, but councillors should not abuse their position when doing this nor expect unfair preference to be given to their ward. They must be willing to explain why some things cannot happen.
In my experience, party politics plays a key role in local authorities being effective, focused and disciplined based on group unity underpinned by shared values and policies. Councillors who have been elected on a ‘party ticket’ should respect their political responsibilities and accountabilities to their party though always ensuring this does not eclipse their electoral accountability.
On 4 May, not only were many new councillors elected but there was change of political control in many councils. This offers a great opportunity for new councillors and new administrations to drive policy and often cultural change. It can shake councils out of complacency. New administrations must act fast to agree a plan of change and set the tone. They must ensure that senior council officers are clear about their values and ambitions. This could be challenging where councils are hung but frankly no action will lead to inertia.
New administrations should start by analysing the risks facing the authority and establishing a base line from which they can be held accountable for the impact of their actions. I recommend reviewing governance, service performance, and every budget to ensure expenditure is delivering value for money and then shifting resources to meet their manifesto pledges and to maximise public value.
Opposition groups should also undertake such reviews and promote their policies. On hung authorities they should be true to their values and their electoral promises, and be clear about their redlines and long term goals if under pressure to form alliances.
Serving as a councillor offers a fabulous opportunity to serve local communities. And every citizen and corporate body deserves effective local government and committed councillors.
The 4 May was an important day. Hundreds of new councillors were elected for the first time and others were re-elected. They have the opportunity to serve. Congratulations and best wishes to them.
John Tizard is a strategic advisor and commentator on public policy and public services
@JohnTizard
