Local government lawyers have urged Eric Pickles to undertake a wide-ranging review of the standards regime if he decides to reassess rules on councillors' declarations of interest.

Communities secretary Mr Pickles recently said he would urgently review the rules surrounding members' declarations of interest, after former local government minister, Bob Neill, publicly questioned whether some Labour Party election candidates were currently required to be a trade union member. The two local government experts raised their concerns in the aftermath of Labour leader Ed Miliband's recent spat with the Unite trade union over alleged union activities ahead of parliamentary candidate selection in Falkirk.