NALC urges the government to implement robust new standards regime  

We have urged the government to implement a robust new standards regime for local government.

In our response to the government's consultation on strengthening the standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England, we urged the government to give co-opted members of local standards committees on principal authorities, where they exist, voting rights. We also called for an amendment to the Localism Act 2011 to grant a local standards committee the increased power to sanction a member whose behaviour falls short of criminal misconduct.

We firmly pushed for more training of councillors and council staff on the standards regime. Again, we called for the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to cover the parish and town council sector. We also reiterated our support for implementing the main recommendations from the Committee on Standards in Public Life 2019 report on Local Government Ethical Standards.

The consultation seeks views on introducing a mandatory minimum code of conduct for local authorities in England and measures to strengthen the standards and conduct regime in England to ensure consistency of approach amongst councils investigating serious breaches of their member codes of conduct, including introducing the power of suspension.