Greater devolution and decentralisation to local government will require strong, effective, responsive listening and above all, accountable community councillors who are trusted by their electors, writes John Tizard.
Nearly 15 years after the Labour Government introduced the cabinet system to local government, I find councils and councillors across the country still struggling to understand the role and contribution of the so-called ‘backbench’ councillor.
It’s time to draw a line in the sand and recognise and celebrate the role of what I would prefer to call ‘community councillors’.
These individuals can have significant roles in the town hall and in the community.
The former should be about holding the executive to account and advocating for the electorate and local communities.
The latter should be rewarding, and offer an opportunity to contribute and add value to their communities and local ward.
The elected councillor is first and foremost a politician – whether a member of a political party or not – and has to be accountable to local people – his or her electorate.
They are elected to represent and advocate for their ward and all the people living and working within it.
They also form the council and in that capacity, have a wider responsibility for the whole place.
They have to be accountable to those who have elected them.
This has to come ahead of party allegiances, although it is likely that they will have been elected on a party manifesto and the electorate will, for the most part, expect them to be loyal to their party’s values and policies.
If and when a councillor resigns from the political group or party, they should have to offer themselves to their electorates.
If and when they change their minds on a major issue, for whatever reason, they should be prepared to explain why and discuss this with their electorate.
I would like to see some practical system of ‘right of recall’ for the public to hold councillors to account, without having to wait for the next election.
Equally, there is a case for an election system based on proportional representation for council elections.
As ward councillors, whether in single or multi-member wards, a community councillor should ensure that they are visible to the community; actively engaged with local community groups, local businesses and public bodies and professionals in the ward and that they speak regularly with, and make themselves accessible to, local residents.
They may seek to find out residents’ opinions, both on matters only impacting the ward and those with a wider council or place perspective.
A councillor should be ready to present petitions and speak up for local interests – sometimes within reason when they personally disagree with the petitioners’ views – even if this is contrary to their group’s policy.
And, this applies even when that group has formed the administration of the council.
In my experience, many councillors (but not all of them) hold regular face-to-face surgeries; some have virtual surgeries online and most use social media and email to connect with residents and other stakeholders.
They will problem-solve.
They should not seek to dominate or direct local groups, but should seek to work effectively with them.
They can also form strong collaborative relations with elected parish, community and town councils, where these exist.
The representative role of a councillor should not be confined to the council and its services.
Rather, it can be extended to being the champion of local people and local businesses, along with other public bodies, utilities and the like.
The ward councillor, including those who are also cabinet members, should regard themselves as the community or ward’s representative into the council, far more than the council’s spokesperson or apologist in the ward.
A local authority can support councillors to be effective ward community members by providing IT equipment and support, information and analysis ward-by-ward, and ensuring that issues raised on behalf of individuals and communities through councillors are dealt with effectively and in a timely fashion.
There is no reason why there should not be target timescales for councillors to respond to residents and for council officers to respond to councillors.
Councillors may also, in some extreme circumstances, require support to manage vexatious attacks, for example on social media, but not to handle matters of political choice and accountability.
A councillor will know best how to work his or her community and to work inside the local authority machine with colleagues and officers to get things done.
This is what should become second nature.
They have to be careful not to abuse their power or their position.
As members of the council, councillors have several critical roles to play within their party groups, the chamber, on committees and as members of scrutiny panels.
All these are important roles and not ones to be undervalued by anyone.
From time-to-time, there may be conflicts for members when the interests of those they directly represent may be (or may appear to be) in conflict with the position of their group or the group’s leadership as expressed by the council leader and/or cabinet, or in conflict with a wider interest for the whole place, of which their ward is a small part.
The experienced politician will know how to ensure that local people know their views.
All councillors should be prepared to explain why they intend (or chose) to vote in a particular manner and if there is trust with the electorate, this should not become a problem.
Being a councillor is about personal and political judgement and compliance with the law, so it cannot always be about doing what seemingly a majority in the ward or even the whole place wants.
Leadership is required, as is good communication and engagement, as well as accountability.
I have seen councillors persuade local people to change their minds – this is not and must not be a one-way street.
Of course, political groups can choose either not to impose ‘three-line’ whips as often as they do (and certainly not on as many issues as they tend to do) and on special occasions, allow a member a free vote or an abstention on a matter which is critical to their ward.
Over-whipping on scrutiny panels in particular, seems ridiculous, and ultimately undermines the purpose of political scrutiny.
Sadly, this is often seen as an easier option by group leaders and whips, where one party has a large majority on the council. Perhaps it could be applied more universally. This would surely help, even in a small way, towards restoring trust and confidence in the political system.
I am passionate about the importance of local government, and here I deliberately stress the word ‘government’.
I am keen to see much greater devolution and decentralisation to local government. This will require strong, effective, responsive listening and above all, accountable ‘community councillors’, trusted by their electors.
They are, can and must be the ultimate champions of democratic local governance and local renewal.