How To Become A Councillor

A Councillor? . . . Who Me?

Who Me?

Have you ever wanted to make a difference for your local community?
Have you ever wanted to speak on behalf of you local community and to help local people?
Do you want to contribute your professional or business or lobbying skills to help your local community?

If your answer to any of these questions is a resounding YES then maybe you should consider standing for election as a local councillor.

If your council is to be sensitive to the needs of the community, it requires Councillors with a wide range of talents and interests who reflect the diversity of the population as a whole. Above all, they must be people who want to shape, direct and monitor the effectiveness of local services for the benefit of the people of Hartlepool.

This information will answer all the questions you have about becoming a local councillor.

Am I able to stand for Council?

If you want to stand as a Councillor in Hartlepool you need to be:

At least 21 years old – there is no maximum age limit
A UK, EU or Commonwealth citizen
Registered as a voter in the Borough of Hartlepool or have lived or had your principle place of work in the borough for at least a year before standing.

You do NOT have to be a member of a political party to stand for election. Many people stand as Independents (a candidate who does not belong to a particular political party) or for local organisations, such as residents associations. A good website for advice on this is www.picx.co.uk.

If you are thinking of standing as a candidate for a particular political party, then you will need to be a Member of that Party's local organisation. More information about political parties can be found on the Register of Political Parties section of the Electoral Commission’s website. www.electoralcommission.org.uk

You do not need any formal qualifications to stand as a councillor.

You do not need to pay a deposit to stand in local government elections

You cannot stand if:

you work for your local council
or you hold a politically restricted post for another organisation
or you are subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order,
or you have served a prison sentence (including suspended sentences) of three months or more within five years prior to the election, or you have been disqualified under any legislation relating to corrupt or illegal practices.

How long will I be a Councillor?

The term of office is four years. At the end of this time you can retire or stand for re-election.

You can choose to retire at any time.

If you stand to replace a councillor who has retired during his four-year term (not at a scheduled election or by-election) you will serve as a councillor for the remainder of that person's term of office.

Do I need an Agent?

Candidates normally appoint an election agent to act on their behalf. Election agents receive all correspondence and notices from the council, are entitled to attend the opening of postal votes and the counting of votes. Agents must make an expenses return to the local authority within the specified period. It is not necessary to appoint an election agent; candidates may act as their own agent.

Counting agents appointed by either the candidate or election agent attend the counting of votes to oversee the counting process.

I’ve decided to stand for election. What do I do now?

Once you have decided to stand for election as a councillor you will need to be proposed and then seconded by another person and also have eight further people as assenters to your nomination. A minimum total of ten people are needed to support your nomination. The ten people must all have their names included in the register of electors in the ward in which you are standing as a candidate.

Full details on the electoral process are available from Hartlepool Borough Council Electoral Services.

Once elected, what support will I get?

As a new councillor, you will be invited to take part in an induction programme, introducing you to the workings of the council. Training for councillors continues throughout their term of office on a variety of relevant topics.

The professional officers working at the council are available to assist you in any way they can, such as advice about council procedures or problems in your ward. However, as all officers must be politically impartial, they cannot assist in any matter that could be seen as supporting a particular political party or pressure group.

Payments to councillors

Currently two types of allowances exist for councillors :

Basic Allowance payable to all Councillors
Special Responsibility Allowances which vary and are paid in addition to the basic allowance to Councillors who have special responsibilities such as Cabinet Members or the Chair of Committees.

Each local authority can decide the level of these allowances but all are required to set up independent panels to recommend local schemes of allowances. The government has now been persuaded that access for councillors to the Local Government Pension Scheme should be allowed, at the discretion of each local authority acting on the advice of their independent remuneration panel.

In addition, councillors can claim for travel and subsistence allowances. A carers allowance is also available.

How much time will I spend on council duties?

Some councillors may spend between 12 and 15 hours each week on council work but there are huge variations. Those with an executive or chairing role will have a much greater workload.

...and finally

If you have ever had concerns about the future of local services and felt that you could be a voice for your community in pursuing the public interest, then you should consider becoming a councillor.

Those already working in local government find the role interesting, exciting and challenging and there is the some opportunity to specialise in a particular topic or area of interest.

You can make a difference to your community and to the whole of Hartlepool.

Other sources of information on becoming a councillor (in alphabetical order) are :