How should councillors behave?
Councillors are expected to represent their communities while being responsible for setting and monitoring policy for the council as a whole. They need to balance different interests and will often have to make difficult decisions. They may be elected on a political platform, and may take into account the views of their political group in deciding how to vote on a particular issue.
The public has a right to expect high standards of conduct from councillors. The standards of conduct expected are set out in a code of conduct. Each member becomes bound by the code of conduct when they accept office. The code of conduct forms part of the Council’s Constitution. You can read the code here.
What should you do if you believe a councillor has behaved badly
If you believe that a borough or parish councillor has breached the code of conduct, you should complain by doing one of the following:
Send an email to: tracy.manning@fylde.gov.uk
or
Write to Tracy Manning, Director of Resources, Fylde Borough Council, Town Hall, St Annes Road West, St Annes FY8 1LW
You should make sure that you include the following information:
- Your name and address
- The name of the councillor your complaint is about (this can be found via this link)
- If the councillor is a parish councillor, the name of the parish council (this can be found via this link)
- What you think the councillor has done wrong
It is important that you provide all the information you wish to have taken into account. For example:
- You should be specific, wherever possible, about exactly what you are alleging the member said or did. For instance, instead of writing that the member insulted you, should state what it was they said
- You should provide the dates of the alleged incidents wherever possible. If you cannot provide exact dates it is important to give a general time frame
- You should tell us whether there are any witnesses to the alleged conduct and provide their names and contact details if possible
- You should provide any relevant background information
- If possible, tell us why you think that what the councillor did was a breach of the code of conduct, referring to the code of conduct
