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Making complaints after 8 May
From 8 May 2008, if you wish to complain that a member has breached the Code of Conduct, you must address your complaint to the standards committee at your local authority. Complaints received by the Standards Board from 8 May 2008 will be returned with instructions to forward them to the standards committee.
For more information about the new arrangements:
- visit the local assessment section of our website
- email us at enquiries@standardsboard.gov.uk
- call us on 0845 078 8181
What you can complain about
If you think a member has broken their authority's Code of Conduct, you can report them to the Standards Board for England.
We can only consider complaints that fall within our powers as set out by Parliament. For us to consider your complaint, it has to be about an elected, co-opted or independent member of the authorities we cover, and it has to be about something covered by the Code of Conduct. These things are listed below.
Your complaint must also:
- be about something that happened after the Code of Conduct came into effect (between 30 November 2001 and 5 May 2002, depending on the authority)
- be made in writing
The authorities we cover
We cover the following authorities in England:
- county councils
- district councils
- city councils
- borough councils
- metropolitan councils
- unitary councils
- parish and town councils
- national park authorities
- the Broads Authority
- fire authorities
- police authorities
- passenger transport authorities
- the Greater London Authority
- the Council of the Isles of Scilly
- the Common Council of the City of London
Behaviour covered by the Code of Conduct 2007
- unlawfully discriminating against someone
- failing to treat people with respect
- bullying any person
- intimidating any person involved in any investigation or proceedings about someone's misconduct
- doing something to prevent those who work for the authority from being unbiased
- revealing information that was given to them in confidence, or stopping someone getting information they are entitled to by law
- damaging the reputation of their office or authority, where the conduct is linked to their public role and not in their private capacity
- using their position improperly, to their own or someone else's advantage or disadvantage
- misusing their authority's resources
- allowing their authority's resources to be misused for the activities of a registered political party
- failing to register financial or other interests
- failing to reveal a personal interest at a meeting
- taking part in the discussion or making a decision where they have an interest that is so significant that it is likely to affect their judgment (known as a 'prejudicial interest')
- improperly influencing a decision about a matter that they have a prejudicial interest in
- failing to register any gifts or hospitality (including its source), that they have received in their role as a member worth over £25
Behaviour covered by the Code of Conduct 2001
- unlawfully discriminating against someone
- failing to treat people with respect
- doing something to prevent those who work for the authority from being unbiased
- revealing information that was given to them in confidence, or stopping someone getting information they are entitled to by law
- damaging the reputation of their office or authority
- using their position improperly, to their own or someone else's advantage or disadvantage
- misusing their authority's resources
- allowing their authority's resources to be misused for the activities of a registered political party
- failing to report another member's misconduct to us
- failing to register financial or other interests
- failing to reveal a personal interest at a meeting
- taking part in a meeting or making a decision where they have an interest that is so significant that it is likely to affect their judgment
- failing to register any gifts or hospitality that they have received in their role as a member worth over £25
