1. Purpose of the Code of Conduct
Draft Councillors Code of Conduct
1. Purpose of the Code of Conduct
1.1 The purpose of this Code of Conduct is to assist you, as a councillor, in modelling the behaviour that is expected of you, to provide a personal check and balance, and to set out the type of conduct that could lead to action being taken against you. It is also to protect you, the public, fellow councillors, Council officers and the reputation of local government.
1.2 It sets out general principles of conduct expected of all councillors and your specific obligations in relation to standards of conduct. The Local Government Association encourages the use of support, training and mediation prior to action being taken using the Code. The fundamental aim of the Code is to create and maintain public confidence in the role of councillor and local government.
1.3 This Code of Conduct is based on the Model Code of Conduct produced by Local Government Association. The Local Government Association has also produced guidance on their Model Code of Conduct and regard should be had to that advice when considering the obligations and expectations of this Code. The guidance can be found here, although it should be noted that the Model Code of Conduct has not been adopted in its entirety and there is some local variation.