Decision maker
Councillors also have a part to play in helping to make decisions that have an impact not only in their ward but also across the whole council.  They will be involved in decision-making in such diverse places as the full council, voluntary organisations, school boards and staff appointments.

One of us is on the Council's Cabinet but we all sit on a range of other committees and bodies. David is a school governor at Haydonleigh and on the new Northern Secondary School's temporary governing body; Isambard Community School.

Policy and strategy review and development
Being an elected member means that councillors can influence both the development and review of the council�s policy and strategy. They can contribute to the policy processes through their role with the scrutiny function, advisory groups and committee and in their interaction with executive members.

We contribute to this process through the discussions within our group, in the Cabinet and in consultation with the senior managers of the Council. We also take account of the views of our political opponents and Government Inspectors!

Overview and scrutiny
Councillors have always been required to scrutinise the council, and overview and scrutiny is a natural extension of the representation role. In the past, formal scrutiny was the responsibility of service committees. Public interest in the proceedings and decisions of their local council often left councillors in the situation of raising issues with colleagues in a rather haphazard way. The overview and scrutiny process has now become more clearly defined and distinct and is a key function for accountable democracy to occur.

This is a role for backbench councillors so Wayne and Ian are involved in this area of work.

Regulator
Local authorities are not just service providers, they also regulate certain activities. This involves councillors in quasi-judicial roles on special committees appointed directly by the council, e.g. planning and licensing committees. Most councils arrange special training for councillors undertaking quasi-judicial roles.

We have an overview and interest of these roles and occasionally represent residents at these committee meetings. David has previously sat on the Licensing Committee and Ian used to sit on the Planning Committee.

Community leader and networker
Community leadership is at the heart of the role of modern local government. Councils are the best-placed organisations to take a comprehensive overview of the needs and priorities of their local areas and communities and lead the work to meet them. But the modern local authority can only function through active partnerships with other organisations. Councillors may exercise community leadership clear communication with the huge variety of formal and voluntary organisations.

As members of the ruling Party, we are frequently contributing to future plans and meeting with organisations and individuals who help to shape Swindon's future. Partnership working is a key feature of modern local government and we continue to work hard in these areas.

System of Local Government in Swindon

As a result of the Local Government Act 2000, most Councils (including Swindon) now operate a 'Cabinet' system. This means that while the full Council still agrees the policy framework and general direction of an authority, power rests largely with the Executive or 'Cabinet' appointed by the Council. In some areas, people have voted for a directly-elected Mayor (which should not be confused with the traditional ceremonial mayor) who then appoints a Cabinet with whom he or she works closely.

The number of members of a Cabinet will vary from authority to authority, but it will include the Leader of the Council and the senior Councillors responsible for particular aspects of policy/service delivery (housing, education, environment). These 'portfolio holders', who work closely with Council officers, are then responsible for the specific details of their brief and for ensuring the implementation of agreed policy decisions/manifesto commitments. These decisions affect the level and quality of services received by the people you represent, they will have significant effect on the way the Council operates.

Even if you are not a member of the Cabinet, you will still have a very important role to perform. As well as attending and speaking at full meetings of the council, you will probably sit on one of the committees that scrutinise the Cabinet's decisions. You may also be asked to sit on important decision-making bodies such as the planning or licensing committee as well as various other committees and outside bodies.

Eligibility

The North Swindon Conservative Association is responsible for selecting candidates, so you should contact them (click on link on the left) if you are interested in becoming a Councillor. Before doing so, however, it is important to check that you are legally able to stand for election.

To become a Councillor you must be:

• A British subject or a citizen of the Irish Republic or the European Union and resident in the United Kingdom.
• Over 21.
• On the electoral register for the council area in which you are seeking election, or living or working in that council area for at least the last twelve months.

You will not be able to stand for election if:

• You hold a paid office or other place of profit in the gift of the council.
• You are an undischarged bankrupt or have made an arrangement with creditors that ended less than five years ago.
• You have been convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to not less than three months imprisonment (including a suspended sentence) in the last five years.
• You can also be disqualified from holding office if you have incurred illegal expenditure (when acting as a Councillor) of over £2,000 and if you have been found guilty of corrupt or illegal practices under the Representation of the People Act (1983) or the Audit Commission Act (1998).

What to expect once you have been elected

Term of Office - You are elected as a member of the council for four years. The only exceptions to this are if you are elected in a by-election (in which case you will face reelection when the seat that you represent would normally come up for election) or in exceptional circumstances (for example, following extensive boundary changes).

Code of Conduct - The conduct of Councillors is formally governed by a national Code of Conduct (with scope for some local variations), which every council in the country has adopted and which every Councillor has to abide by.

Your Declaration of Acceptance of Office requires you to abide by the Code of Conduct and you are legally obliged to register your interests within 28 days of taking office (these details will be open for public inspection). The Code of Conduct is enforced by your council's own Standards Committee and the national regulatory body, the Standards Board for England.

Training - Most local authorities provide extensive training for new councillors and some even run courses for prospective candidates.

Support - As a Councillor you will rely heavily on council officers to provide you with information on both general and specific matters. You are most likely to turn to officers when you need information in relation to a constituent's enquiry, but they will also provide administrative support in relation to any committees that you sit on and indeed anything else that relates to your role as a Councillor.

In terms of secretarial support, it is unlikely that you will receive much assistance. You are also unlikely to have your own office (although Swindon Council does have a Members' Room). However, the Conservative group does employ a political assistant, you may use a Council laptop and your telephone expenses are covered to help you carry out your duties.

In a sense you will become public property e.g. your name and address are published so that they are available to the public. Your time commitment will depend on the extent of your involvement, your political activities and what role you take in the Council. Most councilors serve on at least two committees as well as the full council. Bear in mind the preparation for meetings, agenda and papers will be sent to you in advance. Also consider the time spent at your regular surgeries.

An understanding employer is a definite advantage, although you may be entitled to some time off under Section 50 of the Employment Rights Act (1996). If you are self-employed ensure that your business can allow you time for council duties.

The time spent on Council business - preparing for and attending meetings, dealing with casework, etc - will be anything from a few hours each week to a few hours each day. Some periods will be less busy than others - for example, most Councils scale down meetings during the summer (although your constituents will continue to contact you!). As a rough guide, it has been estimated that Councillors spend on average 16 hours per week on council business, or 35 days per year. (University of Birmingham, Institute of Local Government Studies, 1998).

Although the time commitment may appear daunting, the key thing to remember is that the vast majority of Councillors (from all parties) are volunteers who do manage to juggle their role as a local representative with the competing demands of family, work and numerous other commitments.

The financial cost - Being a Councillor should not leave you out of pocket. Allowances, which vary from council to council, are paid to all Councillors. The yearly basic allowance (which is subject to tax) is paid in monthly installments and is designed to cover 75% of the time you devote to your duties. You may also claim expenses to cover the costs you incur in your role as a Councillor - travel to and from and attendance at meetings etc. (The Council will provide stationary, business cards and perhaps computing equipment).

You should also be able to claim for travel or subsistence allowances when you represent the council at external events (e.g. special conferences and meetings). The Council will also provide a special responsibility allowance to those who undertake additional duties (to members of the Cabinet, the chairmen of council committees, etc).

Being a Councillor allows you to pursue your political beliefs and contribute to your community. It can be a career enhancing-activity, allowing you to develop leadership and analytical skills, as well as to obtain practical, managerial work experience. Many MP’s also begin their political careers in local government.

Becoming a Conservative Councillor is an important achievement. Most Councillors enjoy the fact that they have the opportunity to take decisions that will improve and shape the quality of life in their local community. Having the opportunity to represent constituents and speak and act on their behalf is a unique privilege.

Finally some comments from the perspective of a Political Assistant on the subject of Providing Support to Councillors.

Introduction

The political world, whether national or local, is a fast and ever changing place. As a result today’s politician needs to be organised, focused and it seems an authority on subjects that six years ago did not exist.

More and more a local borough, district or county Councillor’s duties and responsibilities require an almost full time commitment. Meetings be they political group or council committee take up a great deal of time and energy, made more demanding by the fact that the individual may also have a family and full time job.

It is out of this fast paced and complex environment that many local government Conservative Group’s, in power and in opposition, seek professional support in the carrying out of their duties. With the Labour Government’s so-called ‘Modernisation Agenda’ [the Local Government Act 2000] there is an even bigger demand being placed upon Councillors carrying out ‘executive’ functions. These responsibilities while now suitably salaried in the main, do require a great deal of commitment, benefiting from those currently designated Research Assistant, Group Support Officer, Members' Support Officer or the ever growing band of Political Assistants.

Political Support

It has been the case over the last six years that most people in the UK have had to put up with ‘spin’. The Labour Government has often been called the ‘master of spin’ by its opponents, indulging itself in large numbers of special advisers- Alistair Campbell having perhaps become the most infamous along with Jo Moore the ill-fated sender of an September 11th email.

At one level the Conservative Party has been right to question the role and impact of certain and specific individuals, unelected and yet seemingly wielding great power. This has always been a concern with the great British civil service considered powerful because of its size and longevity. But some have observed that the power of the civil service is not its size and therefore power to get things done but rather its power to prevent things from being done.

As a result governments of all colours have sort to have more than one source of expert advice outside of the civil service, which one could argue is very important to democracy as well as any individual government. The opportunity to have often politically committed mostly young people often experts in particular fields working to individual ministers, when used properly are of immense advantage when seeking to deliver political and governmental goals.

For the local government politician, the ambition to see one’s manifesto and political goals and ambitions realised is no less important. Local councils spend over £75,000 million a year approximately £1,300 per person, amounting to 25 per cent of all state spending and nearly 10 per cent of the national income [GNP]. They manage a total debt of £40,000 million and roughly employ 2 million people, one worker in ten, in Britain. With so much responsibility and work its nolonger realistic to achieve change and good service delivery without some full time political and back room support.

The Benefits

A Political Assistant is a multiplicity of people. An advisor on policy and an advisor on press and media relations; also your only full time press officer if your group is in opposition. Our Political Assistant will also work as a researcher and casework manager while also supporting Councillors in external or internal meetings with constituents or officers.

The decision to employ a Political Assistant comes with a further opportunity, which increases in value as time goes on, and that is membership of the Conservative Political Officers' Network. This network is made up of all the Conservative Party’s Political Assistant’s in local government. The number is now moving past fifty members, meaning fifty Conservative Groups in England, representing fifty local councils and thousands of people connected through their Political Assistant allowing for massive communication opportunities, together with access to information re best practise, research on successful and not so successful policies and initiatives and briefing papers stretching across the whole world of local government, coming from the Conservative point of view.

Support

Many local councils in England today have little or no support in the carrying out of their duties. It does not seem possible for the local government sector or indeed our party to continue asking people to become councillors with all the benefits such positions can bring to the individual and their local community, without also providing them with dedicated, professional and politically aware staff eager to get a good job done.

The Labour Party has always made sure its politicians get the support they need even changing laws to allow the Alistair Campbell’s of this world to gain more power and control. While in local government the work is no less important, our Councillor’s have been left often to fend for themselves. But the law provides for support and the costs are kept relatively low with the salaries of Political Assistants being governed by the 1989 Local Government Act, currently capping them to just over £25,000.

The opportunities exist and if there is a will many individuals will come forward to answer the call to work for local Conservative Councillors up and down the country. It is nolonger a question as to whether support is needed; it is rather a question of when can you get it? www.cpon.info

Booklets - We have a small supply of a Conservative Central Office publication entitled "So you want to become a Conservative Councillor?". Please contact us if you would like to receive a copy with your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address.