🤔 Local Government: Nolan Principles

• Discussion on Nolan Principles: The debate focused on the effectiveness of the Nolan Principles in local government, marking their 30th anniversary. These principles include selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership, guiding elected representatives at all levels.

• Challenges in Local Government: Alberto Costa highlighted that while most elected representatives uphold these principles, some fall short. Issues such as misconduct, bullying, and harassment in local government councils were addressed, with examples of parish councillors experiencing severe verbal abuse.

• Issues with Current Regime: The current regime under the Localism Act 2011 lacks a clear definition of bullying and harassment, leading to inconsistent enforcement across different areas. There is also a noted absence of robust sanctions for councillors who violate the Nolan Principles, except in criminal cases.

• Proposed Reforms: Suggestions included amending the Localism Act to define bullying clearly, mandating standards committees in principal authorities for impartial investigations, making parish councils accountable to principal authorities, and introducing the power to suspend councillors for up to six months for serious misconduct.

• Government Response: Minister Jim McMahon emphasized the Government’s commitment to strengthening the standards regime in local government. A consultation on a mandatory code of conduct had just been completed, aiming for consistency and clarity across all local authorities in England. He also addressed the need for sanctions with teeth, including suspension, withholding allowances, and premises bans for safeguarding risks.

• Interim Officers Accountability: Concerns were raised about interim officers in public sector roles moving between positions without being held accountable under the Nolan Principles. The Minister promised to follow up on this issue in writing.

• Future Actions: The Government is analyzing the consultation responses and will issue a response to guide future implementation of the standards regime. The aim is to foster a vibrant local democracy with elected representatives held to high ethical standards.

The disagreement rating for this parliamentary session is low because there are no significant explicit disagreements voiced in the transcript. The debate largely consists of supportive interventions and alignment on the need to strengthen the effectiveness of the Nolan Principles in local government. Participants generally agree on the issues at hand, including the necessity for a more robust standards regime and the need for clearer conduct codes and sanctions. Here is a more detailed explanation with examples:

1. General Agreement: All speakers, including Alberto Costa, Jim Shannon, Dan Aldridge, Dan Norris, and the Minister Jim McMahon, express a positive stance towards the Nolan Principles and agree that there are areas where the principles’ application can be improved in local government. This is evident from their supportive interventions and the fact that they propose similar solutions.

2. Supportive Interventions: Jim Shannon explicitly commends Alberto Costa for raising the issue and agrees with the need for more stringent adherence to the Nolan Principles. Dan Aldridge thanks Alberto Costa for securing the debate and suggests reimagining the principles for a digital age, which Costa responds to positively by showing openness to further discussion.

3. Consensus on Implementation: Both Costa and the Minister discuss the need for more robust sanctions and a consistent code of conduct. Costa suggests specific amendments to the Localism Act, which the Minister acknowledges and elaborates on in terms of the government’s consultation and proposals for a mandatory code of conduct.

4. Lack of Contradictory Views: There are no instances where speakers vehemently oppose each other’s views or the fundamental points made by Costa. Even when Steve Barclay presses the Minister for clarification on transparency issues regarding legal costs and settlement payments, the Minister responds constructively, promising to provide more information post-debate.

5. Shared Concern for Improvement: The speakers acknowledge issues like misconduct and bullying in local government and express a shared concern for needing improvement in these areas. The Minister mentions the government’s commitment to strengthening the standards regime, aligning with Costa’s emphasis on the need for stronger enforcement mechanisms.

Based on the consistent support for enhancing the application of the Nolan Principles and the lack of any significant discord, the disagreement rating is low, justifying a rating of 1.