The Standards Committee is responsible for overseeing the operation of the Members’ Code of Conduct adopted by Leeds City Council in May 2007. They can ask the Monitoring Officer to investigate if a Member is thought to have broken their authority’s Code of Conduct and they work with the Council to promote the highest standards of conduct.
You can view a copy of the Leeds City Council Members’ Code of Conduct by following the link on this page. If you believe that a Leeds City Council Member has broken this Code, you can make a complaint to the Assessment Sub-Committee of the Standards Committee.
You can complain about Councillors and co-opted members of Leeds City Council, or any of the Parish and Town Councils in the Leeds area. A co-opted member is a voting member of an authority or one of its committees, who was appointed to their position rather than elected. However, please note that the Assessment Sub-Committee can only consider complaints about the behaviour of individual Councillors or members, not about the authority as a whole or the people employed by it.
You can complain about a member of the Council breaking any part of their Code of Conduct. Members of the Council are required to observe the Code whenever they are:
- Conducting the business of the authority;
- Conducting the business of the office to which they have been elected or appointed; or
- Acting as a representative of the authority.
You can complain about a Member doing any of the following:
- Failing to treat people with respect
- Conducting themselves in a manner which could reasonably be regarded as bringing his or her office or authority into disrepute
- Using their position as a member improperly to confer on or secure for him or her self or any other person, an advantage or disadvantage
- Doing something which may seriously prejudice their authority’s ability to comply with any of its statutory duty under the equality law
- Bullying any person
- Intimidating or attempting to intimidate someone who is or is likely to be a complainant or witness in relation to an investigation
- Doing anything which compromises or which is likely to compromise the impartiality of those who work for, or on behalf of, the authority
- Disclosing information given to them in confidence by anyone, or information acquired which he or she believes is of a confidential nature, except where:
- They have the consent of a person authorised to give it; or
- For professional advice, providing the advisor agrees to maintain the confidentiality; or
- Where disclosure is reasonable and in the public interest, and this disclosure is made in good faith and in accordance with the Council’s reasonable requirements.
- Preventing another person from gaining access to information to which that person is entitled to by law
- When using the authority’s resources, or authorising their use by others:
- Not acting in accordance with the authority’s requirements; or
- Allowing such resources to be used for political purposes; or
- Not having regard to the Local Authority Code of Publicity.
- When taking decisions:
- Failing to have regard to advice provided by the Chief Finance Officer and the Monitoring Officer; and
- Failing to give reasons for those decisions in accordance with any statutory requirements or additional requirements imposed by the Council.
- Failing to register their financial or other interests within 28 days of their election or appointment
- Failing to update their register of interests within 28 days of a change to their circumstances
- Failing to register any gifts or hospitality (and the source), that they have received in their role as a Member worth over £25
- Failing to declare a personal interest at a meeting
- Failing to declare a prejudicial interest at a meeting (an interest so significant that it is likely to affect their judgement)
- Taking part in the discussion or making a decision where they have a prejudicial interest
- Improperly influencing a decision about a matter that they have a prejudicial interest in
You can see a full copy of the Members’ Code of Conduct in force at Leeds City Council by following the relevant link. To view a copy of a Parish or Town Council’s Code of Conduct, you will need to contact the relevant Clerk.
The attached information leaflet “How to make complaints about the behaviour of Councillors” describes how you can make a complaint to the Assessment Sub-Committee. The leaflet describes what behaviour is covered by the Code of Conduct, in what circumstances the Standards Committee cannot investigate, and what will happen to your complaint after it has been received.
A form is included to help you make sure that you send all the information needed by the Assessment Sub-Committee. If you have any further questions you can contact the Corporate Governance Team on 0113 39 50035 or email them at councillorconduct@leeds.gov.uk