Standards and ethics in local government to be examined by MPs
The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) will hold the latest evidence session of its inquiry into propriety and ethics within politics.
Meeting details
Representatives from the Local Government Association, the National Association of Local Councils and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) will give their views on how propriety and ethics is governed within local government.
Following the Government’s 2024 consultation on reforming England’s local government standards system, it has indicated the system needs reform and it is ‘inconsistently applied, and lacking in adequate powers to effectively sanction members found in serious breach of their codes of conduct.’
A 2025 SOLACE survey also found four fifths of senior local government officers had experienced harassment and intimidation. Considering this, the Committee is likely to ask about the experiences of councillors and officials adhering to standards.
MPs may also ask how the newly established Ethics and Integrity Commission will support and monitor standards in local government.