Part of my role as Chief Whip was to support the newly elected Councillors. Immediately following election, they will be “sworn-in”, have their photos taken for the website and posters advertising their ward surgeries, and get their security passes. Officers will also put on training to ensure they are aware of the legal and statutory responsibilities.

A backbench councillor would typically spend around 20 hours a week doing Council work. They would also be expected to attend local political party meetings and community meetings. Most councillors work full-time and, in addition to their Council work, will be expected to regularly campaign in their communities. The most successful councillors campaign all year round, regardless of where they are in the political cycle. Since 2024 is (most likely) a General Election year, there will be a clear expectation for councillors to campaign in their area, and nearby marginal parliamentary seats which could decide the outcome of the General Election.

As my colleague Emma alludes to in her blog, “How local are they?”; campaigning in local elections is slightly different to national elections. Obviously local issues are more relevant. As a councillor I learned a lot about potholes and tree subsidence, which along with dog poo, parking and bin collections come up regularly on the doorstep. Since turnout for local elections is lower than at general elections, a good local campaign can make the different between winning and losing a seat. I have a friend who won his seat in Kent by 3 votes and remembers persuading a group of 4 students to go and cast their votes just as the polling station was closing. That said, local results are often decided by national politics. With most polling done on a national level, this means local elections are some of the best indicators of what might happen in political bell-weather constituencies. Once a party wins or loses a Council, the local MP often follows suit.

A Council term is four years and the Councillor profile is different in different parties and in different parts of the UK. In London where I was a Councillor, our group included people of all ages and all walks of life. We had Councillors who had political or policy jobs, as well as teachers and teaching assistants, researchers, estate caretakers, health professionals, an architect who loved planning committee, a prison office who was passionate about law and order, and even a few playwrights. Ideally a Council should be made up of a diverse group of people who understand Council services and can set the political direction and hold officers (and each other) to account.

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