Local government operations

Question 1

How often do elections happen in local governments?

Answer 1

• Once every 4 years in county councils
• Some unitary councils also have elections once every four years, but some have once every three years, with about a third of councillors retiring.

Question 2

How are local governments with a population with over 85,000 operate?

Answer 2

Under the Local Government Authority Act 2000, they need to have an executive that make most of the decisions.

The act divided councils into three organisational structures:

1. Executive
2. Non executive
3. Scrutiny

Old model is still relevant because still applies to authorities covering populations of fewer than 85,000 people, and where a referendum has rejected the introduction of a directly elected mayor – local authorities still working under this model are operating under ‘alternative arrangements’

Question 3

What was it like before the LGA 2000?

Answer 3

Councillors were part of committees which meant they had a say in policy making decisions.

This was a bottom up approach where recommendations were made in committees, or subcommittees, these are then presented at council meetings for approval.

The party with the overall control of a council will have the most committee chairs, with membership of all committees proportional to the distribution of seats between parties

Question 4

What types of executives are there?

Answer 4

Leader of the council + executive cabinet

This is where the council leader is voted in by the COUNCIL. He or she would usually be the leader of the party with the most seats. Each leader is voted in for a term of four years (or part thereof if he/she is up for election before that time).
Cabinet is chosen by the leader and each cabinet member is given a portfolio of responsibility (environmental services, adult services, development and regeneration etc).
Decisions are made by the cabinet, chaired by the council leader, and effectively rubber stamped by the full council (especially where the leading party has a big majority). Decisions of the cabinet can be called in by scrutiny committees who can send them back with recommendations, but these are not binding and are usually ignored.

Directly elected mayor + executive cabinet

*Office of ‘mayor’ used to be largely ceremonial, a councillor would hold the role for a year (still the case for parish councils)

They are not councillors but elected in a separate ballot run alongside council elections.

Not to be confused with metro mayors (so not Andy Burnham et al) – who lead combined authorities.

Bristol City Council adopted this model – others such as Hartlepool adopted and then abandoned it.

This works on the same principle as the above, but the mayor is directly elected by the electorate (residents within the borough).

The Mayor will appoint a cabinet who, like cabinet members in the model above, each have an area of responsibility.

They are, however, a much stronger version of the leader and set the budget and formulate significant policy framework plans (as do the cabinets as a whole in the above model) but amendment or rejection of the proposals requires a two-thirds majority of the council.