Representing Your Ward

You are first and foremost elected to represent the residents in your ward and to lobby decision-makers both within the council and external to the council on behalf of residents. This can include making representations to the Planning Committee about a planning application in your area.

Decision Making

You must attend any relevant meetings. All councillors must attend the meetings of the Full Council. Councillors are also appointed to other panels, groups and committees; the meetings for which you are expected to attend and actively engage in. This could include internal scrutiny panels as well as ‘outside bodies’ such as community associations. You might also take on being a Party Spokesperson for a particular area of the council’s work such as Traffic and Transportation.

Scrutiny

Scrutiny is an important part of how the council works. It allows councillors to look at council policies and assess how they can be improved. Scrutiny is an important process for opposition and backbench councillors to hold the council’s administration to account for their decisions.

Quasi-judicial Committees

As a Unitary Local Authority, Buckinghamshire Council is also the Local Planning Authority and the Local Licensing Authority. This means that councillors might sit on one of these panels which make non-political decisions about planning and licensing applications respectively.

Representing the Party and its Values

As Liberal Democrats, it is also the job of Lib Dem councillors to speak to the values and policies of the party when at all possible. This includes making decisions based on fairness, equality and community.

Community Leadership and Engagement

Localism and community empowerment have always been core values of the Liberal Democrats. Lib Dem councillors are expected to get ‘stuck-in’ in their local area and show grassroots-level leadership. This includes engagement in local community associations, residents’ groups and Neighbourhood Forums.

To run for the elected office of ‘Councillor’, you must be at least 18 years old on the day of your nomination, be a British, Commonwealth or EU citizen and meet at least one of the following criteria:

1. You are registered to vote in Buckinghamshire
2. You have occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in Buckinghamshire during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of the election.
3. Your main or only place of work during the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of the election is in Buckinghamshire.
4. You have lived in Buckinghamshire during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of the election.

While you don’t need any special qualifications to be a councillor, having or being able to develop the following skills, knowledge and attributes will help you in the role.

Communication skills

These include listening and interpersonal skills, public speaking skills, the ability to consider alternative points of view and to negotiate, mediate and resolve conflict.

Problem solving and analytical skills

This includes being able to get to the bottom of an issue and to think of different ways to resolve it, including considering the advantages and disadvantages of each option.

Team working

This includes being able to work with others in meetings and on committees. It also includes being able to complete any tasks that you agree to do on time.

Organisational skills

Being able to plan and manage your time, keep appointments and meet deadlines.

Ability to engage with your local community

You may have to make yourself available through meetings, the media, the internet, public forums, debates and on the telephone.

To be able to stand as a candidate at a parish council election in England or a community council election in Wales

you must:

• be at least 18 years old

• be a British citizen, an eligible Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of any member state of the European Union, and

• meet at least one of the following four qualifications:

a. You are and will continue to be, registered as a local government elector for the parish/community in which you wish to stand from the day of your nomination onwards.

b. You have occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in the parish/community area during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of the election.

c. Your main or only place of work during the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election has been in the parish/community area.

d. You have lived in the parish/community area or within three miles of it during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of the election.

Certain people are disqualified from being elected to a parish or community council in England and Wales. You cannot be a candidate if at the time of your nomination and on polling day:

1. You are employed by the parish/community council or hold a paid office under the parish/community council (including joint boards or committees).
2. You are the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order. For more information.

3. You have been sentenced to a term of imprisonment of three months or more (including a suspended sentence), without the option of a fine, during the five years before polling day.
4. You have been disqualified under the Representation of the People Act 1983 (which covers corrupt or illegal electoral practices and offences relating to donations). The disqualification for an illegal practice begins from the date the person has been reported guilty by an election court or convicted and lasts for three years. The disqualification for a corrupt practice begins from the date a person has been reported guilty by an election court or convicted and lasts for five years.

A person may also be disqualified from election if they have been disqualified from standing for election to a local authority following a decision of the First-tier Tribunal (formerly the Adjudication Panel for England) or the Adjudication Panel for Wales.