18th October 2023
LGC Article: Poor behaviour leaving officers to ‘sink or swim’, Matt Prosser
“A national “shift away from civility” has led to “deteriorating standards” of behaviour in local government with “devastating” consequences for some council’s finances, England’s leading council chief executive has warned.
In a speech this morning, president of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives & Senior Managers Matt Prosser hit out at the lack of an effective standards regime for councillors which he said leaves officers with few options for dealing with persistently poor behaviour. Since the abolition of the Standards Board for England in 2012, councils have not had the power to suspend or remove councillors.
“In recent years there has been a notable shift away from civility which has impacted at the local level with deteriorating standards of behaviour in local government,” he said.
“It is patently inequitable that those in local government have no recourse when faced with poor behaviour. In no other part of the public sector are employees left to sink or swim.””
Click here to read the LGC’s full report of Solace President, Matt Prosser’s speech at the Solace Summit