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Complain about an elected member

Following recent changes to the law if you now want to make a complaint about the conduct of a Walsall councillor you must write to the Council’s Standards Committee.   The Standards Committee has the responsibility to assess and hear all allegations made against members of the council.

The committee can only consider complaints about the behaviour of a member of its council and on issues that are covered by the members’ Code of Conduct.   

View the Members' Code of Conduct (PDF 212KB)

If you decide you want to make a complaint, it needs to be made to the committee in writing. You should be clear as to who the complaint is about and why you think they have not followed the Code of Conduct.

Potential breaches of the Code of Conduct include:

  • Failing to treat others with respect
  • Acting in a way that may cause the authority to breach an equality enactment
  • Bullying
  • Intimidating or attempting to intimidate a person involved in an allegation against you
  • Compromising the impartiality of those who work for or on behalf of the authority
  • Disclosing confidential information
  • Bringing an office or authority into disrepute
  • Using your position as a member improperly to confer or secure an advantage or disadvantage
  • Not using the resources of the authority in accordance with their requirements
  • Disregarding advice when reaching decisions
  • Failing to give reasons for decisions
  • Failing to declare a personal or prejudicial interest
  • Having a prejudicial interest and failing to act appropriately
  • Failing to register interests

The Standards Committee will not look at complaints that are about:

  • People employed by the council
  • Incidents that happened before a member was elected or chosen to serve
  • Incidents that happened either before the authority adopted the Code of Conduct or before 5 May 2002 – whichever is earlier
  • The way an authority conducts or records its meetings
  • The way an authority has or has not done something.   This may be a matter for the Local Government Ombudsmen if the authority has not dealt with the matter properly and has not been resolved locally
  • Decisions of the authority or one of the services it provides.   In this case you should complain using our complaints system “Tell us”    

This toolkit will provide you with the necessary detail to lodge your complaint and offer you clear directions as to the process and procedures that are in place to follow your complaint forward.

Contact us

Constitutional Services Manager
Constitutional Services
Walsall Council
2nd floor, Civic Centre
Darwall Street
Walsall
WS1 1TP

Telephone 01922 653500
Email GarnerJ@walsall.gov.uk