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Home: Council full menu: Voting and elections

Becoming a councillor

Electoral Service - March 2012
electoral.registration@kirklees.gov.uk

Who can be a councillor

You can become a councillor if you:
  • are 18 or over on the day of nomination
  • have property in or work connections within Kirklees
  • are a UK, Commonwealth EU or Irish Republic citizen
  • have not been declared bankrupt
  • you are on the electoral roll in the council area


Restrictions on being a councillor

A person will be disqualified from being a district councillor if they:
  • hold a paid office or employment made or confirmed by the council
  • have been declared bankrupt in the past five years and have not repaid their debts
  • have been convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to not less than three months imprisonment (including any suspended sentence) within the past five years.
People can also be disqualified from being a councillor by order of the court if they have incurred illegal expenditure (when acting as a councillor) of over £2,000 and been found guilty of corrupt or illegal practices under the Representation of the Peoples Act 1983.
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How to become a councillor

Standing as a candidate

A nomination pack is available approximately 8 weeks before an election. It includes a nomination paper which you need to complete. In addition, a candidates pack is supplied. If you are a candidate in a local election, you may request a paper copy of this booklet from Electoral Services.

Standing for election as a candidate for a political party

If you are thinking of standing as a candidate for a particular political party, then you should first get in touch with that party. Many parties have a national website, through which you can get information about their organisations in your area.

The parties currently represented on Kirklees Council are (in alphabetical order) are:

Standing for election as an independent candidate

If you plan to stand for the council as an independent, Electoral Services will be pleased to give you more information. This is all explained in the candidates pack.
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What a councillor does

You will need to attend meetings. Some of these are held during the working day and so, if you are working, you will need an understanding employer. According to the commitments you take on, this can vary from a few hours each week to several hours each day.

Many councillors represent the council on one or more outside bodies. For most of the meetings you attend there will be papers which you will need to read beforehand.

If you would like to know what committee and council meetings are like, you are welcome to come and see. The calendar of meetings is published in May. The people you represent will look to you for help in dealing with their problems, even if these do not involve the work of the council. You are likely to receive a lot of post and many telephone calls. Not every caller will telephone at what you might think is a reasonable hour!

More information:
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Development opportunities for councillors

There is an induction programme for newly elected councillors. There is a 'Welcome and Introduction to the Council' session for newly elected councillors which covers information on how the council works, decision-making procedures and attendance at meetings. There is a booklet to support the session. Councillors are also offered ongoing support and guidance about personal development opportunities from their Group Business Manager and the Councillor Development Officer.
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Other support available to councillors

Office space

Each political group has its own office and group room which you will be able to share. The group facilities are in Crown Court Building which is behind Huddersfield Town Hall. The town halls in Cleckheaton, Batley and Dewsbury also have rooms for councillors to use.


Support staff

To help you carry out your duties, you will be able to use the support staff located in Crown Court Buildings who provide secretarial and administrative support to councillors. You can also call on information and advice from officers in the Scrutiny and Governance Team. These may well be the officers you see most often. They service the meetings of the council and its committees by convening meetings, writing the minutes and by keeping the democratic system running.


Expenses

These are to cover your ward duties such as:
  • sending letters and telephone calls,
  • attending council meetings, committees and other authorised meetings
  • attendance at seminars and conferences, outside bodies and parish council meetings.
Certain "approved duties" are eligible for travel and/or subsistence allowances, but only for travel outside the council area, when necessary.

Some members also receive a Special Responsibility Allowance for particular duties they undertake (for example, chairing particular meetings). This is something that each council considers and decides on after a local election.
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Contact Electoral Services

Electoral Services
Council Offices
49/51 Huddersfield Road
Holmfirth
HD9 3ER

Telephone: 01484 222400
Email: electoral.registration@kirklees.gov.uk
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