Becoming a Councillor

To qualify to stand as a candidate, you must be 18 or over on the day of nomination and be either:

• a qualifying Commonwealth citizen
• a citizen of the Republic of Ireland
• a qualifying EU citizen of a country with a bilateral Voting and Candidate Rights (VCR) treat with the UK or an EU citizen with retained rights.

In addition, you must qualify under at least one of the following criteria:

• Registered as a local government elector for the area of the council
• During the whole of the 12 months, preceding occupied as owner or tenant land or premises in the area
• Have worked in the area as the principal place of work during the past 12 months
• Resided in the area for the whole of the previous 12 months

There are various reasons which prevent a person from standing at an election and prospective candidates are advised to take their own independent legal advice on such matters.

A person will be disqualified from being a district Councillor if they:

• hold a paid office or employment made or confirmed by the council
• are the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order
• have been convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to not less than three months imprisonment (including any suspended sentence) within the past 5 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.

People are now also disqualified if they are subject to the notification requirement of or under Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, and the ordinary period allowed for making an appeal or application in respect of the order or notification has passed.

A nomination pack is available approximately 8 weeks before an election. It includes a nomination paper which you will need to complete. In addition, a candidates pack is supplied.

• Becoming a candidate

If you are thinking of standing as a candidate for a particular political party, then you should first get in touch with that party.

The parties currently represented on Kirklees Council are:

• Conservative Party
• Green Party
• Labour Party
• Liberal Democrats
• Community Alliance
• Kirklees Community Independents Group

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. You can contact the team by telephone on 01484221650 or email electoral.registration@kirklees.gov.uk.

The role of a Councillor is dynamic and there are a wide range of expectations and responsibilities associated with the role.

Throughout your term of office you will receive support from your political group, if you have one, and from Kirklees Council officers, in order to carry it out. This will commence with a comprehensive new Councillor induction programme when you are first elected.

More information about the role of a Councillor can be found at:

• Councillor role profiles
• Local Government Association: Be a Councillor

Each political group has its own dedicated space in Civic Centre 3, Huddersfield. The Town Halls in Batley, Dewsbury and Huddersfield also have rooms for Councillors to use.

The Councillor Support and Liaison Team provide administrative support for all Councillors. Each of the three largest groups each have a dedicated Group Support and Development Officer and additional support is provided to the leader of the council and cabinet members.

Each Councillor is paid a basic allowance which recognises the level of responsibility, time devoted and expenses incurred in dealing with their constituents, political group and cross-party discussions on a ward basis.

Additional special responsibility allowances are paid to Councillors who carry out specific duties, i.e. chairing a Committee.

Find out more information about the Councillors' Allowance Scheme.