Local Government has the power to transform lives!
But only if it is underpinned by fairness, respect, and accountability.
By Laura Badland
I’d like to start this blog post by saying that, on balance, my experience of local Government as a thirty year old mum was both enlightening and fulfilling. For the most part, the good outweighed the bad, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to learn so much about the workings and functions of our councils. I have also met some brilliant local advocates, from fellow councillors to charity workers, council officers to community volunteers, and of course, so many wonderful residents that make the hard work worthwhile.
Being a councillor is an eye-opening experience and puts you at the heart of the decision-making processes at local Government. It involves collaboration, strategy, and a drive to make a positive difference and do what is right by the community that you stand for. It is truly an honour to represent the people of your community, and I do hope to return to a similar role in future.
This is Laura announing the winners of Sapcote Stars awards at the Carnival in 2024.
What doesn’t work, what can change…
With that being said, I am keen to raise awareness for one of the challenges currently facing English councils, and champion positive change that supports the increase in accountability and upholding respect in local Government.
This is My Story
My story starts on a bank holiday Monday back in 2021, wrapping presents for my son’s second birthday the following week. Having been fortunate to be pregnant before, I was acutely aware of how my symptoms presented. I sent my husband out to purchase a pregnancy test, only to find myself somewhat bewildered and disappointed when it flashed up a negative sign. The following day, when the country returned to work, my whole team was put at risk of redundancy; the uncertainty felt overwhelming. Lo and behold, I woke up on the Wednesday convinced the test from the Monday was incorrect, only to take another test and realise my assertions were correct.
Thus followed several months of stress, anxiety, morning sickness, and uncertainty, before my role was finally made redundant around the beginning of my second trimester. There were no legal protections for me as a pregnant woman at the time, and I lost so many of my maternity benefits, including the entitlement to maternity leave and enhanced maternity pay. I also found myself unemployed during a period of shrinkage in the job market due to COVID. It was a vulnerable and scary time of my life.
This is what sparked my activism and involvement in politics; to fight injustice and make a positive difference for women
I felt a deep sense of injustice, knowing that what was happening to me was irrefutably wrong. This is what sparked my activism and involvement in politics; to fight injustice and make a positive difference for women.
I didn’t want anyone else to go through what I went through, so I actively campaigned for stronger maternity protections in the workplace - protections that are now written into law.
That campaign taught me that lasting change comes from challenging systems that fail to protect people, and it strengthened my resolve to fight for fairness and protection in every environment. The same drive has carried through into my work in local government, where I continue to campaign for stronger safeguards, greater accountability, and safer environments - so that no one is ever pushed out of public life or silenced by fear and intimidation.
My Journey into Local Government
In June 2023, there were two co-option seats available on Sapcote Parish Council, in the Leicestershire village that I had called home since 2016. Being heavily involved in several other voluntary organisations in the village and having recently run as a candidate in the District Council elections, I decided to throw my hat in the ring for a Parish Council seat. I was grateful for the opportunity when I was offered the first seat in unanimous agreement from the current councillors and thus began my responsibility as a Sapcote Parish Councillor.
During my time as a councillor, I was elected as Chair of an important sub-committee on the council, was a very active member of the planning group, as well as leading various initiatives across the village such as ‘Sapcote Stars’ awards, rewarding the voluntary work of local community champions.
Not unlike the infamous Handforth Parish Council meeting of 2021, which made Jackie Weaver a household name, I too have endured a similar ordeal with fellow parish councillors.
I was harassed, bullied, and threatened by two councillors, to the point where I had to call the police on several occasions out of genuine fear for my safety.
I became anxious even about walking through my own village, worried I might encounter them. Sadly, I was not alone - over the years, several others had been pushed out by their behaviour, leaving behind a trail of unnecessary resignations.
Matters escalated further when a social media attack targeted me and my family, with people even sharing where we lived. After exhausting every possible route to resolve the situation, I felt I had no choice but to resign. In an extraordinary show of solidarity, every other councillor - bar the two responsible - resigned within a forty-eight-hour period.
Yet, despite numerous complaints and an investigation finding breaches of the code of conduct, those two councillors remain in post to this day.
How did this happen?
The Localism Act 2011
The Localism Act 2011 sought to decentralise power from central government to local authorities and communities, giving people more influence over decisions that affect their local areas. As part of this, the Standards Board for England was abolished, which oversaw local councillor conduct. Part of the rationale behind this was to ensure that the electorate were able to democratically vote on who represents them, and if a councillor has behaved inappropriately, the electorate may choose not to vote for them at the next election. In theory, that makes sense. In practice, as many have experienced, it doesn’t work to the benefit of our communities in the way that it was intended.
Four years is a long time between elections for some councillors to wreak havoc within a council, with little to no recourse for their actions. It will be of no surprise to learn that we are seeing a high turnover and shortage of clerks in England partially due to the behaviour of councillors they work under.
The only ways that a councillor can be removed from their position are:
Bankruptcy: Being subject to a bankruptcy order.
Criminal Convictions: Receiving a custodial sentence of three months or longer, whether suspended or not.
Failure to Attend Meetings: Failing to attend meetings for six consecutive months without a valid reason.
Other Disqualifications: Being subject to certain legal orders, such as a sexual offences order, or being employed by the local authority.
You’ll notice the distinct lack of anything relating to misconduct.
If a councillor is found in breach of the code of conduct, it is likely that they may be recommended to attend training, or asked to apologise, neither of which they are obliged to do. Both of the councillors who were abusive towards me refused to undertake the recommended training.
So here we are, my case is one example of countless incidents of misconduct in local Government in England, forcing many good and honest councillors to leave their roles because the conditions were completely intolerable.
Unfortunately, this is a story that isn’t as rare as you would like to think, and anecdotally, it is proportionately more women that fall victim to this unacceptable conduct. As a strong advocate for equal representation in Parliament, supporting more women into politics is crucial if we want to continue to build on the progress we have achieved in recent years.
Local Government is often the first step in a woman’s career into politics. If they are being deterred at the beginning of their journey, how many great women are we losing from the political sphere each year? How many more will we continue to lose if we keep allowing this to happen?
‘I am campaigning to ensure nobody has to step down from their role due to fear & intimidation again…’
This is Laura honouring VE Day by reading the tribute for the village of Sapcote, Leicestershire.
What Next?
I am campaigning to ensure that nobody has to step down from their role due to fear and intimidation of other councillors again.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government is currently reviewing the systems in place. This is the response I received from the Correspondence Unit in June 2025:
“The Government is sympathetic to the view that whilst the vast majority of local elected members maintain high standards of conduct and are driven by duty and service, even a small minority of members can have a serious destabilising effect, potentially bringing a council into disrepute and distract from the critical business of delivering for residents.
It is for this reason that the Government recently consulted on a range of options to strengthen the standards regime for local government and provide councils with more effective means to address serious misconduct by elected members, including a proposal to allow for the suspension of members who violate codes of conduct.
We received a wide range of responses, which will help to make sure that we can deliver a better system to give the public, and those working in local government, greater confidence that the highest standards are being upheld. The Government Response will be published in due course.”
Collaboration is key
This is our time to work with key stakeholders to ensure that we can put in place effective measures that stamp out misbehaviour in future. We do not have to look far to see other countries that are succeeding with this; Scotland is a good example.
Some considerations include:
Streamlined Misconduct Investigations: Establish faster, more effective processes to address potential misconduct.
Review Sanctioning Process: Ensure disciplinary actions are proportionate, transparent, and consistently applied, with clear escalation routes.
Enhanced HR Support: Strengthen wellbeing and support services for councillors and staff.
Mandatory Standards Committee: Ensure consistent oversight and accountability across all councils.
Other recommendations, including those made by "Building A Culture Of Inclusion & Accountability: Women In Politics In Scotland" report, strongly advise:
Improved Induction Programmes: Incorporate training on equality, abuse prevention, intersectionality, and the responsibilities of elected officials in creating safe environments.
Compulsory Equalities Training: Prioritise training for committee chairs and leaders, who set the tone for political culture.
Leadership-Led Culture Change: Require political party and parliamentary leaders to lead by example and be accountable for fostering inclusive, respectful environments.
Fair Pay and Modern Work Structures: Reform councillor remuneration to reflect the true demands of the role and embed hybrid working as standard practice.
Independent Complaints Mechanisms: Provide transparent, accessible, and politically impartial routes for reporting and resolving complaints.
Monitoring and Accountability: Use audits, exit interviews, and public reporting to track progress and maintain institutional accountability.
Local Government has the power to transform lives, but only if it is underpinned by fairness, respect, and accountability.
My experience has shown both the best and the worst of what this system can offer. I have seen the strength of community spirit, the value of collaboration, and the honour of representing residents. Yet, I have also witnessed first-hand the devastating impact of misconduct and the lack of robust mechanisms to deal with it.
That is why I believe it is essential that we put stronger safeguards in place - from fairer sanctioning processes and independent complaints mechanisms to better training, leadership accountability, and a genuine commitment to inclusivity.
If we want more people, especially women, to step into public life and thrive, then we must build councils that are safe, supportive, and fit for the future.
Blog idea or comment piece?
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