Submitting Amendments to Fix the System!
By Elect Her
We are Thinkers and Doers!
And we always want to be both.
We have submitted to 9 parliamentary committees this year because we want our collective thinking - that comes from our community - to make systems better…and our most recent work has been on the devolution bill.
We are a mix of grateful, excited and hopeful that three of our recommendations - on codes of conduct, inductions & training and the monitoring officer role - are being supported by Sian Berry MP but of course we hope that all our amendments will be championed because they’ll improve democracy for us all!
The following is what we have submitted - it has to be done in a certain way and with the clauses of where it would fit within the bill, we’ll happily talk you through what we did - there are a number of docuements and supporting evidence - if you want to know more!
(p.s. The images, bold, underlining were not part of our submission but it makes it easier to read the text! )
Summary
We believe that this English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill presents an opportunity to embed reforms that will enable more women - and councillors of all backgrounds - to stand, succeed, and stay in local government.
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and the creation of unitary authorities has reduced women’s representation and political plurality. Our work and the voices of our community highlight the importance of eradicating a number of barriers to entry into local politics: for example the inconsistencies in allowances, the removal of pension access since 2014, and patchy provision of carers’ support. These barriers disproportionately affect women, younger people, and those without independent means, and contribute to attrition from local government.
At Elect Her we have some recommendations that will help to make the framework of local government more supportive for all councillors but particularly for those who are underrepresented:
Codes of conduct (Clause 57);
Induction and training (Clauses 57–58);
Monitoring officer role (Clause 66 and Part 4);
Financial recognition (Clause 10, Clause 41, Part 3);
Inclusive accountability mechanisms (Clause 19 and Clause 57).
About Elect Her
Elect Her is a CIC, established in 2017, creating a movement of women participating in democracy - we have a vision of 51% women in elected office by 2030. We motivate, support and equip women in all their diversity to stand for political office in Britain, and nurture an eco-system of organisations reshaping the political system so that all women can thrive once elected.
We deliver world-class support for women across Britain’s three nations:
We support women at each stage of their political journey - developing their knowledge, confidence and skills with training, resources & community.
We proactively work with others in the eco-system to improve the political environment.
Alongside our core offering we are working to ‘Fix the System’, this is a systemic reform programme designed to dismantle the barriers that prevent women and other minority groups from fully participating in British democracy.
Since our inception we have listened to thousands of women navigating political journeys – through workshops, training, advice clinics, interviews, and safe spaces – and mapped 55 barriers to participation in our democracy. From these, we have identified 48 levers for change - to help create a healthy democracy - across 8 interlinked work streams.
These reforms will help to modernise our democracy and make it fit for the 21st century. We cannot do this alone - this is a collaborative effort, with a whole host of different partners in the eco-system.
Evidence
1. Local Government Reorganisation and Representation
Evidence shows that unitary authorities reduce the overall number of councillors by up to 86%, and disproportionately affect women’s representation (as low as 24.4% of councillors in North Yorkshire).
Political plurality has also declined, with independent and smaller-party councillors significantly reduced.
The Bill (Part 3, Chapter 1 – Clauses 55–58) mandates further moves to single-tier authorities. Without gender-sensitive measures, this risks worsening representation.
2. Testimony from Women Councillors
Community member Laura Badland highlights how weak codes of conduct, poor induction, and lack of financial recognition deter women from continuing in office (Elect Her blog, Laura Badland ).
Her testimony is just one of many we have heard that shows why provisions in Clause 57 (governance structures) and Clause 10 (allowances) must explicitly consider councillor wellbeing and inclusion.
3. Lessons from Scotland
Our Scottish report demonstrates that inclusion improves where councils adopt stronger codes of conduct, structured induction, and clear reporting mechanisms.
Abuse and low pay remain barriers, illustrating why statutory underpinning is essential.
4. Financial Barriers
Pensions: Since April 2014, councillors in England have been barred from joining the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), leaving them without pension provision, unlike councillors in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland ( House of Commons Library briefing ).
Inconsistent Allowances: Councillors’ allowances vary widely - from £4,000 to £13,000 per year depending on the authority, with no national minimum or parity (Lewisham Council £12,792 basic allowance ; LGA survey).
Caring Responsibilities: While many councils offer a dependents’ carers allowance, these are reimbursement-based and inconsistent, requiring upfront costs to be borne by councillors (LGA scheme of members allowances ).
Impact: These arrangements deter women, younger people, and working-class individuals from serving as councillors. They entrench local government as accessible mainly to those with independent financial security.
Our Elect Her Recommendations
(These are provided with aligned Bill references)
Codes of Conduct
(Clause 57: Local authority governance and executives)
Require all local authorities to adopt and enforce robust codes of conduct addressing harassment, discrimination, and online abuse.
Mandate independent investigation mechanisms overseen by monitoring officers.
2. Induction and Training
(Clauses 57 & 58: Governance and neighbourhood governance)
Mandate structured induction for all new councillors, covering professional standards, equality duties, and family-friendly practices.
Require continuous professional development funded by local authorities.
3. Monitoring Officers
(Clause 66: Audit committees; Part 4: Local audit)
Expand monitoring officers’ statutory duties to include councillor welfare, equalities compliance, and transparent complaint-handling.
Require annual reporting on complaints received and outcomes.
4. Financial Recognition
(Clause 10: Allowances; Clause 41: Pension schemes)
Establish a national framework for councillor allowances, setting a statutory minimum and ensuring parity across England.
Amend Clause 41 to explicitly extend LGPS access to councillors, reinstating pension provision.
Mandate recognition of parental and carers’ leave within remuneration structures Such regulations must also provide for dependents’ carers’ allowances to be available in all local authorities, at a level no lower than the National Living Wage.
5. Inclusive Accountability
(Clause 19: Annual Devolution Report; Clause 57: Governance)
Require local authorities (or the Electoral Commission) to hold and publish annual diversity and retention data for councillors.
Embed gender-sensitive audits (as used in Scotland) into the Annual Devolution Report process.
Conclusion
The Bill is an important opportunity to devolve power and renew trust in politics.
To succeed, it must also fix the systemic barriers that stand in the way of our local democracy truly representing all of our communities. By linking reforms to the delivery of devolution it makes this Bill truly effective, inclusive, accountable, and representative.
Let’s fix the system, together.
Blog idea or comment piece?
Would you like to contribute to this blog series? We’d love to hear from you. Send us your ideas and let’s chat: community@elect-her.org.uk.