Case study 9 - Embedding standards: Newcastle City Council

Background

Newcastle City Council covers a population of approximately 271, 600 residents. It has 6 parish councils and the council membership comprises 78 councillors: 49 Liberal Democrat and 29 Labour (0 Conservatives or Independents). The standards committee is made up of 6 elected members, 4 independent members, and 3 parish members.

In 2009 Newcastle City Council found itself shortlisted for the inaugural LGC standards committee of the year award. Unlike other authorities shortlisted for the same prize, Newcastle’s standards committee had no single specific achievement to make itself stand out. Instead it put itself forward as a sustained success story, in which the standards committee had become an embedded and vital element of the authority. The committee had achieved this success through a long term commitment and continual engagement of leaders whether these were political, officers, or independent members of the standards committee itself.

Notable Practice

The first notable element of the case, like several others previously identified in the study, is that standards were a part of Newcastle’s agenda before the Local Government Act 2000 introduced standards committees as a legal obligation in local authorities. Originally introduced in 1999 as a joint standards/audit committee, the standards committee was not designed to tackle any particular problem but rather to reinforce the already favourable public view of the council. The Monitoring Officer explained to us: “you can criticise Newcastle for many things but we have never had a history of bad behaviour”; a point reinforced by the legal advisor to the committee who highlighted “a culture of good behaviour and compliance [in Newcastle]”.

The standards committee was also ahead of legislative requirements in a number of other key aspects. From its inception it had been chaired by an independent member and it has always maintained three independent members as part of its structure.

The standards committee thus seems to be part of a symbiotic relationship between local authority and public, which appears to be largely one of trust and respect. The authority had never experienced a complaint about breach of the code of any sort until late 2008, when two complaints were levelled against members. As a result the standards committee has not sought to introduce any specific public facing roadshows or open days, but it has been involved in broader initiatives such as Newcastle’s City of Peace campaign to look at cultural awareness within the city. It has also been involved in issues outside of its statutory duties.

There is a further symbiosis in the relationship between members of the standards committee, officers, and political members that has led to the committee being recognised as central to the local authority.

In terms of members there is widespread recognition that the Independent Chair of the committee is very highly regarded throughout the authority: “[he] has established such a rapport with everyone in the authority, there is clear respect in the way he is received at council”. The Chair has remained in post since the committee was first established (although there are regular elections every three years) and he has managed to build up sustainable relationships with others. He personally also indicates that one notable reason for his longevity is his understanding of politics and local government more generally: his father was involved in local government for 40 years and he himself is involved in trade unions. Also due to his wider political interests the Chair is well known in other regional circles and is a familiar figure to politicians and officers in other (non local government) areas. As both the Monitoring Officer and legal advisor both recognise, however, the Chair has managed to retain a strong sense of independence and has been at the forefront over proactive measures regarding the code of conduct, perhaps most notably establishing a requirement that all members hand in regular gifts and hospitality accounts, even though these are regularly nil returns. Seen initially by some members as a rather futile exercise, the Chair successfully persuaded the authority that it was a very proactive way of displaying transparency and accountability throughout the city. It would be inaccurate, however, to view Newcastle’s standards committee as the beneficiary of just one single individual. Other members are equally important, and there was a crucial exchange of knowledge when the joint standards and audit committee split into two separate committees. To maintain a sense of continuity the Vice Chair of standards became Chair of audit, while the Chair of standards moved into the Vice Chair’s position in the new committee.

Perhaps even more important, however, is the level of political support that the standards committee has always received. All respondents were keen to highlight the support that party whips give the committee, crucial in maintaining discipline within political parties and ensuring that the views of the standards committee are taken seriously elsewhere. Again we have seen how this has occurred in other cases, most notably in Bristol City Council. In addition there are senior political members on the standards committee itself, reinforcing the importance and gravitas of the committee.

There has also been sustained support from senior officers, perhaps most notably the Chief Executives that have been in place in the last decade who have often presented specific reports from the standards committee to senior management meetings. These factors have all contributed to a situation in which the standards committee is held in high regard within the authority, to the extent that all members of the committee are given allowances for their work, whereas the Chair is regarded as being on a par with any full-time committee chair (planning, licensing, etc.) and is remunerated accordingly.

The notable practice most clearly identified in this case, therefore, is the ongoing and sustained engagement of the leadership of the authority, focussing on the triumvirate of political leadership, officer leadership and independent leadership of the committee itself.

Developing practice