Delayed standards reform should be Government priority, new ethics watchdog says
- Details
The Ethics and Integrity Commission (EIC) has urged the Government to accelerate local government standards reform in its first annual letter to the Prime Minister reporting on the health of standards in public life.
The correspondence, which marks the commission’s first annual letter to the Prime Minister reporting on the health of standards in public life, expressed disappointment over the omission of local government standards reforms in this year’s King’s Speech.
The omission came in spite of the Government promising in November 2025 to reform standards to include a mandatory code of conduct, stronger sanctions (including suspension), and requirements for councils to convene standards committees.
Doug Chalmers, chair of the EIC wrote: "The EIC was pleased to see these plans given that our predecessor, the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL), had been calling for change since its 2019 report, Local Government Ethical Standards, which made a number of recommendations designed to strengthen and clarify the existing framework for local government.
"It is disappointing that primary legislation was not announced in the 2026 King’s Speech. We would urge the Government to find Parliamentary time. While bad behaviour is committed by a small minority, it can have a significant impact on councillor and officer wellbeing and public trust.”
He said the proposed changes have the potential to build confidence in local government and, in doing so, “support the government’s broader plans to empower local communities through greater devolution”.
The EIC was established last year, replacing the Committee on Standards in Public Life. It is an independent commission aimed at maintaining public standards and the seven Nolan principles.
Chalmers' letter also called for the Government to focus on other areas of standards reform, including lobbying, political finance, intimidation in public life and public appointments, among others.
The commission’s disappointment, echoes frustration from Lawyers in Local Government (LLG) and the Association of Democratic Services Officers (ADSO), who said they were “extremely disappointed” by the absence of provisions on standards reform in the King’s Speech in May this year.
Adam Carey
