UK Councillors – Do we really know who we’re electing?

When a person is elected into council it is inevitably a position that comes with great responsibility. From the interests of local businesses, to the agenda of the political party that they speak for – everyone in the area must be equally represented. With such responsibility comes power, meaning that whoever is elected into this unique capacity must be someone that the community can rely on. Yet despite it being a position of such importance, strangely it is not required by law that they undergo any kind of background screening process. Although it is practiced in some areas of a council, for example those that involve interaction with young or vulnerable people, it is not surprising that as it is not a legal requirement for all areas of the council some slip through the net, therefore.

This week it has come to light that a London Borough of Sutton councillor named Alan Salter has stepped down from his position, after he pleaded guilty at Croydon Magistrate’s court to the charge of abusing his role within a charity for the elderly to commit fraud. It has since been revealed that it was directly related to Salter’s personal financial affairs.

Sutton council has since released a statement stating that it has a ‘clear process for investigating allegations against councillors.’ Yet despite having these processes in place for such a situation, prevention is clearly better than cure. The allegations against Salter have arguably caused irreparable damage to both the political party to which he is affiliated with and Sutton Council as a whole – which suggests that preventing untrustworthy individuals from obtaining these positions in the first place is a stronger solution than having processes in place for when things go wrong.

Worryingly it has been reported that even more serious allegations have also been attributed to UK council members in the past. Matthew Lock, the former Hastings Borough council member last year appeared in court having been accused of a long history of sexual offences involving young teenage boys.

Lock stepped down from his position as councillor in May 2015 claiming ‘ill health’. However, it has since come to light that Lock was arrested in November 2014 on suspicion of grooming and inciting a 15-year old boy to engage in online sexual activity. He had been on police bail for seven months during his term as a councillor before he resigned. This was not made public at the time, and his fellow council members were also unaware, as were the people of Hastings he served to represent.

Without a legal requirement for individuals to undergo background checks, such instances will never emerge as stand alone only. There is always the possibility that an unreliable or unsuitable individual could end up representing the interests of law abiding citizens.

All other professions that involve working closely with the community such as police officers or teachers require a thorough background check, and this is because of the high levels of damage that can happen as a result of an irresponsible person securing one of these roles. Why then is becoming a councillor any different?

Completing an initial background screening process for council candidates would ensure they are all suitable to represent their community. By looking at any potential criminal history, qualifications, and even their employment history before they become a councillor, they could then be added to an updating service which would keep criminal records up to date – ensuring their continual suitability for the role in the process. This would have flagged up Matthew Lock’s previous arrest, and allowed other council members to make an informed decision on his future.

Such an important role within a community requires complete openness for the safety of the public. Without questions around background and experience, then nobody really knows who they are electing. Instead the public is voting for the facade these people put on in the public eye, sometimes resulting in their chosen representative letting their entire community down. Something must be done to prevent this happening in the future, with widespread reports that many people are losing faith in the political system. Background checks would undoubtedly be a way to achieve that.

If you would like to discuss any background screening enquiries, you can contact a member of our team by calling us on: 01443 799 900 or email us at: info@cbscreening.co.uk