Member Code of Conduct

You are a Member or Co-opted Member of Radcliffe on Trent Parish Council and as such are committed to behaving in a manner that is consistent with the following principles to achieve best value for our residents and maintain public confidence in this authority. 

SELFLESSNESS: Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.  They should not do so in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. 

INTEGRITY: Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might seek to influence them in the performance of their official duties. 

OBJECTIVITY: In carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit.

ACCOUNTABILITY: Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office. 

OPENNESS: Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take.  They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands.

HONESTY: Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest.

LEADERSHIP: Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.

Accordingly, when acting in your capacity as a Member or Co-opted Member – 

i.	You must act solely in the public interest and should never improperly confer an advantage or disadvantage on any person or act to gain financial or other material benefits for yourself, your family, a friend or close associate	
ii.	You must not place yourself under a financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might seek to influence you in the performance of your official duties
iii.	When carrying out your public duties you must make all choices, such as making public appointments, awarding contracts or recommending individuals for rewards or benefits, on merit
iv.	You are accountable for your decisions to the public and you must co-operate fully with whatever scrutiny is appropriate to your office

v.	You must be as open as possible about your decisions and actions and the decisions and actions of your authority and should be prepared to give reasons for those decisions and actions
vi.	You must declare any private interests, both pecuniary and non-pecuniary, including your membership of any Trade Union, that relate to your public duties and must take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest, including registering and declaring interests in a manner conforming with the procedures set out in the box below
vii.	You must, when using or authorising the use by others of the resources of your authority, ensure that such resources are not used improperly for political purposes (including party political purposes) and you must have regard to any applicable Local Authority Code of Publicity made under the Local Government Act 1986
viii.	You must promote and support high standards of conduct when serving in your public post, in particular as characterised by the above requirements, by leadership and example
ix.	You must have regard to any relevant advice provided to you by Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Monitoring Officer, Section 151 Officer and Chief Executive where they are acting pursuant to his or her statutory duties
x.	You must not disclose information given to you in confidence by anyone, or information acquired by you which you believe, or ought reasonably to be aware, is of a confidential nature, except where:- 
a.	You have the consent of a person authorised to give it
b.	You are required by law to do so
c.	The disclosure is made to a third party for the purpose of obtaining professional advice provided that the third party agrees not to disclose the information to any other person; or 
d.	The disclosure is:
i.	Reasonable and in the public interest and 
ii.	Made in good faith and in compliance with the reasonable requirements of the authority.

xi.	Members must promote equality by not discriminating against any person , and by treating people with respect, regardless of their race, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability

Registering and declaring pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests

You must, within 28 days of taking office as a member or co-opted member, notify your authority’s monitoring officer of any disclosable pecuniary interest as defined by regulations made by the Secretary of State (see attached Schedule), where the pecuniary interest is yours, your spouse’s or civil partner’s, or is the pecuniary interest of somebody with whom you are living with as a husband or wife, or as if you were civil partners.

In addition, you must, within 28 days of taking office as a member or co-opted member, notify your authority’s monitoring officer of any disclosable pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest which your authority has decided should be included in the register or which you consider should be included if you are to fulfil your duty to act in conformity with the Seven Principles of Public Life. These non-pecuniary interests will necessarily include your membership of any Trade Union. 

If an interest has not been entered onto the authority’s register, then the member must disclose the interest to any meeting of the authority at which they are present, where they have a disclosable interest in any matter being considered and where the matter is not a ‘sensitive interest’.

Following any disclosure of an interest not on the authority’s register or the subject of pending notification, you must notify the monitoring officer of the interest within 28 days beginning with the date of disclosure.

Unless dispensation has been granted, you may not participate in any discussion of, vote on, or discharge any function related to any matter in which you have a pecuniary interest as defined by regulations made by the Secretary of State.  Additionally, you must observe the restrictions your authority places on your involvement in matters where you have a pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest as defined by your authority.

SCHEDULE	

Subject	Prescribed description	
Employment, office, trade, profession or vacation	Any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain.
	
Sponsorship	Any payment or provision of any other financial benefit (other than from the relevant authority) made or provided within the relevant period in respect of any expenses incurred by M in carrying out duties as a member, or towards the election expenses of M.
This includes any payment or financial benefit from a trade union within the meaning of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992).
	
Contracts	Any contract which is made between the relevant person (or a body in which the relevant person has a beneficial interest) and the relevant authority—
(a) under which goods or services are to be provided or works are to be executed; and
(b) which has not been fully discharged.
	
Land	Any beneficial interest in land which is within the area of the relevant authority.
	
Licences	Any licence (alone or jointly with others) to occupy land in the area of the relevant authority for a month or longer.
	
Corporate tenancies	Any tenancy where (to M’s knowledge)—
(a) 	the landlord is the relevant authority; and
(b)	the tenant is a body in which the relevant person has a beneficial interest.
	
Securities	Any beneficial interest in securities of a body where—
(a) 	that body (to M’s knowledge) has a place of business or land in the area of the relevant authority; and
(b) 	either—

(i) 	the total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body; or

(ii) 	if the share capital of that body is of more than one class, the total nominal value of the shares of any one class in which the relevant person has a beneficial interest exceeds one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that class.