Ethics and local councillors: modernising standards of conduct

The question of ethics has emerged as a major theme in government and public management. It reflects a critical assessment of the impact of market-inspired reforms on the public sector during the past two decades and the emergence of a new formulation of the relationship between government and civil society. This article traces the resurgence of interest in ethical conduct in the UK and examines its implications, with particular reference to local government. The discussion of the new ethical framework for councillors concentrates on the way in which self-regulation by local authorities has been undertaken and the rationale of its replacement by a stronger external regime. The potential impact on standards of conduct of the executive systems of decision-making being introduced in local government is considered, and especially the potential for a greater concentration of political power and reduced public rights of access to the decision-making process. The conclusion identifies a contradiction between the desire, on the one hand, to strengthen standards of conduct and, on the other, to increase the efficiency of the local decision-making process.