Dr Jane Martin CBE Thanks Councillors

by | Nov 16, 2017 | Standards |

NALC Conference October 2017

Acknowledging Achievement

Speaking at the NALC October conference with reference to the NALC’s 70th birthday, Dr Jane Martin CBE of the Committee for Standards in Public Life  said:

“So I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Committee, to commend all those who have served and upheld the highest standards of conduct while elected councillors, and those who have administered local governments to make parishes, villages and towns up and down the country, better.

As at all birthdays we should be making plans for the future.”

Looking To The Future

She referred back to Lord Nolan’s first report on standards in public life published in 1995,
firstly the seven principle of public life:

  • Selflessness
  • Integrity
  • Objectivity
  • Accountability
  • Openness
  • Honesty
  • Leadership

and secondly the three ways that the council should work to expand the knowledge of these principles and the adherence to the principles. These three ways are the Codes of Conduct, Scrutiny and Education and Training.

 

Final Thoughts

Dr Martin concluded with a plea to the NALC and councils to focus on improving quality of life for their communities and to promote good practice and innovative leadership in local government.

 

Dr Jane Martin CBE

Dr Jane Martin CBE member of the Committee on Standards In Public Life www.gov.uk/government/organisations/the-committee-on-standards-in-public-life advising the Prime Minister. She is Chair of the Commission for Local Administration in England and until January 2017 she spent 7 years in the post of Local Government Ombudsman. She has held numerous other posts in public bodies including as a consultant for the Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government (IDeA) and was the first Executive Director of the Centre for Public Scrutiny.