Bromley Council is considering adopting a mandatory code of conduct for its councillors, following a government consultation aimed at strengthening ethical standards in local authorities.

The Standards Committee discussed the possibility at its meeting on Tuesday, 1 July 2025, as part of a broader review of ethical guidelines and conduct. The move comes in response to a government consultation, published on 18 December 2024, that explored introducing a mandatory minimum code of conduct for local authorities in England. The government initiated the consultation to strengthen the standards and conduct framework for local authorities.

The consultation, which closed on 26 February 2025, also sought views on measures to ensure consistency among councils when investigating serious breaches of conduct, including the potential power of suspension. Bromley Council did not submit a formal response to the consultation, but feedback will be reported to the Standards Committee when it becomes available.

The discussion took place during the committee's review of the Monitoring Officer's General Report. The report also covered dispensations, gifts and hospitality, the committee's work programme, standards complaints, and government consultations on standards and remote voting.

On the topic of remote attendance and proxy voting, the government believes that in-person authority meetings remain vital for local democracy, but that hybrid and remote attendance, and proxy voting, will enable local authorities in England to develop more modern, accessible, and flexible working practices.

Other items discussed at the meeting included:

  • Gifts and Hospitality: Councillors are required to declare gifts and hospitality over £25. Recent declarations include lunches, tickets to events, and gift bags.
  • Complaints: The committee reviewed an anonymised summary of complaints against councillors. None of the complaints resulted in formal standards investigations.
  • Remote Attendance and Proxy Voting: The government is considering legislation to support permanent provisions for remote attendance and proxy voting at local authority meetings. The council may develop its own policies on remote meetings.

The agenda for the meeting also included the appointment of a chairman and vice-chairman, apologies for absence, declarations of interest, and the minutes of the meeting held on 17 July 2024.