- A protocol on the relationship between officers and members of Gloucestershire County Council gives more information. (Appendix 2 - Protocol on the relationship between Officers and Members of Gloucestershire County Council).
- Employees must serve all Councillors and not just those of a single or controlling group, and must ensure that the individual rights of all Councillors are respected.
- Employees of the County Council are not eligible to stand for office as an elected member of the County Council. Employees, whether or not politically restricted under the terms of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, must follow every policy of the Council and must not allow their own personal or political opinions to interfere with their work.
Politically Sensitive Posts
- The Local Government and Housing Act 1989 has the effect of imposing restrictions on public political activity by certain staff of local authorities in politically sensitive posts. Political assistants employed pursuant to Section 9, Local Government and Housing Act 1989 are not wholly bound by these restrictions.
- The effect of the inclusion of a post in a list of sensitive posts is that the postholder will be prevented from becoming a member of a local authority (except a Town or Parish Council), or a member of the House of Commons or the European Parliament. In addition, regulations prevent them from:-
- holding office in a political party
- canvassing at elections
speaking or writing publicly on matters on party political lines.
