Fewer people standing for election

I heard it on the radio, but cannot find a link, fewer people are standing for office.

Not sure if this is across the board. Myself and 24% of my colleagues cannot stand for the city council because we are employed by them. There may also be some self employed people working for the local authority, and they cannot stand. There are roles that are deemed politically sensitive, but surely that means the other roles should be ok to stand as a city councillor.

The very people that know how a council operates, are the ones that should stand for election.

Many people are no longer on the electoral role, people with a criminal record. Being a councillor or an MP does seem to be regarded unpleasant job.

So the pool of people able to stand is quite small.

The BBC election team has been collating information on all the men and women standing around the United Kingdom.

The data shows a total of 3,973 people are standing for Parliament. That is the second highest number ever, surpassed only in 2010 when 4,150 people stood at the general election.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32378852

I heard it on the radio, but cannot find a link, fewer people are standing for office.

Not sure if this is across the board. Myself and 24% of my colleagues cannot stand for the city council because we are employed by them. There may also be some self employed people working for the local authority, and they cannot stand. There are roles that are deemed politically sensitive, but surely that means the other roles should be ok to stand as a city councillor.

The very people that know how a council operates, are the ones that should stand for election.

 

Many people are no longer on the electoral role, people with a criminal record. Being a councillor or an MP does seem to be regarded unpleasant job.

 

So the pool of people able to stand is quite small.

You surprise me ... I would've thought that having a criminal record would be a bit of a bonus for a potential councillor or MP, what with all the lying, backhanders and assorted sociopathic tendencies that go on ... they'd be half way there!

Or is it not allowed because if you have a criminal record for starters, it's seen as unfair by potential MP's/councillors who haven't managed to get one before standing for election? Personally, I wouldn't trust any of 'em with a barge pole anyway.

The very people that know how a council operates, are the ones that should stand for election.

 

Many people are no longer on the electoral role, people with a criminal record.

 

So the pool of people able to stand is quite small.

Thatcher brought in a law in the 80s to stop councillors from employing other councillors from other councils especially in what she deemed political roles. It doesn't affect that many people.

People who work for their local council can't stand to be a councillor as it would be open to corruption. Councillors are employers and they could vote themselves nice pay rises and give themselves 52 weeks a year paid leave. It would be open to all kinds of scandal.

Prisoners don't have the right to vote but people with criminal records aren't usually barred from voting.

There are over 46 million people on the UK electoral register. As a pool it's not that small.

The BBC election team has been collating information on all the men and women standing around the United Kingdom.

 

I must have heard them discussing council elections, I will try to google.

---------- Post added 23-04-2015 at 20:32 ----------

 

People who work for their local council can't stand to be a councillor as it would be open to corruption. Councillors are employers and they could vote themselves nice pay rises and give themselves 52 weeks a year paid leave. It would be open to all kinds of scandal.

 

It would be quite easy to make them resign if they get elected. Isnt democracy seen as a human right, something which is being denied to 20%+ of the adult population.

It would be quite easy to make them resign if they get elected. Isnt democracy seen as a human right, something which is being denied to 20%+ of the adult population.

Over 20% of the population work for councils? Really? Sheffield CC employs 18,000 people. If that were 20% of the local population then we'd have an electorate of under 100,000.

People have to resign from the council in order to stand for election to it. You're saying they should only resign if they get elected. That isn't a great difference. They still wouldn't be allowed to be a councillor and an employee of the same authority.

Over 20% of the population work for councils? Really? Sheffield CC employs 18,000 people. If that were 20% of the local population then we'd have an electorate of under 100,000.

 

People have to resign from the council in order to stand for election to it. You're saying they should only resign if they get elected. That isn't a great difference. They still wouldn't be allowed to be a councillor and an employee of the same authority.

I believe it is 20% of the working population for the public sector, .gov.uk said 19% and wiki for my local area said 24%, I figured that with the cuts it might be lower than 24%

For the sake of this discussion, I did not differentiate between councils and public sector.

Are council workers banned from standing because they are in the public sector, but NHS staff not deemed to be influential?

Maybe it's just that Council staff work for, er, Councils.

And Councillors are whom we elect. NHS staff aren't.

Maybe it's just that Council staff work for, er, Councils.

And Councillors are whom we elect. NHS staff aren't.

Perhaps if your human rights to access democracy was taken away you would be able to think deeper.

Do you think that because I work for the council I see Cllr blogs down at the office every other week?

I have never seen a councilor when I have been working, so how much influence do you think I would have?

Who should be barred from standing as an MP, councilors because they may meet them on numerous occasions and have influence?

---------- Post added 24-04-2015 at 18:48 ----------

Every German who has reached the age of majority, in Germany 18 years, is eligible to stand for election according to the German Basic Law.

---------- Post added 24-04-2015 at 18:58 ----------

When schools were run by local councils, I assume that teachers and other staff would not be able to stand, now that schools have more independence teachers and other staff will be allowed to stand.

I take children to school in a council minibus, whether I am employed by the school or the council is irrelevant.

For the sake of this discussion, I did not differentiate between councils and public sector.

Are council workers banned from standing because they are in the public sector, but NHS staff not deemed to be influential?

Your OP said city council. Suddenly the NHS has been annexed by SCC. If you'd meant public sector you should have said so even though, as far as I'm aware, only council workers are affected by a ban from standing for the LA they work for.

I have never seen a councilor when I have been working, so how much influence do you think I would have?

 

Who should be barred from standing as an MP, councilors because they may meet them on numerous occasions and have influence?

 

When schools were run by local councils.....

You're missing the point. If council staff could be councillors they'd be employing themselves with the taxpayer footing the bill. There'd be massive conflicts of interest.

Councillors don't pay MPs their wages. The public does. There's no conflict of interest.

Local councils still run most schools, at least in Sheffield.

 

Councillors don't pay MPs their wages. The public does. There's no conflict of interest.

 

If you think that is the issue, just allow council employees to stand, and then resign if they are elected.

---------- Post added 24-04-2015 at 20:00 ----------

Your OP said city council. Suddenly the NHS has been annexed by SCC. If you'd meant public sector you should have said so even though, as far as I'm aware, only council workers are affected by a ban from standing for the LA they work for.

 

I am just saying that both organisations are publicly funded. I dont see myself as any different from a nurse or teacher. As I posted earlier, my bosses are not councillors, but other council paid employees. Only those at the very top have dealing with councillors. An individual councillor cannot tell a council employee what to do. Councillors have to pass rules in a full council meeting.

It would be like myself going into Morrisons and telling the staff what to do; because I was a share holder.

---------- Post added 24-04-2015 at 20:11 ----------

Local councils still run most schools, at least in Sheffield.

Not sure about Sheffield, but on 23 September 2014 an article in the Guardian said that 56% of secondary schools in England were Academies.

I am just saying that both organisations are publicly funded. I dont see myself as any different from a nurse or teacher. As I posted earlier, my bosses are not councillors, but other council paid employees.

Councillors are the ones that fix annual budgets and make decisions about how many staff to employ. They're the ones who close schools and libraries, build new schools, expand or reduce services, etc. Your immediate bosses don't have the power that councillors have.

Not sure about Sheffield, but on 23 September 2014 an article in the Guardian said that 56% of secondary schools in England were Academies.

And only 13% of primaries.