The Durham County Council Standards Committee met on 12 September 2025 to discuss several key issues, including updates to the Code of Conduct, the national standards picture, the Debate Not Hate campaign, and the recruitment of independent persons. The committee agreed to extend the term of one independent person, noted that another was stepping down, and agreed to proceed with shortlisting candidates for two new independent persons at a meeting on 1 December 2025. The committee also discussed the recruitment of town and parish council co-opted members and reviewed the committee's work programme for 2025/26.

Recruitment of Independent Persons

The committee agreed to extend the term of Chris Hugill as an independent person until 26 June 2027. The committee also requested that the Chair of the Standards Committee write to David Rogers to thank him for his support as an independent person, as he is stepping down. The committee agreed that the Appointments Panel should shortlist candidates to interview, with the aim of recommending up to two new independent persons at the committee meeting on 1 December 2025.

The council is required to appoint at least one independent person under section 28 of the Localism Act 2011. The functions of the independent person are to be consulted by the authority and their views taken into account before it makes a finding as to whether a member has failed to comply with the Code of Conduct or decides on action to be taken regarding that member. They may also be consulted by the authority at any other stage of a standards complaint, or by a member or co-opted member of the council or a parish council against whom a complaint has been made.

Code of Conduct Complaints

The committee considered the Code of Conduct Update, which provided an update on complaints received by Durham County Council under the Code of Conduct for members since the last meeting on 9 June 2025.

Between 9 June 2025 and 31 August 2025, the council received 181 conduct complaints. Of these, 130 were rejected at the pre-assessment stage because the subject member had not been acting in their role as a councillor, and therefore the Code of Conduct was not engaged. Of the 51 complaints that progressed to an initial assessment:

• 33 resulted in written Decision Notices concluding that no further action was required.
• 18 remained under consideration at the time of publication.

The report also provided an update on eight complaints received before 9 June 2025 that were still ongoing at that date. Of these:

• 3 remained ongoing.
• 3 were rejected at the pre-assessment stage because the Code was not engaged.
• 2 resulted in written Decision Notices concluding that no further action was required.

The report noted that complaints have taken longer to resolve due to staffing levels and workload, as well as the complexity of the matters raised. There were also two ongoing investigations.

The report included a table of complaints received since 9 June 2025, detailing the complainant and subject, alleged breach of conduct, status, and internal costs.

Debate Not Hate Campaign

The committee received a report on the Debate Not Hate Campaign from the Local Government Association (LGA). The campaign aims to raise public awareness of the role of councillors in their communities, encourage healthy debate, and improve responses and support for local politicians facing abuse and intimidation.

The LGA launched its third annual online survey in May 2025 to investigate the extent of abuse and intimidation that councillors receive. Key findings included:

• 73% of respondents reported feeling personally at risk when fulfilling their role as councillor.
• 72% of respondents reported experiencing abuse or intimidation due to their role as councillors over the last 12 months.
• 25% of respondents had experienced a threat of violence or a threat of death against themselves or someone close to them.
• 52% of respondents had experienced the spread of misinformation about either their personal or political character.
• 21% of respondents had reported an incident of abuse or intimidation to the police, yet 30% of those felt the policing response had not addressed their concern at all.
• 56% of respondents have decided not to stand or are currently unsure about standing at the next elections, with 26% of those reporting that the possibility of abuse or intimidation had influenced their position.

Respondents also provided comments on the safety of councillors and civility in public life, which the LGA grouped into the following themes: social media and online abuse, need for better support for councillors, abuse received from other councillors, misinformation, abuse relating to protected characteristics, misunderstanding the role of councillor, perception of national and international politicians, concern about in-person events, making people not want to stand as councillor, and part of the job .

The report noted that since the adoption of the Zero-tolerance Approach to Abuse Policy in September 2024, the council has arrangements in place that implement all five LGA guiding principles for dealing with abuse effectively.

National Picture

The committee considered the National Picture Report, which informed members of national standards issues affecting local government.

On 21 July 2025, the government announced plans for a new body, called the Ethics and Integrity Commission, to oversee the ethical standards of ministers and public officials and strengthen probity in public life. The new commission will replace the current Committee on Standards in Public Life, taking over and expanding its current remit. The Ethics and Integrity Commission is intended to sit at the heart of the standards system and to promote, oversee, and report on the Nolan Principles. The new commission will become operational on 13 October 2025.

In June 2025, Yarm Town Council was left with no councillors after all of their councillors resigned, following a long-running series of disputes between councillors. Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council temporarily appointed four of its own members to act as town councillors until new town councillors were co-opted or elected. An election was held on 14 August 2025, and all eleven vacant seats on the town council were filled.

Town and Parish Co-opted Member

The committee received an update on the recruitment of two non-voting co-opted town/parish councillors to the Standards Committee. Following the elections in May 2025, both positions became vacant. The Director of Legal and Democratic Services requested that the County Durham Association of Local Councils (CDALC) seek expressions of interest for the vacancy for co-opted parish councillor.

Expressions of interest were invited from all town and parish councillors across the CDALC membership on 2 July 2025. As of 2 September 2025, CDALC had received five expressions of interest from members from five town or parish councils. The deadline for applications is 22 September 2025, after which the Executive Committee of CDALC will meet to determine their nominees. A report will be brought to the Standards Committee on 1 December 2025 outlining CDALC's recommended nominees.

Committee Work Programme 2025/26

The committee reviewed its work programme for 2025/26. The committee approved its work programme at its meeting on 9 June 2025, but at the council meeting on 16 July 2025, the Chair of the Committee referenced that the work programme may be reviewed to provide new members of the committee with a further opportunity to inform its content.

The work programme includes standing items relating to national standards issues and complaints updates, which the committee has considered quarterly since December 2017. In December 2022, the Local Government Association's Debate Not Hate Campaign was added as a standing item, and the committee receives updates on the campaign when there is activity to report. The work programme also makes provision for the committee to consider an annual report of its activity, which is presented to full council.

The committee considered whether to continue to receive the quarterly complaints update, which provides a summary of the number of complaints received against county, town, and parish councillors, an update on the progress of complaints, and outcomes since the last meeting. While there is no requirement for the committee to receive such a report, it is considered good practice because it provides openness and transparency regarding the number, type, and outcomes of complaints received. The Committee on Standards in Public Life recommended in its 2019 report that councils should publish details of the number of complaints received, what they relate to, and the outcomes at least annually.