Supporting Local Councils in Leicestershire & Rutland

Elections 2023

LRALC briefing - Scheduled Elections 2023

Good Councillor's Guide

  • Good Councillors Guide 2018 (PDF, 799 Kb)

    The National Training Strategy publication "Being a good councillor – Essential guidance for parish and town councillors" was originally published in June 2013.

    This revised edition remains a welcome and much needed resource primarily for new councillors but also for those thinking about becoming a local councillor.

It takes all sorts

  • It takes all sorts - 2nd edition (PDF, 5.2 Mb)

    This booklet, developed by the National Association of Local Councils in conjunction with the Be A Councillor campaign, highlights the experiences of just a few of the many councillors on local councils and serves to show how rewarding representing your community can be. This (second) edition contains six new local councillor case studies. Each councillor gives their reasons for becoming a local councillor in the first place, what motivates them to remain in their community role and what they want to achieve as local councillors in the future.

Power to the People - What are Local Councils?

  • Power to the People - What are Local Councils (PDF, 1018 Kb)

    Parish, town, community, neighbourhood and village councils are often referred to as local councils. They are a type of local authority.

    Like other types of local authorities, local councils are involved in delivery of services and facilities for the public.

    There are over 9,000 local councils in England. A local council enjoys a wide range of statutory powers related to the provision or support of certain services or facilities which generally benefit the residents who live in its area.

    Local councils need active, interested and committed people to become councillors and get involved in their work.

    This section briefly explains:

    • how local councils fit into the structure of local government

    • what a local council is

    • examples of local council activities

    • different sizes, different priorities

    • the role of a local councillor

    • how local councils make a difference

L01-23 Code of recommended practice on local authority publicity (England) / Publicity during the pre-election period

Electoral Commission

More details and guidance available from the Electoral Commission.

Voter ID

On Thursday 4 May 2023, local elections are taking place across England. To vote at a polling station, you will need to bring photo ID.

More information from the Electoral Commission.

Local (town and parish) councils are led by democratically elected councillors from the local community. Local councillors decide on what services and projects the council will deliver. As representatives of the first tier of local government and the closest to their communities, local councillors are best placed to engage with their residents and find out what the real local issues are and how to overcome them.

Local councils are encouraging residents who are passionate about their community to stand for election. There are currently 120,000 councillors serving on the 10,000 local councils in England.

Do you, or someone you know, have what it takes to be a local councillor? Contact your local council and stand for election now.

Materials and guidance for those looking to stand for election and for local councils who are running election campaigns can be found by clicking on the links below.

Useful links

Information leaflets

Election poster templates

Last updated: Tue, 11 Apr 2023 13:04