Councillors quitting over in-person meetings, survey suggests

Forcing councillors in England to attend meetings in person is leading to some quitting, councils have warned.

A legal requirement to hold full council meetings in person was temporarily dropped during the pandemic but reintroduced in May 2021.

A survey by the Local Government Association (LGA) found one in 10 councils had seen members stand down since then due to the change.

See the BBC News item on the report, and wider campaign, here: Councillors quitting over in-person meetings, survey suggests - BBC News

At a sector level, NALC is also campaigning for the ability to meet remotely to be brought back too, as is LRALC. As our readers will know, literally the ONLY way councillors can make a decision on behalf of council is by physically being in the same room at a properly convened council or committee meeting. The fact we cannot make decisions by email, phone calls, or other means often delays decisions, and leads to inquorate meetings. The ability to meet virtually at a properly convened meeting would be a huge leap forward for the sector in terms of how it makes decisions.