Complaints about the conduct of councillors in County Durham increased by more than 300% over the past year, according to a new report, writes Local Democracy Reporter, Bill Edgar.
Durham County Council’s monitoring officer received 288 complaints alleging breaches of the members’ code of conduct between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026, compared with 66 complaints during the previous 12 months – a rise of 336%.
Of the 288 complaints, 220 were made against county councillors, with a further 68 made against town and parish councillors.
The rapid increase in complaints cost the council £47,678, up from £29,217.
However, the report found that only 30% of complaints received during the year engaged the council’s code of conduct, down from 56% in 2024-25, meaning the majority did not meet the threshold for further action.
The annual report of the standards committee said the increase in complaints had placed additional demands on officers responsible for handling allegations against elected members.
In response, the council introduced a revised procedure for dealing with complaints from November last year.
The changes included the creation of a new Standards Assessment Board, a sub-committee of the Standards Committee, to consider complaints that the monitoring officer believes engage the code of conduct.
But critics warned that removing the independent members from the initial complaints assessment risks undermining the impartiality of the standards process. Political opponents said the changes contradict Reform UK’s pledge to improve transparency, with Labour accusing the party of wanting to “mark their own homework”.
Yet, Reform disputed the concerns, arguing that the changes make decision-making more transparent and that the reforms improve accountability while preventing the standards process from being “weaponised”.
Previously, the monitoring officer had delegated authority to decide, after consulting the council’s independent person where appropriate, whether a complaint should be formally investigated. They could also seek to resolve complaints without an investigation or refer cases to a standards hearing if necessary.
Under the new arrangements, the Standards Assessment Board is responsible for assessing allegations of misconduct involving county, parish and town councillors, deciding whether investigations are required and determining complaints.
Bill Edgar
Reporter for the Local Democracy Reporter Service.
South West Durham News covering news across County Durham.
