How to word a petition to trigger a local election...?

[Nigel B]

End of tether reached! Our local council, only four of whom are elected, the rest co-opted, have done it this time!

How do I word a petition demanding local elections?

Anyone?

[Nigel B]

[tonybloke]

I'm sure Simon ( Unwashed) is the man for this Job !!

[Unwashed]

I don't believe there is a mechanism to force local elections.  If your councillors have seriously breached their code of conduct then in principle they can be removed, but in practice it never happens.

What you can do is call a parish meeting and propose a referendum, and if you get 10 votes in favour the district has to organise the referendum for you.  However, even if the question you put to the referendum gets a majority yes vote the parish council can ignore it.  Put it's an option.  See here.

Is your parish not holding elections in May?

[daitheplant]

Surely a letter to the Local Government Ombudsman setting out your complaints would be the way to go.

[OllieC]

As said, haven't you got by-elections in May?

[Unwashed]

Surely a letter to the Local Government Ombudsman setting out your complaints would be the way to go.

It's not an option for parish councils as the Ombudsman doesn't have jurisdiction.

[jules2]

End of tether reached! Our local council, only four of whom are elected, the rest co-opted, have done it this time!

How do I word a petition demanding local elections?

Anyone?

I'm in a similar situation and have suffered from a range of things from

Claims that I didn't write then a reluctant agreement that my letter was "mislaid" but no apology given.

Being misquoted in council minutes and even though I produced a record of what I said the clerk refused to change them

Selective minutes which miss points raised and fail to carry items forward

Writing to all the councillors asking for an item to be included on the agenda which of course it didn't

The council staff doing work that the councillors had already said shouldn't be done yet when I pointed this out not a single councillor objected

If your problem is anything like mine the council clerk appears to run the council and the councillors just nod everything through

At one meeting a councillor did agree they were behind the times and needed to improve but the clerk didn't bother to record this and the councillor involved didn't appear bothered.

At another meeting the chairman asked the clerk to improve the way the office deal with our letters, again he didn't record this and then ignored the order he had been given.

In 40 years of public service I have never encountered a more backward and dysfunctional organisation which to make matters worse is funded my my council tax.

The thought of Cameron's Big Society giving even more powers to people like this has motivated me to stand in the May elections I suggest you do the same.

[Unwashed]

The thought of Cameron's Big Society giving even more powers to people like this has motivated me to stand in the May elections I suggest you do the same.

The Big Society is meant to empower us to run our own allotment sites without any support from the state.

[Nigel B]

I'm in a similar situation and have suffered from a range of things................................SNIP...........................................
.....................................In 40 years of public service I have never encountered a more backward and dysfunctional organisation which to make matters worse is funded my my council tax.

The thought of Cameron's Big Society giving even more powers to people like this has motivated me to stand in the May elections I suggest you do the same.

Jules mate, I know exactly where you are at.
Worse for us though, the secretary or our brand new allotments association (who happens to have become a co-opted councillor shortly after being appointed at our first AGM.) has conspired to bypass the founder members, one of whom is the chairman, and to dissolve the association and have the council (himself) run it instead.

Now. According to our local council, whenever they advertise a vacant post the notice includes a statement that, should ten or more of the local electorate sign a petition demanding an election, then so be it.

1976? something law.......?

[Unwashed]

Now. According to our local council, whenever they advertise a vacant post the notice includes a statement that, should ten or more of the local electorate sign a petition demanding an election, then so be it.

1976? something law.......?

Almost certainly the Local Government Act 1972.  Most things are.  When there's a vacancy on the council they can fill it by co-option, but if 10 electors ask for an election they are obliged to hold an election - but that only applies when there's a vacancy, you have no right to demand an election to replace your councillors - though there is talk about it for MP so it might happen some day.

[Unwashed]

And your parish council is definitely up for election in May - they're every four years from 1979.

[Nigel B]

Almost certainly the Local Government Act 1972.  Most things are.  When there's a vacancy on the council they can fill it by co-option, but if 10 electors ask for an election they are obliged to hold an election - but that only applies when there's a vacancy, you have no right to demand an election to replace your councillors - though there is talk about it for MP so it might happen some day.

Hello Unwashed.
As far as I know, there may still be a vacancy or vacancies, so the 10 electors thing might be valid. I'll check tomorrow when we go to the sign-on meeting.
I'm not sure it can wait 'till May though, so fingers crossed.