Would you be willing to stand for election?

A new Commission is looking into what incentives and barriers there are to a wider range of people standing for election and they are interested in your views.

Statistics show just 4 per cent of councillors are from black and minority ethnic backgrounds; the average age of a councillor is 58 with more than 50 per cent over 60 compared with just 0.3 per cent under 25 and under 8 per cent under 40; and 100 years since women won the right to stand for town hall elections, fewer than 3 in 10 councillors are women.

The Commission want to hear from a range of people, from those who are councillors and those that work or come into contact with them, to anyone who would like to share their ideas. You can contribute by taking part in the Commission’s forum where they will be asking for your views on a different question each month. The answers they receive will form part of the Commission’s evidence gathering. The Commission will also draw on a specially commissioned programme of social research, expert advice and, later in the summer, it will host a series of events around the country which people can attend.

Useful links

• Find out more about the Councillors Commission
• Find out more about how to become a councillor
• Find out how to write to your councillor
• The Good Councillors’ Guide: essential guidance for town and parish councillors