How to make a complaint about a local councillor.
All local councillors must agree to comply with an agreed Code of Conduct for Members whenever they are acting/ appearing to act in an official capacity. Brighton & Hove City Council’s Code of Conduct for Members is available here code of conduct (updated 15 July 2021).
You may also find the Guidance on Correspondence (updated 29 June 2021) helpful in understanding the expectations of how elected and co-opted members communicate with constituents and other stakeholders.
If you are concerned about the way a Councillor has behaved, you may either complete an online Councillors complaint form, email us at legal.services@brighton-hove.gov.uk or submit your complaint in writing to the Council's Monitoring Officer at the address given below. Your complaint will be acknowledged within five working days of receipt.
When making a complaint, you are encouraged to provide as much information as possible about your concerns and the reasons why you are making a complaint. This may include copies of emails or links to a social media post or webcast meeting. It is important that you provide this so that it can be taken into account when an initial review of your complaint is carried out.
Complaints that councillors may have breached the Code are overseen by the Monitoring Officer. The Monitoring Officer is a statutory role, carried out by an officer of the Council, They are charged with ensuring that all complaints are resolved impartially and fairly, in accordance with locally agreed procedures.
Procedure for dealing with complaints about councillors (updated September 2024).
The Monitoring Officer will make a preliminary assessment of the complaint in consultation with one of the Council’s two Independent Persons before writing to you regarding next steps. This should be within 28 working days of receipt of your complaint although this may take longer if additional information is needed.
In the interests of fairness, the councillor complained about will normally be given sight of all the information relating to the complaint. In order for your complaint to be processed, you will be required to confirm that you agree to your identity being disclosed to the councillor. Exceptionally, your identity may be kept confidential on the grounds that the Monitoring Officer agrees that disclosing it might compromise your safety. If you consider it does, you should alert us when you first submit your complaint.
Once made, complaints may only be withdrawn with the consent of the complainant, the member being complained of and the Monitoring Officer.
The Council resolves all complaints as quickly as possible.
If you would like more information about making complaints about councillors, or if you would like to discuss any concerns or queries prior to making a complaint, please contact the legal team:
The Monitoring Officer
Brighton & Hove City Council - Legal Services
G101 Hove Town Hall
Norton Road, Hove
BN3 3BQ
Phone: 01273 292086
Note: if you do not want your name or the details of your complaint released to the councillor you are complaining about, please outline why you believe this to be necessary in your complaint. Your request will only be granted where the Monitoring Officer considers that disclosing your identity might compromise your safety. More information about this and other parts of the process are available in the Procedure for dealing with complaints about councillors (updated 29 June 2021).