Wales updates councillor conduct rules from 5 Jan 2026

If you work in or around Welsh local government, new conduct rules are coming. The Local Government (Standards Committees and Member Conduct) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2025 were made on 19 November 2025, laid before Senedd Cymru on 21 November, and take effect on 5 January 2026, according to legislation.gov.uk. Jayne Bryant, Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, signed the instrument for the Welsh Ministers. The Welsh Government says it consulted relevant bodies including the Auditor General for Wales and the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales before making these changes.

Here’s the plain‑English version of what changes. First, the rules clarify who can serve as an independent member of a standards committee. Second, the equality wording in both the Principles of Conduct and the Model Code is updated so councillors must respect people with protected characteristics and also consider socio‑economic circumstances. Third, several definitions are added so everyone is talking about the same things.

Let’s start with the “cooling‑off” rules for former councillors. You can become an independent member of a standards committee, but there are waits before you can do so in the authority where you served. If you previously held a senior, cabinet or executive post in that authority, you must wait five years from the date you left that post. If you were a member without one of those roles, you must wait two years from the date you ceased to be a member. A practical note: the waiting period applies to the authority where you held office. You may still be eligible to serve sooner on a different authority’s standards committee, because the restriction is tied to the place you served, not every council in Wales.

What counts as a “senior, cabinet or executive post”? The Regulations list examples so we all use the same definition: council chair, vice‑chair, presiding member, deputy presiding member, elected mayor, deputy mayor, executive leader, cabinet (executive) member, and an overview and scrutiny committee chair. If you last held one of these roles, the five‑year wait applies for that authority.

Former officers are also in scope. If you used to work for a council, you can serve as an independent member of a standards committee, except that there’s a two‑year wait if you previously held a politically restricted post or the post of registration officer in that authority. Politically restricted posts are the senior or sensitive roles that limit party‑political activity under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. A registration officer is the statutory officer responsible for the electoral register under the Representation of the People Act 1983.

Corporate Joint Committees (CJCs) get the same treatment. If you used to be a member of a CJC, or you were a member of a constituent authority or a constituent National Park authority within that CJC, you must wait two years before joining that CJC’s standards committee as an independent member. Where you held a senior, cabinet or executive post in a constituent authority, the wait is five years for the CJC’s standards committee. Former officers of CJCs and their constituent bodies face the same two‑year rule if they held politically restricted or registration officer posts.

The second big change updates the equality and respect duty. Instead of listing a few categories like gender, race or religion, the Principles and the Model Code now use the Equality Act 2010 term “protected characteristics”, and add “socio‑economic circumstances”. Protected characteristics in the Act include age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Why switch to this wording? It brings the Welsh rules into line with the legal language most public bodies already use, and it widens the lens so councillors think carefully about how decisions and behaviour affect people who experience poverty or low income. That socio‑economic addition is important in a cost‑of‑living context.

What this means for everyday conduct is straightforward. When you’re speaking in meetings, posting on social media, or making decisions that affect residents, you’re expected to show respect and avoid behaviour that could reasonably be seen as prejudicial on the grounds of protected characteristics or someone’s socio‑economic circumstances. Complaints about conduct can still be taken to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, whose office was consulted on these changes.

If you’re planning to apply as an independent member, check your own dates now. Note when you last held elected office or left a politically restricted or registration officer post. If you were a cabinet member, executive leader or scrutiny chair, mark the five‑year date. If you were a backbench councillor or a politically restricted officer, mark the two‑year date. Councils and CJCs should update their recruitment packs, training and website FAQs before 5 January 2026 so applicants get clear, fair guidance.

For classrooms and study groups, this is a ready‑made case study in public ethics. We can explore why independence matters in standards work, how cooling‑off periods reduce conflicts of interest, and where socio‑economic disadvantage fits within equality discussions. Students can compare the old wording to the new and decide which better helps councillors serve everyone with fairness and respect. For transparency, the source text is published on legislation.gov.uk, and the Welsh Government says a Regulatory Impact Assessment is available from its Local Government Division and on gov.wales. That’s useful if you’re teaching policy change or simply want to see the expected costs and benefits. “,