Comments, Compliments and Formal Complaints

Complain about the conduct of a councillor

Use this service to complain about a breach of the relevant code of conduct by a  councillor  at either Swale Borough Council or a town or parish council in the Swale area.

You can only complain about a councillor’s conduct if:

• it happened recently
• your complaint isn't anonymous
• it hasn’t already been investigated
• it’s not trivial, politically motivated or in revenge
• the alleged misconduct took place while they were acting in their capacity as a councillor, not as a private individual

If your complaint isn’t covered by a code of conduct, you can contact the Citizens Advice.

We:

• will consider the seriousness of the alleged misconduct and whether it’s in the  public interest to pursue your complaint
• don’t have the power to suspend or disqualify an elected councillor or remove allowances for special responsibilities

Before you get started

To complain about a councillor's conduct, you’ll need to download the complaint form (PDF 219kb). You’ll need:

• the name of the councillor you’re complaining about, including the council they belong  to
• any evidence you may have

Once you’ve completed the complaint form, you’ll need to email it to monitoring@swale.gov.uk . Alternatively, you can post it to us.

What happens next

Once we’ve received your complaint, we’ll decide whether the alleged misconduct might be a breach of the code of conduct and how it should be handled.

We may:

• share your details with the elected councillor you’re complaining about, including your name
• decide to keep your identity confidential, if we think it’s in the public interest
• contact the police or other agencies if your complaint involves potentially criminal activity
• pass your complaint to another council if the councillor you’re complaining about is now in office there

We will contact you within 28 days to provide a response or an update on our investigation.

If you’re concerned about us sharing your information with the councillor you’re complaining about, you can get advice from our monitoring officer by emailing monitoringofficer@swale.gov.uk.