Concerns over new councillors' code

“It's not clear what problem this was supposed to solve. Surely it's not the wife or partner we need loook out for but the best friend uncle aunt brother or sister?
If there are any illicit goings-on theyre already coverd by other means.
As the proposals stand some young councillor (or not so young) will have to publish their current boyfriend girlfriend partners private affairs.
It restricts the pool of good councillors we can choose.
Hopefully the town will make stand and other parishes follow suit
Wrong tool for the job.”

“In the age of phishing and fraud, the less details about a person on the internet the better. If my spouse was a councillor I would definitely be resistant to this. A councillor stands in his/her own right. OK you might like to know the basics of their family life - let them tell it, keeping the details out. All this stands to gain is possibly losing good (and fraud aware savvy) councillors from serving the public.”

“If it maybe means losing some of the so called 'independents' then let it be!

There have been cases on other councils and wife working as officer and member under their original surnames. No crime and no secret but not widely known at the time and in my opinion not ethical.

My view is this, if you have nothing to hide then why make a fuss about it?

Ex councillor, thank god!”

“but the problem here seems to be that there are some exceptions depending on your spouses current/previous occupations, connections etc, so it isn't across the board and quite a few will be able to continue with their privacy intact.”

“I suppose they are free to resign - seriously, wives and husbands are integral part of a family and have certain legal rights in common, and capable of being part of joint financial dealings; councillors need to be seen as whiter than white.”