Mass political resignations

The calm of Yorkshire landscape belies the political row there

PM's reporter Hugh Sykes reports

Mass resignations by parish councillors will probably not bring down the government.

Parish councils have the power to maintain play areas and mow graveyard grass, and not much else.

But several parish councils in England and Wales are so annoyed by a new code of conduct demanding they reveal their local financial interests that these unpaid councillors are throwing in the towel.

The entire Parish Council at Aiskew, near Bedale in North Yorkshire is resigning over the next month.

Disclosure is intrusive

The main requirement of the new "Parish Councils (Model Code of Conduct) Act" is that parish councillors must reveal shareholdings of over £25,000 in businesses which have dealings within the parish.

There's another clause in the code requiring disclosure of 'any matter under discussion that might advance their well-being'. Councillors say this could mean anything, from membership of the local hunt, to support for anti-hunting groups.

They also complain that the code is so badly drafted that it requires parish councillors to declare all gifts worth more than £25: does this mean declaring every bottle of brandy they get from their friends, or that CD Operas box set they get from a son or daughter for Christmas?

Clarity is necessary

The National Association of Local Councils say these unhappy councillors are a tiny minority, and that "if they've nothing to hide, there shouldn't be a problem".

They say the code is clearly meant to address, not trivial gifts, but local business interests which might be seen by the public as prejudicing their decisions.