5 What do councillors do?
The differences between councils – in terms of geography, population and number of councillors – impacts how they carry out their roles and responsibilities. A councillor in East Renfrewshire may experience the role quite differently from a councillor in nearby Glasgow.
Councillors working for the same council can also have different experiences. For example, the experience of a senior councillor who is part of the political administration is likely to be quite different to that of a non-administration councillor with no senior position.
For Island councils that operate without political administrations, councillors are still appointed to senior positions (Leader of the Council, Provost, Convener/Chair), which shapes their workload and level of public scrutiny.
Appointments to outside bodies and partnership organisations will also result in varying responsibilities, time commitments and level of public scrutiny.
This course is designed to help you prepare for elected office by building your understanding of local government in Scotland and the roles and responsibilities of a councillor. You will also need to undertake your own research into the council you wish to stand for election to and reflect on how different roles may influence the expectations placed upon you.
I would advise prospective candidates to look at what days council meetings are typically held. This will help them to understand whether they will be able to regularly participate in meetings and undertake their key duties.
4 The governance of Scotland
