How to become a councillor

Stand for election

To become a councillor, you must first be an election candidate.

To become an election candidate, you need to be nominated. There are rules about who can be nominated and a strict timetable for the process.

For more information and to request a candidate nomination pack, contact our electoral office.

Stand as a candidate

Candidates usually appoint somebody as an election agent to be responsible for the campaign, any legal and procedural issues and finances.

If you want to stand as a candidate for a registered political party and use its name and symbol, you can do so only if the party formally approves this.

Find out more about electoral candidates on the Electoral Commission website