Find out what standing for your local council involves
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
Local councillors are elected by their neighbours, and the Local Government Association runs a "Be a Councillor" site explaining what councils and councillors do. It sets out the first steps and notes that you can stand as an independent or for a political party.
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How to start
- Read the Local Government Association's "Be a Councillor" page, which also links to the separate sites for Wales and Scotland.
- Open its "Becoming a councillor" section and read the first steps.
- Attend a public meeting of your own council to watch how it works.
Where to go
We opened this link on 8 October 2026 and found it to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Projects run over months and stall without a rhythm, so the plan sets milestones you can see.
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