Politics and the political interface

The 'politics and the political interface' element of the local government chief executive role involves impartiality, guiding, politics, political parties, tiers of government, interface and overlaps.

  • Impartiality while ensuring that the council’s agenda is progressed  
  • Guiding others to work effectively in a democratically accountable organisation 
  • Politics: values, basic beliefs and differing political perspectives 
  • Political parties: individuals, coalitions, factions, consensus and dissent 
  • Tiers of government: national, regional, combined authorities, local, parish 
  • Interface and overlaps: of officers with councillors, codes, protocols, respect

The structure of knowledge, experience and judgement across politics and the political interface

 

Acquiring knowledge Gaining experience Sharpening judgement
  • Understand the electoral basis of democratic legitimacy and community engagement in your locality

     
  • Appreciate the differing and, sometimes, conflicting values between politicians and political parties

     
  • Party politics: its structure, organisation, and its connection with local civil society

     
  • The political make-up of the council and its committees

     
  • Political tensions: personalities, factions and power dynamics

     
  • Tiers of government and political differences 
  • Develop a street-level understanding of the local area (its wards, districts, boundaries, and connections)

     
  • In-depth and regular conversations with the council’s political group leaders on the council’s priorities for attention and action

     
  • Formal and informal discussions with scrutiny members and all members in their front-line community leadership roles

     
  • Discuss with local MPs, and other political stakeholders, their perspective on the health of the council’s functioning

     
  • Regular meetings of core statutory officers and chief officers on changing political landscape locally and dynamics within and between parties 
  • Develop a style, tone and timing of advice giving – orally and in writing

     
  • Advise lead councillors, impartially, of the best paths forward on an issue when there is strong contest between individuals / parties about what should be done

     
  • Learn how to de-escalate tensions and de-personalise conflict between individuals and parties

     
  • Enable healthy political discussion, challenge and debate

     
  • Not all predicaments can be solved or resolved, working out how to move forward when people strongly disagree 

Highlighted pages

The core chief executive role

The 'core' element of the local government chief executive role involves coordination, management, staffing, advising the council, elections and dealing with emergencies.

Managerial leadership

The 'managerial leadership' element of the local government chief executive role involves leadership, direction, culture, risk, control and safeguarding, teamwork and collaboration.