Becoming a councillor is a great way to represent and make positive changes to your local community.
Brent has 57 elected councillors. Each one represents a ward. There are 21 wards.
Become a Brent councillor
If you want to become a councillor you will need to stand for election.
You can either stand as an independent, or as a representative of a political party. If you want to represent a party, you will first need to join one and ask them to select you as their candidate for your area.
Can you stand for election
If you wish to stand at a local election, you must be:
- a British citizen, a citizen of the Commonwealth, the Republic of Ireland or of another European Union State
- 18 years of age or older.
You must also meet at least one of the following four qualifications on the day you are nominated and on polling day:
- be registered as a local government elector for Brent
- occupied as an owner or tenant any land or other premises in Brent during the whole of the 12 months before the day you are nominated
- worked only or mainly in Brent during the last 12 months
- lived in Brent during the whole of the last 12 months.
You cannot stand as a councillor if:
- in the last five years you have been in prison or on a suspended sentence for three months or more
- you have been declared bankrupt
- you are an employee of Brent Council
- you have been disqualified.
The Electoral commission has a full list of the qualifications you need to become a councillor. It also has guidance and useful links to help you find out more about what is involved in becoming and being a councillor.
What does it cost?
No deposit is required to stand as a candidate in local council elections.
However, you may need to consider the cost of your campaign. You should keep records of all campaign costs, as these have to be accounted for at the end of the process.
Being nominated
You need to complete a nomination paper before you can be accepted as a candidate, and ten people must sign it. All of these people must be on the electoral register for the ward in which you wish to stand.
If you are standing as a candidate for a registered political party you would also be required to submit a certificate, from the party's nominating officer, authorising your candidacy and use of the party's description and emblem.
If you are standing independently, the ballot paper would either describe you as "Independent" or give no description at all for you.
You must also give, in writing, your consent to your nomination.
All these documents must be submitted to the Returning Officer by noon, 19 working days before polling day.