At a time when a growing number of MPs and others funded from public monies seem to indulge in what many see as ‘sleazy behaviour’, it is worth looking at the long-established principles of good conduct for all who hold public office. We are beginning to hear people ask the question ‘but what about Nolan’? Surely MPs and others must understand their obligations?
Much of the information I’m using to demystify the Nolan principles and to explain their influence in society can be found online. My aim, though, is to look at why we should all know how these principles affect our daily lives.
Standards in public life
My focus is on three key questions:
- How have so many of our ‘leaders’, who are signed up to Nolan principles, been getting away with such breaches of behaviour, so flagrantly and for so long?
- Why are so many people seemingly unaware of Nolan principles when they are clear and accessible?
- Is it time to revise Nolan to reflect the world of electronic communication in which we now live?
Nolan applies to all who are paid from the public purse and to volunteers in public institutions.
There are commitments and expectations for us all; there is a code of conduct that those in public service are obliged to adhere to. We, as members of the public should remember our less formal and unwritten obligations, such as courtesy and integrity, when interacting with those who serve and support our needs.
What are the Nolan principles?
This is an excellent starting point from which I will draw some key questions and answers. The principles are:
- Selflessness: Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
- Integrity: Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
- Objectivity: Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
- Accountability: Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
- Openness: Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
- Honesty: Holders of public office should be truthful.
- Leadership: Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and be willing to challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.
Understanding the Nolan principles
The principles were devised by the Committee of Standards in Public Life in 1995 under its original chair, Lord Nolan.
These values are enshrined in codes of conduct across the public sector, from schools and government departments to hospitals. These also apply to those appointed to work in the civil service, local government, the police, courts and probation services, non-departmental public bodies, and in the health, education and social work sectors.
Are Nolan principles simply a code of conduct?
Most public and private organisations now have a code of conduct for their own dedicated staff, for people like midwives, doctors, teachers, youth workers or local government staff. In the public sector, Nolan principles are enshrined in the vast majority of these codes of conduct and are both a code of conduct and a way of establishing and maintaining standards by which those in public office can be held to account.
So, how can we, as members of the public, members of a community – a hospital, a school, a local council – expect to benefit from Nolan principles?
- We can expect to be listened to verbally and in writing.
- We can expect to be treated with courtesy and integrity privately and publicly and on social media.
- We can expect any concerns we have in our dealings with those in public service to be treated with integrity.
- We can expect issues we raise to be resolved by due process.
- We can expect those in public office to be transparent in their dealings with us – within the confines of GDPR of course. (General Data Protection Regulation).
- We can expect to know who is ultimately responsible should there be a breach or apparent breach of these principles.
An increasingly relevant question is: How should a person whose professional code of conduct is enshrined in Nolan behave out of hours? What if a medical or education professional, or an MP, is abusive on a worldwide virtual platform such as X? What if they make racist, misogynistic statements on a public platform? To whom are they accountable for their actions? Can their employer hold them to account?
What can those in public office expect from us?
Here we must rely on human values and human rights to steer our conduct. Below are some possible guidelines:
- Act with courtesy, avoiding offensive speech and body language.
- Follow due process when dealing with those in public office. For example, use polite forms of address, don’t shout or gesticulate rudely.
- If raising concerns or points for discussion or consideration, either privately or publicly – e.g., in written correspondence, including social media, or in private or public meetings – we should follow due process in how we conduct ourselves. No offensive images should be used.
We acknowledge that in many areas the country runs on goodwill from unpaid volunteers who, because their work is public facing, are equally subject to Nolan principles. These include councillors at every level of local government, governors in schools and colleges, voluntary youth workers, trustees of charities large and small, and many more.
I will concentrate here on the areas of public life that most of us encounter on a regular basis, local government, education, charities and the roles of unpaid volunteers. It’s the tip of the iceberg but I hope will make us all reflect and want to know more.
Councillors
“As a councillor you will be required to adhere to your council’s agreed code of conduct for elected members. Each council adopts its own code, but it must be based on the Committee on Standards in Public Life’s seven principles of public life.”
Local Government Association code of conduct and standards
School and college governors
“Most boards set out their expectations for behaviour, relationships and performing the role in a code of conduct. New school governors are usually asked to agree to the code of conduct when joining the board. Having a code of conduct unites the board around a single set of expectations. It helps provide clarity should any problems arise around conduct.
“As elected individuals, school governors are expected to be aware of, and accept the ‘7 principles of public life’ also known as the Nolan principles.”
School governor conduct and the Nolan principles
Charity trustees
“The board acts with integrity. It adopts values, applies ethical principles to decisions and creates a welcoming and supportive culture which helps achieve the charity’s purposes. The board is aware of the significance of the public’s confidence and trust in charities. It reflects the charity’s ethics and values in everything it does. Trustees undertake their duties with this in mind.”
Good governance – a code for the voluntary and community sector
“Charities and other voluntary and community organisations play a vital role in our lives and they command enormous public trust and confidence. This is reflected in the generosity with which people in Britain give their time and money to charities they support. Trustees and board members therefore carry an important responsibility to manage their organisations and deliver on their objectives in a way that enhances that public trust and support.”
A code for the voluntary and community sector
So, it might just be the right time to revisit these values and principles almost 30 years on and ensure they are clearly understood by all.
