Under the Localism Act 2011, all Councillors are required to register their disclosable pecuniary interests, and those of their partner or spouse.
A person's pecuniary interests are
- their business interests, for example
- their employment,
- their trade or profession,
- their contracts,
- any company with which they are associated
- any wider financial interests, for example
- trust funds
- investments
- land and property
Councillors must also list any pecuniary interests that their spouse or partner has. This includes any person they are living with as husband or wife, or as if they were civil partners.
What does having a disclosable pecuniary interest stop a councillor doing?
If a councillor is present at any meeting of the council, its committees or sub committees, and that councillor has a disclosable pecuniary interest relating to any business being discussed at that meeting, a councillor must not:
- participate in any discussion of the business at the meeting
- participate in any vote or further vote taken on the matter at the meeting
This applies to any form of participation, including speaking as a member of the public.