Proxy voting by councillors: consultation analysis
This report analyses responses to the Scottish Government’s consultation on enabling proxy voting for councillors. It explores public views on proposed criteria, potential impacts on council duties, inclusion, governance, and risks, based on feedback from individuals and organisations.
Consultation
Introduction
This report presents the findings from the analysis of responses to the Scottish Government’s consultation on proposals to amend the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 to:
1. Enable a councillor in Scotland to arrange for their vote to be cast by a proxy.
2. Require local authorities to agree and publish a scheme setting out how proxy voting would work in practice, where they choose to introduce proxy voting.
The consultation paper noted that the operational details, including the criteria of the proxy voting scheme, would not be set out in legislation. It would be for local authorities to determine how a scheme could work in practice and under which circumstances proxy voting could be made available, should they wish to allow for it.
The paper highlighted that joint guidance would be produced by COSLA and the Scottish Government to assist Local Authorities with the drafting of the operational scheme. The consultation sought views on a proposed set of criteria for inclusion in the operational guidance as suggestions on where proxy voting may be appropriate. The proposed criteria were:
i. maternity leave, paternity leave, parental leave, shared parental leave or adoption leave;
ii. complications arising from pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage or baby loss;
iii. serious long-term illness or injury;
iv. bereavement;
v. attending to a person who is near the end of their life;
vi. any other reason subject to agreement of the full Council.
The consultation was open between 3 October and 28 November 2024.