The Constitution Committee of Gloucestershire Council was scheduled to discuss proposed changes to the council's whistleblowing policy, review arrangements for handling motions at council meetings, and consider the appointment of a new member to the Independent Remuneration Panel.

Update to Whistleblowing Policy

The committee was scheduled to note a decision made by the Monitoring Officer, Rob Ayliffe, regarding an update to Gloucestershire County Council's Whistleblowing Policy. This update was to include a reference to sexual harassment, aligning the policy with the Employment Rights Act 2025. This legislation, which came into effect on 6 April 2026, recognises disclosures related to sexual harassment as protected disclosures, offering whistleblowers legal protections against retaliation. The report indicated that the council's policy already provided assurances of protection beyond legal requirements, with examples of workers raising concerns about sexual harassment already documented. However, the explicit inclusion in the policy was deemed important to provide workers with clear assurance that they would not suffer detriment for raising such concerns. The proposed change involved amending the introductory paragraph of the policy to explicitly mention sexual harassment alongside other concerns such as fraud, danger, corruption, or maladministration. This update was to be reported to the Constitution Committee and subsequently to the County Council for ratification.

Review of Motion Arrangements

The committee was scheduled to review the current arrangements for determining the order of motions debated at council meetings. These arrangements, agreed in July 2025, involve motions being included on the agenda on a rotating basis between political groups. The report noted that the sample size of meetings reviewed was small, with only three meetings having taken place since the change. It was also highlighted that the council had not yet experienced a full rotation of groups having the opportunity to present the first motion. The report recommended continuing with the current arrangements to allow for a full rotation before further discussion in October 2026. The report also detailed the breakdown of motions submitted to council meetings between September 2025 and March 2026, illustrating how different political groups, including the Liberal Democrats, Reform, Green, and Conservatives, had featured in the motion order.

Independent Remuneration Panel Member Appointment

The committee was scheduled to consider the process for appointing a new member to the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP). The IRP is responsible for reviewing members' allowances based on reports received from the panel. The council's current Members' Allowances Scheme was agreed in March 2024 and is index-linked until April 2028, with a full review by the IRP required during 2027/28. The Constitution Committee has the responsibility to advertise for, interview, and appoint members to the IRP. To ensure continuity, a four-year fixed term of office for panel members was introduced. With one panel member's term expiring in December 2025, the report proposed the formation of a selection panel to consider the three applications received. This selection panel was to comprise one member from the Liberal Democrat, Reform, and Green groups on the committee, along with the Head of Democratic Services and the Chair of the IRP in advisory roles. The committee was asked to delegate authority to this selection panel to make the appointment.