NORTHUMBERLAND county councillors have expressed disappointment that proposed changes to their code of conduct aren’t tough enough. Coun. Susan Dungworth told the county council’s Standards Committee: “If I have a frustration, it’s that this still doesn’t go far enough. People continue to behave in whatever way they want because there are no consequences.” The Local Government Association (LGA) published an updated code of conduct for councillors across the country in December 2020 following a consultation. The code of conduct, according to the LGA, is there to “assist you, as a councillor, in modelling the behaviour that is expected of you, to provide a personal check and balance, and to set out the type of conduct that could lead to action being taken against you. It is also to protect you, the public, fellow councillors, local authority officers and the reputation of local government”.