AN INCREASE in complaints has prompted Worcestershire County Council to start drafting social media guidance for councillors.
The guidance warns politicians not to say anything inappropriate online or bring the council into disrepute.
A report by monitoring officer Hazel Best says: “Unwise comments on social media can have an adverse impact both on the member’s and the council’s reputation.
“It can also be very distressing for others who may be the subject of the comments. This in turn could lead to potential litigation against the member or the council.
“Regardless of the reputational or legal consequences, members should display the highest standard of conduct when engaging in social media, just as they would be expected to when engaging in other areas of council business.”
She says she has “recently noted an increase in the number of Code of Conduct complaints which have highlighted issues surrounding use of social media by councillors.
“This has raised concerns about councillor behaviour on social media.”
We have asked the council for more information about the number of complaints it has received but it has declined to provide this.
Draft guidance offers a list of dos and don’ts – encouraging councillors to use social media responsibly, not to comment in haste, and not to make abusive comments about “council staff, service users, their family or friends, colleagues, other professionals, other organisations or the council”.
Councillors are advised: “Don’t try to cover up mistakes, be honest and you’ll get more respect for it in the long run.”
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The guidance says councillors could consider having separate social media profiles for personal use and councillor business, but are warned: “Even then, you still need to be careful to ensure that what you say on your personal/private business account does not compromise your position as a councillor.”
The report says: “Freedom of expression is protected more strongly in some contexts than others. In particular, a wide degree of tolerance is accorded to political speech.”
But it adds that Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights “does not protect statements which the publisher knows to be false” and adds: “gratuitous personal comments do not fall within the definition of political expression”.
The council’s standards and ethics committee will consider the draft guidance at a meeting on Wednesday (April 22).
A spokesperson said a report on the number of complaints received between May 2025 and April 2026 would come before the committee’s July meeting.