Standing for local council is one of the most direct ways residents can take part in local democracy.
This page explains what’s involved in standing as a councillor at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, what the role entails, and what potential candidates should understand ahead of the Solihull Council Election 2026.
This page explains what’s involved in standing as a councillor at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, what the role entails, and what potential candidates should understand ahead of the Solihull Council Election 2026.
This article is non-partisan and not affiliated with any political party
Ever Thought about Standing as a Borough Councillor?
What the role actually involves — and why it’s not what most people think
What councillors actually do — and why it’s not what most people think
Most people have a vague sense of what a councillor is supposed to do.
They attend meetings. They vote on things. They “represent the area”.
All true — but also incomplete.
In practice, much of a councillor’s work happens away from the chamber, between decisions, and often out of sight. Understanding that matters, because it quietly changes who feels able to imagine themselves in the role.
This short piece is the first in a series of reflections for people who are curious — not committed — about local representation.
It’s not just about voting
The most visible part of a councillor’s job is voting at council or committee meetings. Those votes matter, but they are usually the end of a much longer process.
By the time something reaches a formal vote:
What the role actually involves — and why it’s not what most people think
What councillors actually do — and why it’s not what most people think
Most people have a vague sense of what a councillor is supposed to do.
They attend meetings. They vote on things. They “represent the area”.
All true — but also incomplete.
In practice, much of a councillor’s work happens away from the chamber, between decisions, and often out of sight. Understanding that matters, because it quietly changes who feels able to imagine themselves in the role.
This short piece is the first in a series of reflections for people who are curious — not committed — about local representation.
It’s not just about voting
The most visible part of a councillor’s job is voting at council or committee meetings. Those votes matter, but they are usually the end of a much longer process.
By the time something reaches a formal vote:
- options have been narrowed,
- reports written,
- recommendations shaped,
- and assumptions quietly set.
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What is a councillor surgery? A councillor surgery is a regular, informal opportunity for residents to raise local issues directly with their councillor. They are usually held in familiar public places — libraries, community centres, church halls — and don’t require an appointment. Surgeries are where many problems first surface: a pattern of complaints, a service that isn’t working as expected, or an issue that hasn’t found the right route through the council system. They matter because they connect everyday experience to formal decision-making, often long before an issue appears in reports or meetings. For many councillors, surgeries are where representation begins. |
Three parts of the job that matter more than people realise
Most councillors would recognise these three strands.
1. Representing residents
This is not just about speaking for people, but listening to them.
Casework — emails, phone calls, conversations in the street — is where councillors see patterns long before they appear in reports. One complaint may be an anomaly. Ten similar ones are a signal.
Much of this work is unglamorous. It involves chasing replies, translating council language, and knowing who to ask — and when to keep asking.
2. Making decisions
Councillors sit on councils, cabinets, and committees that decide:
What councillors don’t usually do
It’s equally important to be clear about what the role is not.
Councillors do not:
That distinction often puts people off unfairly. Many assume that unless you can personally solve a problem, there’s no point raising it. In reality, raising the right problem in the right way, consistently, is exactly the job.
How people actually become councillors
Very few councillors start out with a grand plan to enter politics.
More often, the path looks like this:
If you keep noticing the same problems, you’re already doing part of the job.
Most councillors would recognise these three strands.
1. Representing residents
This is not just about speaking for people, but listening to them.
Casework — emails, phone calls, conversations in the street — is where councillors see patterns long before they appear in reports. One complaint may be an anomaly. Ten similar ones are a signal.
Much of this work is unglamorous. It involves chasing replies, translating council language, and knowing who to ask — and when to keep asking.
2. Making decisions
Councillors sit on councils, cabinets, and committees that decide:
- policies,
- spending priorities,
- service changes,
- and long-term plans.
- what they’ve read,
- what they’ve questioned,
- and whether they’re prepared to say, “I’m not satisfied with this yet.”
- 3. Scrutinising how things are done
- Scrutiny is one of the least understood — and most important — parts of the role.
- checking whether decisions are working as intended,
- asking whether alternatives were properly considered,
- and holding officers and leaders to account for outcomes, not just process.
What councillors don’t usually do
It’s equally important to be clear about what the role is not.
Councillors do not:
- manage staff day-to-day,
- run council departments,
- or personally “fix” everything they are asked about.
That distinction often puts people off unfairly. Many assume that unless you can personally solve a problem, there’s no point raising it. In reality, raising the right problem in the right way, consistently, is exactly the job.
How people actually become councillors
Very few councillors start out with a grand plan to enter politics.
More often, the path looks like this:
- noticing the same local issue coming up again and again,
- getting involved in a residents’ group or campaign,
- helping neighbours navigate council systems,
- and eventually being encouraged — or simply realising — that they could do the role themselves.
If you keep noticing the same problems, you’re already doing part of the job.
Why this matters now
Local government works best when councils reflect the full range of experience, expectation, and concern across the communities they serve.
Where participation is uneven, certain voices are heard more clearly than others — not necessarily because they are louder, but because they are more organised, more persistent, or more accustomed to being listened to.
That imbalance is rarely intentional. But it is real.
Understanding what councillors actually do — stripped of myth and drama — is one way of lowering the barrier to entry. Not to push anyone towards standing, but to remove the assumption that “this isn’t for people like me”.
Local government works best when councils reflect the full range of experience, expectation, and concern across the communities they serve.
Where participation is uneven, certain voices are heard more clearly than others — not necessarily because they are louder, but because they are more organised, more persistent, or more accustomed to being listened to.
That imbalance is rarely intentional. But it is real.
Understanding what councillors actually do — stripped of myth and drama — is one way of lowering the barrier to entry. Not to push anyone towards standing, but to remove the assumption that “this isn’t for people like me”.
A final thought
Being a councillor is not about having all the answers.
It’s about asking better questions, repeatedly, on behalf of a place.
In the next piece, we’ll look at where local change really starts — long before elections or manifestos come into view.
What’s coming next
• where local change really starts (long before elections),
• who can stand for council — and who often assumes they can’t,
• the practical realities of the role,
• and how people decide whether standing is right for them.
About this series
This piece forms part of a short pre-election series for residents who are curious about local representation.
The aim is not to persuade or promote, but to explain — how the role of a councillor works, how people come to stand, and what the process actually involves.
Each piece stands alone, but together they explore the practical and reflective questions people often have before deciding whether local public service is right for them.
This piece forms part of a short pre-election series for residents who are curious about local representation.
The aim is not to persuade or promote, but to explain — how the role of a councillor works, how people come to stand, and what the process actually involves.
Each piece stands alone, but together they explore the practical and reflective questions people often have before deciding whether local public service is right for them.