Governance in Swale

Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system. It is derived from the Greek word meaning "popular government". There is no universally accepted definition of 'democracy', but there are two principles that any definition of democracy includes. The first principle is that all members of the society have equal access to power and the second that all members enjoy universally recognised freedoms and liberties.

An essential process in representative democracies are competitive elections. Furthermore, freedom of political expression, freedom of speech and freedom of the press are essential so that citizens are informed and able to vote in their personal interests. For a more in depth explanation of Democracy, visit Wikipedia.

Councillors are the people you have elected to represent your interests.

The Democratic Services part of the council website has its own website address: Democratic Serivces Online

View our Democratic Services website pages which provide Councillor information, including:

• Councillors (A-Z list)
• Current Political Composition of Swale
• Committee meeting times, agendas and minutes
• Councillor vacancies and the process for becoming a Councillor
• The Councillor Code of Conduct and how to complain about a Councillors conduct
• Register of Members' Interests (including the Register form)
• List of Parish Clerks

Information on European, Parliamentary, Borough, County and Parish and Town Council Elections can be found on our electoral services pages.