Minority Group Leader

These responsibilities are in addition to the Councillor role profile.

Purpose

The purpose of a Minority Group Leader is to:

lead an opposition group within the council
make sure there is effective, positive and constructive opposition to the council’s majority party

The key roles and responsibilities of a Minority Group Leader are to:

lead the (or one of the) political groups providing the council's formal opposition including scrutiny of the political administration and policies of the council
establish and represent the views of the group on issues of policy and priority
act as the principal spokesperson for the group
advise the Leader of the Council of the group’s position on issues
provide, as appropriate, alternatives or amendments to the council's policies, strategies and budgets
represent the group on relevant formal and informal working groups
nominate members of his/her group to serve on scrutiny committees, committees, and if appropriate, local outside bodies
manage the work of councillors within the group
make sure there is effective communication between party group members, other political groups, officers, the community, other partners and organisations
champion and participate in councillor development
liaise with the Chief Executive in emerging issues of significance relating to the policies and procedures of the council

The key skills and knowledge required for a Minority Group Leader are:

advanced leadership skills
ability to represent the council in a variety of settings both inside and outside the council
advanced communication skills and the ability to work constructively with officers, councillors, partners, the media, members of the public and other organisations
ability to manage conflicting responsibilities whilst dealing with a busy and complex workload often to tight timescales and deadlines
ability to challenge the status quo and deal with complex strategic issues and problems
detailed understanding of the challenges and issues facing local government and the practical implications for the councillors in their group
detailed understanding of the national policy framework and its impact on local policy development
understanding of the relationship between national politics and local political leadership
knowledge of the work of national, regional and sub-regional bodies and the role of the Leader and the council in relation to them