Who are our local elected
Councillors?
What do they do?
Councillor:
Up Close and Under Scrutiny
By Bernadette Horton
In Wales
But who are our Councillors? What do they do?
How much are they paid and what hours do they work? Are they worth the money
they are paid and just how accountable are they to the people they represent?
Is it one long gravy train with ‘jobs for life’ once elected with little work
done? I was keen to find out exactly all of the above, but would I find a
councillor willing to spend 2 months under close scrutiny on my terms, with
their whole officially elected life accountable at all times?
I
approached an Independent County Councillor in Wrexham, N E Wales who is not
governed by party politics or has to follow a party line. He agreed to my
strict terms of scrutiny and I was surprised at what I found. I have always
been as sceptical as the next person about local councillors and have found
there is a mixed bag of very inactive ones, brilliant ones, and frankly stupid
ones who shouldn’t be let anywhere near public relations! For my study I spent
considerable time with the councillor asking many questions and grilling him on
his role, attended council meetings and committees he sits on, received
feedback from constituents and also a school he is a governor of. I wanted an
honest, accurate, in-your-face, in depth report, and that is exactly what I
got!
So I will
introduce you to the brave councillor who put his head above the parapet and
agreed to be under the spotlight for this article; Independent County
Councillor Mark Owens, aged 52 of Rhosllanerchrugog near Wrexham.
Mark Owens
is the youngest of 5 children and has lived in Rhosllanerchrugog (Rhos),
Wrexham all his life. His dad was a coal miner, member of the NUM, and he comes
from a strong Labour household tradition. When Blair delivered a Labour victory
back in 1997, Mark initially thought that some of the working rights for
working people abolished under Thatcher would be restored, but this was not the
case. It so influenced his perception of the Labour Party that when he decided to
enter local government as a councillor he decided to stand as an Independent
rather than follow any party line.
He is
married with two daughters aged 26 and 23. His eldest daughter is autistic and
his wife is a full time carer. He works full time as well as being a
councillor. His daughter’s disability has had a huge impact on his life and the
issues that he cares passionately about include disabled and carers rights. He
says ’When Cameron came to power in 2010 he said he understood the issues
affecting carers and disabled people. Due to his own experience of caring for
his disabled son, he would certainly look after the most vulnerable. It is
appalling that this has been proven to be quite the reverse!’
Mark
started off as a voluntary Community Councillor for Rhos at the same time as he
was elected Independent County Councillor for the Pant ward in May 2012. There
are 2 groups of Independent Councillors in Wrexham one with 20 members which
Mark is part of, and the other with 8 members making the Independents the
largest group on the council. The Pant ward he represents is a mixture of both
private and social housing with an adult population of roughly 1800 people.
Mark works
full time on the shop floor for Coveris Advanced Coatings in Wrexham. He works
quite a complicated 12 hour shift pattern which varies from week to week and
between day and night shifts. However, the company are extremely supportive and
give him time off for a lot of his councillor work. I was amazed when I found
out the roles and committees he sits on for the county council. These include:
Full
Council
Audit
Committee
Democratic
Services Committee of which he is Vice-Chair. (Vice Chairs receive no
additional payments on top of their councillors salary)
Safeguarding
Communities and Well Being Committee
Scrutiny
Committee/Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee
On top of this he is an LEA Governor for both
Ysgol y Grango and Ysgol Maes y Mynydd schools and Vice-Chair of Rhos Community
Council!
As a county
councillor he receives a taxable remuneration of £13,175 per year. He
personally does not claim any travel or other expenses, although other
councillors do. Is he worth it? What do his constituents think? What makes him
tick? My initial reaction is that working
full time and sitting on all these committees would surely need some kind of
superhuman effort?
I asked the
councillor what he believes are three of the most important issues currently,
which are important to him both nationally and locally, as he has strong views
on political issues.
‘Nationally
I would definitely say it is the state of our NHS. There is a lack of funding
for cancer patients and a lack of suitable drugs available under this
ridiculous postcode lottery patients seem to suffer all over the UK
‘In Wales
‘Locally,
affordable housing in both Wrexham and the villages is sorely needed,
especially for young people. We need more social housing built in village
communities plus a mix of greatly discounted starter homes. I would like to see
incentives for builders brought in to encourage this mix. I could go on as I
believe better paid jobs and more funding for road repairs are urgently needed
too!’
As someone
involved in party politics as a member of the Labour Party myself, I have often
wondered why people stand as Independents on councils. In the past I have
always seen it as a maverick, lone-wolf type person who stands as an
Independent, so what are Mark’s reasons?
‘Independents
don’t follow a party line or are forced to vote a certain way by the party
whip. They have been elected by constituents to represent their local
community, and do their utmost to do just that. I believe the role of a good
councillor is to always address constituent’s problems with an honest, open and
frank approach, and to only promise what you can 100% deliver. It is my duty to
also speak up on behalf of those who cannot, and try to protect the most
vulnerable in our communities.’
‘But how
can constituents know how you are going to vote on local issues, if there is no
official party line to follow? Surely you could end up voting for what a
minority want?’ I queried.
‘I reassure
all constituents that they can contact me anytime to discuss which way I will
be voting on various local issues. If there are conflicting interests I go with
the majority decision. If it is too close to call, I trust my instinct to do
what I consider to be the right thing for the benefit of all.’
After
shadowing the councillor closely, I have been able to see what both his normal
full time job workload is like, and also his councillor workload. I have been
present to a phone that never stops ringing; morning, afternoon and evening
council meetings, community visits, workshops, training and school meetings,
and have seen the deluge of emails he receives. My estimate of his councillor
workload is in excess of 40 hours a week, because I have witnessed it across
several different weeks; something he agreed with me upon.
‘My
employers are very supportive and I often take half day holidays to fit
everything in too. It would be easier if scrutiny meetings were combined into
one meeting, rather than the 2 or 3 we have currently where we can scrutinise
all the reports’
It is no
secret that 60% majority of councillors across Wales
‘Local
councils do have a lot of retired people as councillors, and I don’t believe we
could afford to lose that wealth of experience. I also believe in total
democracy and that any adult, irrespective of age, should be allowed to put
their name forward to stand for election, it is only the electorate who can
decide who they want to represent them.
However I
think there does need to be better support for working age councillors and to
encourage younger people to come forward and stand for election. I’d like to
see statutory rights for time off for councillors that employers have to abide
by. My employers are exceptionally supportive, but that is rare. We need a
bigger age range of councillors with different experiences and we need to
encourage that by making it easier to stand for local office.’
We moved on
to the thorny issue of money! Councillors in Wrexham receive a taxable £13,175
P/A and on top of this are expenses and travel expenses, although Mark does not
claim the latter, just the basic salary. The general public perception is that
this is far and away too high. I too, (prior to this research) thought it was
very generous, compared to many jobs on zero hours or agency employment but
have altered my view for working age councillors in particular. What view did
our Councillor have?
‘I think it
should be higher to attract younger professional full time councillors who
don’t have to constantly fit in working commitments alongside council
commitments. For example, it is pretty difficult to pay a mortgage on £13,175
per year if you didn’t work full time as well. For retired councillors the sum
is a nice top up for their pension, but I firmly believe the councillors I am
associated with in Wrexham, (cross party) earn every penny of their salary.’
Do
constituents therefore have a realistic view of a councillor’s role? Due to the
salaried aspect of the job when is a councillor actually required to ‘work’ I
wondered.
‘I’ve been
called at 3, 4, 5am on various issues’ Mark says, ‘Some that could have waited
and others that couldn’t. I am very often on the phone until 11pm at night,
especially when I have worked a 12 hour day shift at work too. I never had a
realistic view myself prior to becoming a councillor of what the job actually
means and entails. It’s only when the public need to contact us about an issue
that they can see what we do and the hours we work’
‘So there
are no set hours really,’ I questioned. ‘You are on call 24/7?’
‘Yes you
could definitely say that!’
Mark has an
impressive campaigning record since 2012 and is not backwards at coming forward
on issues that affect his ward. He is very concerned at closures of community
facilities, particularly in the village areas, and has spoken out time and
again on the closure of Rhos Nat West Bank, Rhos Library, Funding cuts to the
Miners Institute and on safe routes to school, to name but a few. He also
produces regular newsletters informing constituents of the work he does and the
great pride he takes at developments in the local area. Successes have included
many things that benefit the community like garden furniture and planters for
residents in warden controlled flats, WI-FI installation for residents to
participate in an IT club, plus new fencing for bungalows, security lights, and
the need to arrange regular litter picks for untidy areas of community land.
Mark has helped in organising events for Rhos community council which have
included 2000 people attending a bonfire event in 2014. The list is impressive
by any standards, all of which can be attested to by his constituents.
I spoke to
several constituents about their views on their councillor. John White lives in
the Pant ward that Mark is councillor of in Erw Gerrig Sheltered Housing Units.
He said-
‘I knew of
Mark when he was growing up in the village, but have got to know him properly
as a local councillor. I think Mark has been an excellent councillor during a
tough few years of austere times when councils have limited funds. If you
approach Mark with an issue or query he always researches whether things are
possible to do or not and always comes back with an honest answer. He makes a
point of going out of his way to help. I run a computer club and he has been
instrumental in getting Wi-Fi put into the sheltered units. He has helped to
secure other items for the gardens too. I hope he is re-elected in 2017 as we
definitely need more like him.’
Cheryl
Vaughn is a resident in the Pant ward too, and she has had dealings with Mark
over contentious planning issues and neighbour problems.
‘Mark grew
up in Rhos and knows the area better than anyone. He connects to the people who
live here very well. He is always at the end of the phone and regularly visits
people in the area to discuss issues. I find his best quality is that he speaks
to people on their level and explains things properly. He is a local lad who
fights for local people and this is what makes him a great councillor.’
During my
research asking constituents about their councillor, I did not come across one
negative comment or adverse opinion. Everyone agrees Mark is an exceptionally
hard working councillor.
Mark is
also a keen supporter of N E Wales Unite Community branch and gave his support
recently to the national day of action Unite Community took against the benefit
sanctions regime. Mark believes the system of routinely sanctioning benefit
claimants for being 5 minutes late for appointments, or for attending a family
funeral on signing on day is pernicious and an attack on the poorest in
society.
During my research for this article, I
witnessed the councillor speaking in the arena of Wrexham Guildhall. Attending
council meetings is not something generally thought of as an afternoon or
evening out for the public (myself included) but I was curious to know how all
our councillors perform in meetings and in particular Mark himself.
I came to
the conclusion I would definitely like to see time limits put on some
councillors who frankly like to hear the sound of their own voices- repeatedly
it seemed, even when similar questions had been asked by other councillors!
Mark is one of the more thoughtful councillors, intervening and asking
pertinent questions when necessary. He is fully tuned into the discussions and
has an enquiring firm style of engagement.
I attended a Lifelong Learning Scrutiny
meeting where he enquired about the data available on how Parents are engaging
with the Welsh Flying Start programme – a programme that begins intervention
with specialised help and support to parents even prior to the Childs birth to
age 4. Flying Start helps to prevent children in the most deprived communities
coming to school at 4+ with huge gaps in attainment levels already. Mark
recognises this as a vital programme but wondered how parents were engaged in
the home environment.
Although
Flying Start is out of the remit currently of the committee, he pushed for the
committee to be provided with a Flying Start report at future meetings, as he
felt the link between this programme and early years in school was essential to
make. Frankly while some councillor’s nit picked over technicalities, Mark was
engaged in the issues that people need to know about and which are necessary
for the committee.
Part of a County Councillors
‘Mark is an
excellent governor. He is involved with the strategic running of the school and
sits on the finance and disciplinary committee, but also is integral to
interviewing new staff members etc. Mark provides us with an excellent link to
the community as a very informed and active county and community councillor,
and he also brings things to us that we can act upon. For example, he has
supported us 100% in our campaign to close a public footpath that runs right
through the school grounds that was a risk to our pupils. Likewise if he hears
of any community issues that affect the school he brings these to our immediate
attention. Our school rates him very highly, and we are proud to have such an excellent
school governor on our team.’
High praise
indeed, but fitting in 2 school governorships on top of full time work and his
councillor’s work, is a tough task. Again, in my opinion, this severely impacts
on working age councillors. To do a thorough job, while holding down full time
work, seems almost impossible.
As
previously outlined the Williams report and Welsh government proposals for the
reform of Welsh councils and councillors are currently causing a stir in local
government in Wales
‘Personally
I am happy to converse with constituents in any form- whether that be phone,
email, at their front door or social media. I don’t believe however, engaging
on social media should be compulsory. We have a lot of older people who have
never heard of social media in our communities, and for them the phone or face
to face talking to their councillor is essential. However, local government
could offer social media training for councillors, but again time constraints
are demanding if councillors work too. We are offered media training and core
training currently but this could be improved in my opinion. Training for new
councillors and ongoing training is essential, but fitting it all in under the current
system is frankly impossible.’
Currently
only 30% of councillors in Wales
‘It is a
shame that there are only 30% of councillors who are women. Women are juggling
work and frequently caring duties for children or older relatives. I believe
women should be encouraged to come forward to stand for election with specific
targeted support. This could be in the form of perhaps a crèche facility in the
town hall, less meetings and more family friendly timed meetings. However, I do
believe the electorate should decide who they want to represent them ultimately
regardless of gender. I do not believe in quotas but the best person to do the
job.’
The
recommendations are also to reform council elections. A range of options are
open which include 4, 5 year fixed elections or the same phased system in England
‘I would be
happy for either 4 or 5 year fixed elections to take place but I feel phased
elections like the ones in England would lack continuity with different
councillors coming and going. It would interfere with the councils work
programme and committees as new members would not be up to speed with discussions.’
Controversially
the Williams report recommends compulsory annual reports on an individual
councillors record and performance and what they have achieved in the given 12
month period. Is our Councillor in favour of this scrutiny?
‘I feel we
should have an individual report on each councillor as it is in our and the
electorates best interests. It should be both a report and an appraisal done by
the leader of each group. However with the lack of funding coming to individual
councils currently, and councillors not being able to achieve all they wish to
for constituents, this may reflect badly on a councillors individual
performance. This aspect should be taken into consideration when reports are
made.’
I wondered
whether Mark would like to see more use of Youth Councils which are also being
talked about for the new look local government in Wales-
‘Absolutely.
In Rhos we already have a youth council, as well as one in Wrexham. I would
like to see younger people playing a bigger part in local government decisions
and having a bigger say. It is vital to engage younger people in democratic
decisions and enable them to become future potential councillors themselves.’
There are
currently 1,245 councillors in Wales
‘It will
impact Independent councillors more than those in the political party groups as
we have no party machine behind us. Imagine either standing or canvassing as an
Independent candidate who works full time in a much larger area? It’s a very
tough task now. I think it will totally discourage Independent candidates from
standing for election and this is not particularly democratic in my view.’
One major
proposal is to cap terms of office for councillors at 25 years and for leaders
of councils 10 years. Whilst Mark has already told us of his views on 25 years,
what does he think of 10 years for leaders?
‘I disagree
with 10 year fixed terms for leaders of the council. By the time you get used
to being leader after 4 or 5 years and gain your stride in a second but final
term of office, you then have to step down. I do not believe this is necessarily
the right option for excellent leaders.’
I put it to
Mark that currently some leaders of councils had been in post for over 20 years
and many deputies might never get the chance to be leaders of the council as
under the current rules leaders can stay on indefinitely. Mark thinks that if
leaders were voted for at the start of each term of office this would be more
democratic. Those leaders who were doing a fine job could then stay in situ
having been voted for in the democratic process and so avoid the definite step
down after 10 years.
The power
to recall a councillor as well as the current discussions to recall MPs are
also under the spotlight. The report is recommending 10% of the people in the
area sign a petition calling for a councillor to step down if they have broken
the law and been convicted of an offence or been imprisoned. Did Mark agree
with this?
‘In some
ways I disagree as I believe it should be crime dependent. For serious crimes
yes, but for something like speeding then no. I do believe that when a
councillor has been voted in by the majority in the constituency to remove
him/her on 10% is far too low. If there were a robust system of monitoring
recall then I would agree with it, but there has to be a well planned and well
thought out system in place to go ahead with this.
The report
is looking at whether county councillors should be stopped from serving as AM’s
at the same time as being county councillors and also whether to stop them also
serving as community councillors. What were Marks thoughts on these proposals?
‘My opinion
is a county councillor should not be able to stand as an AM simultaneously. It
is the equivalent of 2 full time jobs and you would not be able to do justice
to both. I do believe serving as both a county and community councillor is a
must as you have been voted in to represent community on the county council
anyway. Community councillors are voluntary and receive no remuneration so
there is no conflict of interest between community and county councillors.’
After 3
years as a county councillor what advice would Mark give to someone thinking of
standing as a councillor and how did he find the process of co-operating for
this article?
‘Do your
homework first. Read this article! It’s all about being passionate for the
local area and wanting to make a difference in the community. It can never be
about financial gain. You must be willing to put yourself out for constituents
and grow a thick skin because sometimes when you cannot get a good outcome for
someone, they tend to forget the favourable outcomes you have secured in the
past. I would definitely recommend sitting on a community council first to get
a taste of wha
ts involved
and if you are the right person for the job. Speak to existing county
councillors in your area and sit in on public meetings at the town hall. Be
honest and frank with people, and above all never promise anything you cannot
deliver!
‘I found
the process of co-operating for this article intriguing but certainly
challenging! Being grilled in depth made me explore my views on the wider
issues involved in my role as a councillor. I would like to thank Bernadette
for the length of time she spent shadowing me and researching this article. It
was indeed a challenge! I hope the wider public respect my views even if they
disagree with them. I would like it to be known all views are my own personal
ones, and are not associated with Wrexham County Council in anyway at all.’
After 2
months of intense research and scrutiny for this article, personally my opinions
on how our councillors work and the job they do has changed dramatically. I
firmly believe there should be changes to the working practices of our councils
and that far more support for working age councillors should be given, in order
to balance out the age and gender gap of our current councillor make up in Wales
I believe
there is a definite need to either make a councillors role full time with a
salary to suit so they can do the job properly with no financial worries, or if
the current system remains, there needs to be statutory requirements on
employers for time off with pay to do the councillors role. A dividing line in
the sand needs to be drawn: Do we need intelligent, highly skilled, professional
motivated local councillors who are properly paid to do the job? Or do we
continue with the same system that is heavily biased towards retired people and
also has very low proportions of women, disabled and black and ethnic minority
representatives? A 21st century Wales
now needs to move to 21st century local government, but the people
of Wales
It has been
a pleasure working with Councillor Mark Owens on this article and I would like
to thank him for his complete co-operation, time and effort into producing a
worthwhile piece of work. Hopefully readers are more informed and want to have
their say in the reforms taking place in Wales
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