Week one

The election result for the County was inconclusive politically although satisfying for the 67 of us who got elected. Labour is the largest party with 32, reclaiming seats they lost in 2008, the Conservatives are next with 21, a net gain of 4, the LibDems lost 15 seats to end up with 11 and there are 3 Independents. 34 is the magic number to get voting control.
 

Until  how the groups will work together is decided the make up of the Council executive and then the make up of the various committees and how they will operate remains unknown. The critical date is May 22nd, the AGM of the Council and the date when the various posts get approved. And when people like me find out what formal roles we'll get in running or scrutinising the Council. The allocation will be made through a combination of party size, individual skills and interests and probably some unknown factors as well. I've indicated to the powers that be some areas I'm interested in: I'll report back in due course.

 

 

I've been to County Hall twice in the last week - first, a party group meeting to congratulate ourselves on bucking the national trend by winning a net four seats and to elect Peter Jackson as leader and Glen Sanderson as deputy.

 

 

Then a second visit, on Wednesday, an induction day. This was actually the day I legally became a councillor by signing the acceptance form. It was very much like you'd imagine the first day at school to be (although my first day was so long ago I've forgotten whether it was like I imagine it to be). First years wandering around slightly lost and wondering where the loos are; lots of forms to be filled out; old returning pupils being slightly superior and using incomprehensible jargon.

 

 

Another reminder of school (at least my school): there is a Members’ Room for Councillors. When I heard this, I had visions of wood panelling, leather armchairs, retainers with trays of spirits, paintings of long deceased aldermen and so on. Actually, its (70s) modern, some basic chairs and tables, a coffee machine and some photos of the county. It is so like my old 6^th form common room.

 

 

We had our photos taken; we will be given passes, County email addresses and so on. Even a laptop – because security issues prevent us from using our own for County business, which is a pain. And we were given some presentations on the Council, its functions – which are many - and then introduced to the induction training. There’s a lot to learn: the Council has a number of important statutory functions as well as providing the services we know – and those we don’t, and the necessary courses will take up much of June.

The presentation made a couple of points worth repeating:

Local Government is the politics of rationing and the management of expectations; the big three issues facing the Council over the next four years is the reduction in the budget, bringing improved broadband access to the County, particularly the rural parts, and dealing with the consequences of welfare reform. The discussion also raised the issue of how to get greater voter involvement, both in terms of the turnout at elections and also engaging with them between elections.

What else? I went to my first two parish council meetings – I’ll write more about that next week, after going to two more, followed up a couple of live issues with Council officers and went to the exhibition about one of the wind farms being proposed behind Belford. Wind Farms, I had been told, tend to divide communities. But this proposal seems to have united most people – in opposition.

So far when I’ve been stopped in the street people have congratulated me on winning rather than complained about potholes. It’ll be interesting to see how long that lasts. While it does, the first week’s experience suggests the role should be fascinating if time consuming.