Serving your community with legitimacy

Countryside Column for 18 April.

I have before me a sheaf of forms to complete.  They’re nomination papers for the forthcoming Parish Council elections and are, frankly, a bit intimidating.

There’s a seven page Guidance for Candidates.  Part 1 says: “before starting the process … potential candidates need to …  meet all the requirements for standing for election.  You should therefore read Part 1 of our guidance.” 

But I thought I WAS reading Part 1.  And there’s nothing about eligibility here. However on the Consent to Nomination form it says you need to be a commonwealth or EU citizen, over 18, and to have worked in the parish or lived in or close by it for the past year.

Another seven page form gives you myriad reasons why you might be disqualified from standing.   Most common seem to be working for the local authority or having been in jail within the past 5 years.

Anyway I wont go on about the bureaucracy.  It’s irksome but can be dealt with. The important thing is to encourage people to participate on their own local council.  And it’s not that onerous. You only NEED to attend 10 meetings a year. Though it gets more interesting if you are more active and join a committee or two.

You’ll discover a great deal about your community and about the other tiers of local government above you – the District and County Councils.  Some of the work is fairly mundane – ensuring the bus shelter and public toilets are kept clean – but you do have a say on local planning applications and there’s usually a small budget which members can decide how to spend.

Naturally you get moaned at a bit. But that’s sort of why you are there: to help others with their problems or concerns.

The biggest problem is getting enough people involved.  Our parish has struggled to maintain its full complement of nine councillors.  If fewer than ten nominations are received for the May elections, we’ll be elected without a vote.  That saves the council a chunk of money, but arguably gives us rather less legitimacy.  I think it’s better for residents actively to vote for specific people.

  Though to be honest I’m not that keen on campaigning. There’s three pages of guidance on what I’d be allowed to spend.  I don’t want to find I’m being castigated over my expenses.  No.  I don’t have a duck house.