Ahhhhh… sorry!
That was a bit of an unexpected break. But I think I needed it. I was starting to worry that this blog was turning into endless ranting and negativity about being a town councillor, which was never my intention.
I’m still not fully caught up on meetings, staff relationships, and festival dramas. But today I had a thought, and I feel like I need to share it.
Now, this isn’t unique to Redruth Town Council. It’s the state of affairs in parish and town councils up and down the country. So bear with me for a minute…
Vote for Me, I Seem Nice!
When a charity is recruiting for non-executive board members (generally unpaid roles), they usually look for specific skills, qualities, experience, or education. They want people who understand strategy and have experience in setting strategic objectives.
So how do people go about choosing who they elect to their town or parish council?
And for the people putting themselves forward, what do they think they’re bringing to the table? Is just caring about a place enough? It’s a lovely sentiment, but let’s be honest: you wouldn’t let someone run a charity or a company just because they’re passionate. So why do we treat councils differently?
Now, hands up, and I’ll forgive you if you stop reading my blog in disgust, until this year I’m not sure I’ve ever voted in a town council election. I’m going to guess that wherever I’ve lived, there weren’t enough candidates to trigger a contested election. But I can’t say that with 100% certainty…..sorry!!
When I stood in the most recent election, I didn’t really talk much about my experience, skills, or qualities. I focused more on what I wanted to do. And honestly, I think people voted for me because they knew me. Maybe they thought I seemed like a nice person, they liked what I stood for. Some would have known my professional background; many wouldn’t have.
On the current council are, to name just a few: a retired PE teacher, a former postman, a shop owner, and a retired publican. I have no idea what strategic experience (if any) most of my fellow councillors have, and I doubt their constituents do either.
Yet strategy is a huge part of the job.
Big Bucks, No Checks?
Just to reiterate: Redruth Town Council manages £1,381,718 of public money, raised through the precept.
And unlike schools (monitored by Ofsted) or the NHS and care homes (regulated by the CQC), there is no external body consistently monitoring or inspecting town and parish councils. Yes, there’s a required annual financial audit. And there are organisations like the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), the Cornwall Association of Local Councils (CALC), and the Local Council Award Scheme. But in real terms, there’s no routine oversight of whether councils are performing effectively or appropriately.
Across much of Cornwall (with the exceptions of Falmouth, Bude/Stratton and Redruth), many councillors have not been elected at all. They’ve simply put themselves forward, uncontested. Their skills and experience? Unknown, and apparently irrelevant. They’re in!
And we’re talking about big sums of money:
- Truro: £3,197,665
- Bodmin: £1,914,498
- Newquay: £2,851,214
It doesn’t make sense to me that this entire system is so unregulated.
This isn’t OK – Time to Shake Things Up?
Yes, there is a Town Clerk, and their role is to ensure the council operates legally and follows proper procedures. But if councillors themselves have no experience of strategic working or even a clear understanding of their role, how can they properly support or oversee the Clerk’s work?
In practice, the only people watching the Clerk are the councillors. And the only person watching the councillors is the Clerk.
And for the Clerk, rocking the boat with councillors could put their job security at risk.
Across the country, in towns and parishes, there are people sitting in rooms making decisions with your money. Often unelected, potentially lacking key skills or experience, and sometimes with no real willingness to listen, learn or improve.
We need a new system.
We need better understanding.
We need fresh blood.
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