I never thought of myself as a politician, but apparently the job description says otherwise.
Since being elected as a Town Councillor, I’ve somehow become responsible for everything that’s ever gone wrong in Redruth. Every bad decision ever made by “the council” (or at least according to urban legend) now seems to have my name on it.
Politician with a big “P”
I didn’t vote for our current MP, or his predecessor, but I follow them on Facebook. Party politics often feels oxymoronic to me, but I don’t think being an MP is an easy job. At least it’s paid! I see Perran Moon updating people regularly about what he’s doing. Realistically, very few people will agree with every decision he makes, and his party, rightly or wrongly, is deeply unpopular. But maybe that’s true of any party in government, there will always be tough calls, whether that’s raising taxes or making cuts. And of course, everyone believes they shouldn’t be the ones to feel the impact.
What I do think is that, regardless of the backlash, Mr Moon seems fairly open about what he’s doing, how he’s voted, and willing to meet people and hear their stories. I still wouldn’t vote for him or his party, but I do think it’s worth acknowledging that his job isn’t easy, and he is trying.
Why am I writing about this? No, I’m not setting up the Perran Moon Appreciation Society.
But since becoming a councillor myself, I’ve felt the weight of it, and I just wish people were kinder, or at least understood what it takes to stick your head above the parapet. My recent online dressing-down came after I shared details with residents about how to trigger a by-election. Someone felt it was a waste of money, since turnout was only 11%. I don’t agree, and that’s fine, there isn’t really a right or wrong on that point. What stung was having my motivations questioned: being accused of “playing politics” or posting on social media for self-validation. It felt unnecessary. And it wasn’t the first unkind comment.
Be Kind…
So I suppose what I’m saying is this: we’re never all going to agree on everything, and that’s okay. People will make mistakes, and a politician should absolutely be challenged when they do. But we should also applaud when they get it right. And above all, we should try to be kind. It doesn’t cost anything.
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