As no election was called to fill the late Cllr. Trish Shrapnel’s seat representing East ward on Huntingdon Town Council, it was filled by co-option and I’m delighted (and frankly surprised) to be able to say that I was co-opted last Thursday evening and, once I’ve completed the relevant paperwork and declarations, will be the new councillor, at least until the elections next May.
I am having a bit of a think about exactly how I want to approach things. Obviously, I want to do as good a job as I can, but there is not much time left in the term. I think one of my priorities is going to have to be to let people know that I am their new representative on Huntingdon Town Council. The obvious way to do that is social media, but I need to work out some rules for myself before I start doing that. I’m going to speak to the Clerk and a couple of other people to work out how to do it in a way that is useful, doesn’t waste time, and doesn’t send my or anyone else’s blood pressure through the roof. Of course, social media has its limits, not least that not everyone has it, so I’ll have to think of something else, too.
I’m going to rework this website, too – this incarnation comes from when I was doing my PhD and was considering a career in academia – and so I might move things around a bit to make it more useful for constituents who want to contact me.
It has been a busy few days since I was co-opted, not least with the Remembrance Sunday service this morning in which I laid a wreath on behalf of the Labour Party, and it’s only now beginning to sink in. I often say on social media, when people are criticizing politicians as feckless and self-serving, that the vast majority of the politicians I’ve met are decent, hard-working people who are trying to do the best for their communities, even if I happen to disagree with them and the systems of government aren’t ideal. Having talked the talk, I now need to walk the walk. Beyond that, Huntingdonshire District Council are starting a process of consultation on the future of Huntingdon and, in particular, the high street and I hope I can play a useful role in that, both myself and in communicating the views of my constituents.
It’s going to be a busy few months.