What got you interested in politics?
I've always been interested in politics. I grew up in a house where BBC RADIO 4 was the background noise. Politics just kind of seeped in. I have never understood people who don't ‘do’ politics. I feel they've missed the point politics happens whether you like it or not not partaking seems ludicrous.

Have you always voted?
Yes, and until 2015 I must say I was taken in by the LibDems claim that they were the tactical vote. (I wasn't a Labour Party member then, obviously!)

What made you stand as a local councillor?
I decided to run for St. Blaise Town Council after a Labour councillor report to St. Blazey Labour Branch meeting at which reported the town was raising it's precept by 6%. I thought this was a bit steep considering low inflation and St. Blazey being a deprived area.  I attended a Cornwall Council fayre where they were encouraging people to stand. After hearing a list of decisions Cornwall Council faced in its term I decided to put myself up for Par and St Blazey Gate. As that seat covered two parish councils I ran for both.  I didn't win the Cornwall Council Seat but I did get a seat on the two local councils.

What surprised you most about the role?
I must say that at the Town and Parish level the biggest surprise is that everyone works together no matter what their party allegiances. It's bemusing to hear Councillors gripe about decisions their government have made.

What do you think is the most important aspect of the Town/Parish Council?
I think most important aspect of working on council is taking on the extra duties of the council, not just sitting in the meetings. For example I sit on a community organisation committee,  I attend the local flood watch meetings and other try to help with other community groups.

What would you change if you could?
I like to think I've already changed the council meetings by simply not being afraid to ask questions of the clerk, my fellow councillors and the reporting Conservative Cornwall councillors.

What part of the role do you enjoy most?
There is an element of satisfaction which comes from being busy and it is great to partake in the community where the changes you help to make can be a daily visual reminder.

Do you feel you were well-prepared for the role?
I think that, as with any volunteer role, the role is what you make of it. You could certainly be a councillor and do less. The basic role is turning up for meetings.

What advice would you give someone thinking of standing?
I would encourage them to do so. So many communities seem to be tied together by too few people. From a Labour Party perspective it would help if our members got out into the communities and engaged their neighbours between elections.

What do you wish the electorate knew about the role of local councils?
I wish the electorate would understand the roles of different councils and pay more interest in their local communities. It’s not always clear what the local council is responsible and it depends on the council but if you see a problem in the community then reporting it to the local council is a start. As Cornwall Council struggles to provide services quite often local councils are picking up the slack! St. Blazey has just adopted a park, bought it’s “old” police station and is planning on building a community centre. Tywardreath and Par have adopted the public toilets on Par Beach and are looking at ways of keeping its library. 
​
How long have you been a local councillor?
I've been a councillor since May 2017.
 

​What got you interested in politics?
I have always been interested in politics. In my early twenties I joined my first political party, as a founding member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and at the same time developed an interest in environmental and ‘green’ issues which has continued ever since. For the last few years I have run a charity tackling fuel poverty in Cornwall, and the day to day stories of hardship and deprivation we come across keeps my political motivation very active.
 
Have you always voted?
Yes. When out canvassing some years ago, I met a retired schoolteacher whose mother had been a Suffragette. She told me she had always been keen to encourage her pupils to take an interest in political life and to build on what the campaigners in the 1900-10s had achieved. I have always taken the act of voting for whatever level of political institution very seriously and have encouraged my own daughters to do the same.
 
What made you stand as a local councillor?
In 2001 I went to the University of Plymouth as a mature student to study Politics and International Relations. I started my course two weeks after the 11 September terrorist attacks in the USA, which was a fascinating time to be studying politics. However, I decided I also wanted to get some hands-on local experience of political life to match my academic studies and got involved with the Lib Dems locally. I stood as a Councillor for Restormel Council and was elected for the first time in 2003. In 2005 I was appointed Leader of the Council and held that role until 2008; Restormel Council over that period was a Council in no over-all control and so I had the opportunity to work with politicians of all persuasions. I had a great opportunity to mix my post-graduate studies in local politics with the daily experience of leading a local Council.
 
What surprised you most about the role?
If you have perseverance there are a lot of things you can do to make a difference, and change things for the good and make a lasting difference. There are a lot of meetings when you think “well, that was unproductive” but overall with a clear plan it is possible to change things.
 
What do you think is the most important aspect of the Town/Parish Council?
Ultimately as elected members we are representing local people, the people who vote for us, and those who voted for other parties and for those who didn’t vote. We have to be a voice for people who often don’t think the structures of local government are listening to them. At times that can be difficult when the rules and regulations don’t allow us to take decisions that people think are the obvious and common sense (especially when to comes to planning decisions). A lot of people have become disengaged from local politics and don’t see it is relevant to them, unless they want a planning decision made or are complaining about Council Tax levels. An important aspect of our role as Councillors is to communicate what the Council can do and the difference we are making to local issues.
 
What would you change if you could?
In my political lifetime too much power has been pulled up to Westminster. In 1980s Mrs Thatcher took a lot of the power from Iocal government and centralised it in London; by selling off nationally owned businesses like the energy companies, privatising rail and bus companies, and selling off our council housing provision, the Conservatives created many of the problems we are facing today, such as the critical shortage of good quality homes. I want to play a part at recovering our national assets and bringing back a proper balance between the public and private sectors.    
 
What part of the role do you enjoy most?
I enjoy asking questions! Often I suspect they are seen as me being awkward, but asking questions starts discussions and gets people thinking. I think as a representative of my area I need to challenge the status quo and work for decisions that make things better for everyone, not just the powerful ‘few’.
I also enjoy representing my area; St Austell has a lot of challenges but it has a lot to offer and we need to have a positive vision for the town, and it is a privilege to be in a position where I can do something to enhance that.
 
Do you feel you were well-prepared for the role?
I guess because of my background and political studies I had done, I came to the role with a lot to offer and fitted into the role easily. I appreciate that being a Councillor is not for everyone, but a lot more people should give it a try. There is lots of support for the new councillor, while there is jargon and formal procedures to learn and understand, most of Council life is common sense and simply being prepared to give your opinion.
 
What advice would you give someone thinking of standing?
Go for it. It is a very worthwhile role and you never know where it might take you. Being a Councillor gives you a fresh perspective of a wide range of issues and concerns, and you can make a real difference. All you need to do is be ready to share your thoughts; others may disagree with you, but if you are willing to argue you case, you can have a big influence.
 
What do you wish the electorate knew about the role of local councils?
That while most of political coverage on the news is about national politics, a lot of day to day decisions that affect our everyday lives are made at the level of local councils. And so, getting involved at Town, Parish or County Council level can make a surprising difference.
 
How long have you been a local councillor?
I was first elected to stand as a Councillor for Mount Charles, St Austell in 2003 and was re-elected for the same ward in 2007. After Cornwall went Unitary in 2009, my job meant I was unable to stand again for the new Cornwall Council. However, I was able to stand again last year, 2017, and although was unsuccessful in a bid for Cornwall Council, was elected onto St Austell Town Council.

The government’s ‘roll out’ of Universal Credit’ continues and has already reached most areas of the country, with a few areas still to come. In St Austell & Newquay this is currently scheduled for May 2018 and if you want to check the date in your area you can use the following link. The government also keeps changing the date, so it as well to check!
https://ucpostcode.entitledto.co.uk/ucdate

It’s likely that all of us, if not affected directly, will know someone affected by the government switch to Universal Credit (UC). Labour has campaigned hard over recent months, calling for the Conservative government to ‘fix’ some of the worst aspects of UC before continuing the roll out. Whilst in some areas the launch dates have been put back (for example Exeter is now postponed until September 2018), but in Plymouth the roll out is happening now & St Austell & Newquay hasn’t been delayed. We therefore thought it might be helpful to give Socialist readers a quick overview of what it’s all about.

UC, whose idea was it?
UC was created by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition led by David Cameron and Nick Clegg, so if you hear any Lib Dems whinging about UC, gently remind them that without the Lib Dems it wouldn’t be happening. UC was originally announced at the Tory conference in 2010 by Iain Duncan Smith (remember him?) and he said it would bring “simplicity and fairness” to the benefit system. More of that later!

UC, what is it?
UC is a new benefit for working age people that replaces a number of other benefits. It is claimed online and there will be one monthly payment. The government think that this makes being on benefit feel the same as being in work. Of course, that’s because none of the people behind this have much (if any) experience of being on a zero hours contract, on national minimum wage and being paid weekly. So, if you are just about getting by and suddenly find that your income has dipped dramatically or even dried up, then the first thing you’ll find is that you get no money at all for several weeks. So, more people will be heading to the foodbanks then!

UC, what does it replace?
UC replaces

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit

 
Who does UC affect?
Eventually UC will affect everyone of working age who needs help to pay the bills. Initially though it will only affect people who make new claims, or who have a ‘change of circumstances’. Once the initial roll out is complete, people claiming ‘legacy’ benefits will be migrated across to the new benefit on a rolling program. According to the government this will start in 2019 and be complete in 2022, a full TWELVE YEARS after they started the program.
As a long-standing housing professional I am already aware of many cases where private landlords who used to be happy to accept housing benefit claimants, are starting to exclude people on UC. Unless this system is fixed, then over time anyone who pays rent and needs financial help is likely to find their situation made worse by the introduction of UC.

I’m in work so it won’t affect me, will it?
If you are in work and need to claim any benefit, such as money to help you pay the rent (currently housing benefit), or money to take care of your children (currently child tax credit), then yes it affects you too.

So, what’s the difference?
For the first time, UC means that even people in work can be sanctioned. For example, if you can’t prove that you’re doing enough to find a job on more hours or higher pay. Many commentators and journalists have described this aspect of UC as “punishing the working poor” and with good reason.

UC, what if you are self-employed?
If you have run your own business you will have to have records, such as a business plan, invoices and receipts. Your UC payment will be based on your actual earnings if you have been running your business for less than 12 months. This is called a ‘start-up period’. If you have been running your business for more than 12 months the DWP will assume you earn at least an amount called the ‘minimum income floor’. This is usually 35 times the national minimum wage, minus an amount for tax and NI. Because of this, some people will find though that they are being assessed as having a bigger income than they are actually getting and struggle to make ends meet as a consequence. Worse still, if your income goes up, your benefit goes down, but if your income goes down, UC may not be able to make up the difference.

Who will it hurt?
Anyone who is only just getting by, has no savings and suddenly finds their income disappearing, is in deep trouble. UC has been set up with a built-in delay period of six weeks until you get paid, which the government have since agreed to reduce to five weeks. For many that means getting into rent arrears and even struggling to feed their children. UC will affect the self-employed, people on low pay, people in insecure jobs and those who are suddenly affected by misfortune. Labour believes that UC is a bad system, made worse by the government failing to deal with problems that have been identified. Labour has consistently called for the roll out to be halted, whilst efforts are made to fix the worst problems. Unfortunately, and despite winning some concessions, we have a runaway government that appears unable to manage anything effectively.

​What about vulnerable people?
As with pretty much everything this government does, vulnerable people always seem to bear the brunt. The grim news is that almost 500,000 disabled people, including 100,000 children, will lose up to £2,000 a year (in some cases potentially even more) as a result of the switch to UC. Most of these will initially be unaware as for the time being existing claims will still be getting ‘legacy benefits’. However not only will time eventually catch up with them, but an innocuous event such as moving house, could suddenly cause them a dramatic drop in income.
A further twist is that unlike existing benefits, where a couple can both claim different benefits, UC can only be claimed and paid to one person. Many experts in domestic abuse fear that this could make it far harder for victims to flee, as many will have no access to money and will be wholly controlled by their abuser.

​Help! I think I need advice.
We cannot make this go away and we can’t fix it without driving the Conservatives out of office. However, there is help and advice out there.
 
https://www.entitledto.co.uk/
 
https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en
 
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
 
If you need help and advice, then use one of these links. Also, if you are unable to pay your rent and fall into arrears, then you need to deal with that as quickly as possible. The Citizens Advice Bureau (see above) may be able to help. Also, you may try Shelter, who have offices around the country.
http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/advice_services_directory/devon
 
 
This summary was originally produced by Kevin Neil for Labour Party members. Please feel free to share with any friends and neighbours who this might be relevant to.