Four Meetings and an Induction

Yes, it has certainly been a week of meetings, starting with the local branch, which is where Labour Party members who live in the ward get together each month.  A bit strange as I’m used to going to these in my own ward, Castle, and technically speaking as I don’t live in Townhill - the ward I represent covering Townhill, Mayhill and Gors - I can’t take part, at least not voting.  But I was still made welcome and was able to show them the literature I’d started to introduce, like Birthday Cards for all 18 year olds.  One of my aims is to try and re-engage people in ‘politics’, to get them to take an interest in where they live, their neighbours, their community, get them to vote, even if they spoil their ballot papers.  Quite a challenge I know and I’m not expecting any overnight success whatsoever.  But if you don’t try then you definitely wont succeed! 

So where else have I been?
- final induction session (for now at least) this time looking at the councillor handbook, which provided lots more on practical help for us as councillors
- another Labour Group meeting, more or less to finalise chair, secretary etc who will then run it on a day to day basis

Phoenix Centre

- then full council meeting, Annual Meeting no less, which was possibly the politest political meeting I have ever been to, probably because mainly just confirmed decisions that had already been agreed; no doubt will be the last time that happens!
- and finally the Hill Community Development Trust meeting, which sort of does what ‘it says on the tin’, held in the Phoenix Centre; again made to feel very welcome but took a back seat for this, my first, meeting.


With luck next week will be a bit quieter – somewhere along the line I really do need to get back to business, my business that is!

Les

And more induction!

Years ago you got a job and had to get on with it, in at the deep end where you either swam or sank.  Sadly there are still organisations that think this is acceptable, so it’s very refreshing when you come across one that realises induction can benefit not just the new employee but the organisation itself.  And I have to say the sessions, whilst pretty heavy going at times,  have all been very helpful and run by officers who know their stuff, are willing to share it, and to answer anything put to them - as one remarked ‘ there are no silly questions’ which I find very heartening.  And fortunately for me I’m pleasantly surprised how much knowledge I’ve gained over the years, about councils, how they work etc.  It's great to have so much of it affirmed, so I haven’t been completely overwhelmed with new information.

Tuesday 15th - my first ever ‘full’ council meeting!  But not here - this is where councillors used to meet, but since the 'new' civic centre was built we hold them all in the chamber there.

The former Council Chamber, Guildhall

Since then I have fitted in more induction (whilst preparing Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) draft budgets for 12-13 – I’m Treasurer of the branch here in Swansea but also Regional Treasurer, which covers the whole of South Wales, and as such I co-ordinate all the other 5 branch budgets as well!) and finished the week by going to ‘Labour Group Annual General Meeting (AGM) Part 2’ yesterday afternoon.  “What?”  To explain, each lot of councillors belonging to the same party will almost definitely form it’s own ‘group’ to meet regularly, especially before a full council meeting.  So not surprisingly us Labour Councillors call ours ‘Labour Group’ and historically (not sure why) the AGM gets split into 2, the first one to elect Leader & Deputy, and confirm who the Lord Mayor & Deputy will be.  In this second one we finished electing those who would run the Labour Group on a day to day basis - Chair, Treasurer etc - but also learnt who’d got the cabinet posts ie the people who would take lead responsibility for a specific area of council policy – some old hands and some fresh blood, but definitely not me as I’m only just coping with the being-a-councillor bit!  

Next week I find out whether or not I get on the committees & outside bodies I've asked for so watch this space!

Les

Diary of a Councillor - the beginning

Some of you may have already clocked that I am now a councillor.  For any of you who find that surprising just read on ...

Sunday 13th May 2012 

One week on …

Oh Boy!  The past few days have gone from one extreme to another – from euphoria to terror, from  ‘wow, fanastic’ to ‘oh my god, what have I let myself in for?!’  I can’t deny that in the past I have said quite openly that I needed to be a councillor like I needed a hole in the head, but things change, and I’ve changed.  Hopefully not my natural caring nature, but I’m now stronger so can withstand the sniping at Labour – the negative comments in the paper started from day one (fortunately there were positive ones too which helped) – and of course the ‘game’ of politics has rules that are open to any & every interpretation, and goalposts that move so quickly that if you blink they’ve already gone!

Swansea Civic Centre and Council Offices

So what’s happened so far?  Well, apart from gaining 48 fellow Labour councillors and being part of regaining the council, I’ve also gained a pigeon hole, filing cabinet drawer, pass, council e-mail address (and 14 e-mails even before I’ve done anything!), had my photo taken, and received so much information my brain’s on fire.  Had a guided tour around the cabinet corridor and the offices of the Leader & Deputy, been allocated an admin support assistant, who I have made good use of already, and attended an interesting but very ‘heavy’ day’s induction giving an overview on the different services provided by the council, and the role of the Chief Executive (who rather weirdly was my bosses boss for a few months at Swansea College).  And most importantly found the staff canteen!

Les

PS    I expect I’ve forgotten something!
PPS    Still I don’t really believe I’m a councillor!!
PPPS    Couldn’t have done it without Jeff – he’s a diamond!!!