Game boy futures One of the regular brickbats thrown at local government is that it is dominated by men of a certain age. This situation is unlikely to improve with the news that a 23-year-old councillor has announced he is stepping down next year after becoming disillusioned with politics. Cllr Rowan Cole, who has been a member of Elmbridge BC for two years, told his local newspaper he had become frustrated at his inability to get things done. ‘At times the system, as it stands, has been disillusioning and has frustrated my ability to make the changes I have wanted,' said Cllr Cole. Diary would like to start a campaign to encourage younger people to embrace the joys of their local council chamber. Perhaps a multi-player ‘shoot 'em up' computer game is called for, with characters defeating rogue planning applications and licensing requests. Move over Call of Duty, it's time for Committee of Duty: Overview and Scrutiny!