Dear Paul What motivated you to stand as a councillor? Have you ever asked the members of your authority why they stood for election in the first place? And what might motivate people who, hitherto, have not even considered the idea? As a psychiatrist, I'm supposed to know a thing or two about motivation, but I'd rather hear from others about what they think. And this month, my Commission on Local Councillors will be asking just this question on its website. It's clearly a complex area – anything concerning human behaviour is – with many factors at play. We know that the overwhelming majority of councillors reported in one study wanted ‘to serve their community'. But what does that really mean? We want to unpick this and dig deeper. What is it that triggers people to take the step to becoming a candidate? And what prevents them from doing so? Interestingly, almost three in 10 councillors say the reason they stood is because ‘they were asked', so we need to find out more about who is and who isn't being asked to stand and why. We do know people from black and minority ethnic communities are far less likely to be asked than their white counterparts. Those who say that political parties are fundamental to improving representation are absolutely right, and our analysis must look right at the beginning, at grass-roots level, to fully understand why a lack of representation persists at the top. Political parties can act as exclusive clubs and will collude with their own downfall if so. The figures on representation speak for themselves. Less than 4% of councillors are from a black and minority ethnic background. The average age of a councillor is going up, now 58. And 100 years after women won the right to stand for town hall elections, fewer than three in 10 councillors are women. That doesn't mean current councillors aren't doing a good job or making a valuable contribution. But surely, we must look at those barriers which exist, and work towards overcoming them so that we can enrich our stock of local representatives and no longer miss out on quality potential candidates. If we are serious about the legitimacy and credibility of local government and about councillors acting as an effective bridge between their constituents and the authority, then the present situation is simply not sustainable. In Camden, we managed to increase the number of councillors from black and minority ethnic backgrounds from an utterly feeble one, to a not-great-but-much-better six, in one heave. Leicester City, Bristol City and Blackpool Councils have done some good work too. Common threads are proactively reaching out to people, letting them know what life as a councillor is like, and asking and encouraging them to stand. Political commitment is key. And once in office, what about the support offered to councillors in order that they can fulfil their role most effectively? Training and skills development needs to improve, as does the flexibility offered by employers who can do much more to recognise the mutual benefits of supporting employees who represent their community. Perhaps validation and accreditation of those skills acquired could be formalised? And yes, you will hear from us on remuneration, but there is no simple answer nor a panacea here, as Mr Wheeler made clear in his open letter to me. Support for child care is crucial, and more upfront recognition that councillors properly have lives, families, and work to balance. How can councillors effectively carry out their role when their lives become more and more distant from those of their constituents? So, less time in formal meetings – as JK Galbraith memorably observed: ‘Meetings are indispensable when you don't want to do anything.' But let's also think more widely about image and perception. Why should anyone be motivated to stand as a local councillor if they either know nothing about what local government does, or know only of tax, parking fines and the condescension meted out to local government in the media and elsewhere? Local and central government, schools as well as the media could do so much more. And you know what? I loved almost every minute of being both a ward councillor and leader of my authority. It was a fantastic job and an extraordinary privilege. Maybe we should shout a little more about the good things. n Yours, Dame Jane Roberts Dame Jane Roberts is chair of the Commission on Local Councillors
