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Local Government: Young at Heart Publication Date: January 8th, 2007 Authored by: Anthony Brand

This new e-pamphlet Young at Heart warns that local government will continue to be unrepresentative of its communities unless it attracts more young people to become councillors.

An NLGN survey uncovered strong support from young councillors for better pay and conditions. The survey also found that over three-quarters of those interviewed admitted to finding it difficult to simultaneously hold down a full-time job and perform their duties as councillor.

83% surveyed agreed that “I find it difficult to work in full-time employment and perform my duties as a councillor”. 68% agreed that all councillors should receive child care support and a pension scheme, whilst 84% agreed that executive councillors should be paid a salary.

The survey comes on the day that NLGN publishes a new pamphlet, Local Government: Young at Heart? warning that local government will continue to be unrepresentative of its communities unless it attracts more young people to become councillors.

The pamphlet – available to download free from www.nlgn.org.uk – argues that local government risks losing a golden generation of young politicians because they are turned off by unresponsive councils, lack of career options and poor conditions.

It argues that young councillors under 30 should be allocated a “PPS” role (equivalent to a Ministers’ Parliamentary Private Secretary) to an Executive councillor to give them a better understanding of how local government functions and that they should receive a more competitive reward system to allow them to maintain a career outside politics and their council duties.

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