Forum Topic

Councillor's Special Expertise/Interests

I very rarely find I need to contact The Council, but something happened recently where I thought I should contact "somebody" for clarification of the issue.I Googled, and several names were possibilities, e,g, there were three people who were councilors for my ward, there were people who were on the committees for the question I needed answering etc.To narrow it down I looked for the three councilors in terms of what was their career progression, who had done what etc.Nothing special, I wanted to to link a ward with experience.Finding their pevious experience seemed impossible.Anyway, it looked like the best bet was a chap called Steve Curran, but I didn't know how to double check that.  This question is not about SC specifically but I was surprised to find that the only SC hits said that he was a councilor, I couldn't find out what he knew and didn't know about from his earlier career.I apologize again for being so naive, but I remember seeing the name Seema Malhotra many years ago in the discussions about the "Brentford Market" and thinking that Seema seemed unbelievably interested in a local market?Now that it's Seema Malhotra MP, I understand her interest in regenerating the High Street etc.So, to summarize, if one wants to know what Steve Curran's special skill are, what his job was previously (of course, I mean any councilor) - how does one find out what they might be good at and less good at?Thanks...Dave.

David Johnson ● 4318d9 Comments

Afraid so - a retrograde step in my opinion.

Vanessa Smith ● 4316d

GuyYou make some fair points. Background against diligence and application?I am pleased though that unlike others we are not as a group 'in special measures' nor are any of my colleagues incurring LBH costs of £45k plus without any local Labour censure.

John Todd ● 4316d

I would go further than that and say that since the abolition of the committee system the interest, or for that matter the opinion, of most members has become more or less irrelevant.

Phil Andrews ● 4317d

This is made more complicated since the 'committee system' was abandoned, wrongly in my view. From the membership of various committees it was probably easier to gauge where a member's interest lay.

Vanessa Smith ● 4317d

What type of person are you looking for?A carpenter, bricklayer, plumber, electrician, barrister, lawyer, accountant, IT person, filling clerk, receptionist, gardener, A Dragon, Community pioneer, professional politician, under graduate, doctor, teacher, trade union official. There are three Councillors per ward surly you can visit them at their surgeries and ask point black what their interests are.The direct honest approach is far better than trying to find out through the back door on a public forum

Paul Allen ● 4317d

Thank you.  All three of the replies were helpful but they do seem to confirm that it is difficult to form an opinion (say, by using Google) as to whether a councilor, any councilor, has a background which may influence positively or negatively their thinking on any particular current matter.

David Johnson ● 4318d

Yes John, but it doesn't answer David's quite pertinent question.All it tells us about (for example) you is that you are a Conservative, a Councillor, live in Chiswick, serve on various committees and are otherwise unemployed.It doesn't tell us your profession - I am assuming you have or had one - your education, expertise, special interests etc.I agree this is not necessary when looking for help from a councillor but it is nevertheless interesting and disclosing it for all councillors would aid transparency or, more to the point, help people understand what their politicians are about.As to others from your group being more experienced, who can tell as nothing much is disclosed, though it's true that many of 'your group' are what you might call venerable :-)

Guy Lambert ● 4318d

DavidYou may wish to look at http://democraticservices.hounslow.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx which lists all Cllrs and their recorded interests.I couldnt possible comment on your choice of Cllr  S. Curran but others from our group are more experienced - in my view.

John Todd ● 4318d

All councillors have different interests, but any ward councillor should be able to help you. Most councillors who work outside their political role work in many varying jobs and careers and these rarely have anything to do with the role they fulfil on the council. Once you are elected you have a whole new world to negotiate which can take a while to familiarise yourself with, there is no 'career progression' or formal learning as such in local politics, or in national politics for that matter, unless you count a promotion to a more responsible role.

Vanessa Smith ● 4318d