I serve as a councillor for Ravenhurst Ward on Braunstone Town Council. I’m not paid a salary for this role. I receive a modest allowance that barely covers my expenses of around £140 per year (a far cry from the attendance allowance MPs and Lords receive!), and I certainly don’t do this for recognition or thanks. I do it because I believe deeply in serving my community and making a tangible difference to the lives of residents in Braunstone Town and our wider community.
It’s becoming harder to deny that the current system of local democracy is broken, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to recruit good people to step forward and serve. This isn’t just a problem for councils, it’s a problem for every resident who expects their local area to be well-run and their voice to be heard.
The true cost of public service
When people think of councillors, they often imagine we simply attend one meeting a month, vote on a few matters, and collect a nice payment for our trouble. The reality couldn’t be further from the truth.
As a councillor for Ravenhurst Ward, my commitment extends far beyond the formal council meetings. I spend countless hours each week dealing with residents’ casework and issues around the area, helping people to navigate housing issues, resolving disputes with neighbours, advocating for better local services, and fighting for improvements to our community infrastructure.
I attend planning meetings, scrutiny sessions, and working groups. I respond to dozens of emails and phone calls from constituents. I’m out in the community attending residents’ meetings, visiting local organisations, and making myself available to anyone who needs help. Weekends and evenings aren’t my own, in fact that’s when most residents are free to contact me, so my weekends are rarely my own.
All of this whilst holding down employment, running a business to actually pay my bills, because the allowance I receive as a councillor certainly doesn’t cover my living costs, and rightfully so because if it did, there would be greater inclination to use my position for self-serving purposes. Recent research by LGC (Local Government Chronicle) confirms what many of us in local government already know: 86% of councils report difficulty recruiting and retaining candidates for local elections, and it’s no wonder why. With the rising cost of living, stagnating wages and rising consumer debts across the nation, people can’t afford to give up their time – they need all the overtime they can get.
We’re not in this for the money
The allowances councillors receive are termed exactly that; allowances, not salaries. This distinction might seem trivial, but it has real-world consequences that many people don’t appreciate.
Because my councillor allowance isn’t classified as income, many lenders and landlords don’t recognise it when assessing applications for mortgages or rental properties. Yet despite not being classed as income, these allowances are subject to tax. We’re in the peculiar position of being taxed on money that isn’t officially recognised as earnings.
For councillors in leadership positions serving as council leaders or cabinet members who receive Special Responsibility Allowances, the situation is even worse. These payments aren’t guaranteed for a full term of office, making them even less reliable in the eyes of financial institutions. Yet these roles are so time-intensive that combining them with paid employment is virtually impossible.
The Association of Democratic Services Officers, which supports LGC’s Councillors for the 21st Century campaign, has highlighted how this creates a real barrier to people taking on leadership roles in local government unless they’re independently wealthy or retired.
The sacrifice of time and family life
Perhaps the biggest sacrifice councillors make is time, this includes time away from our families, time away from hobbies and personal interests, time we could spend earning a proper income or advancing in our careers.
Evening meetings are standard in local government because that’s when working residents can attend. This means I’m regularly out when my family is having dinner or when my children are going to bed. Weekend commitments are frequent. Bank holidays? Those are often when community events happen, so I’m working then too. Our council meetings run from 7pm to most times past 10pm, rarely ending anywhere near 9pm.
And there’s no such thing as parental leave for councillors. Unlike virtually every employee in the country, councillors have no legal entitlement to time off when they have a child. Some councils have adopted voluntary parental leave policies, and whilst these work as well as possible within existing constraints, they’re not legally binding.
When a councillor does take time off for parental leave or serious illness, their colleagues have to pick up the additional casework and responsibilities. Yet there’s no mechanism to compensate those councillors for the extra work they’re doing. We just do it because it’s the right thing to do and because our residents deserve continuity of representation.
The growing problem of abuse and harassment
One of the most alarming trends in recent years has been the rise of online abuse directed at councillors. The LGC survey found that online abuse is now seen as the biggest deterrent to people standing for election.
I’ve experienced this firsthand. Make a decision that some residents disagree with, even when it’s legally required or in the broader community’s interest, and you can expect a torrent of abuse on social media. The comments aren’t just critical; they’re often vile, personal, and sometimes threatening.
“People are vile,” as one headline in the LGC research put it. Political parties across the spectrum are struggling to recruit candidates because good people simply don’t want to expose themselves and their families to this level of vitriol.
And here’s what makes it even more frustrating: much of this abuse comes from a fundamental misunderstanding of what councils can actually do and the constraints we operate under. Residents expect us to solve every problem, often not realising that funding has been slashed, that certain decisions are mandated by central government, or that we’re legally required to balance competing priorities and interests.
The lack of public understanding
Three-quarters of councillors who responded to the LGC survey described public understanding of the councillor role as poor or very poor. This is perhaps our biggest challenge.
Most residents have little idea of what Braunstone Town Council actually does, what powers we have, or what constraints we operate under. They don’t understand the difference between town councils, district councils, and county councils. They don’t realise that many of the issues they complain about are actually the responsibility of different tiers of government.
When I’m able to help a resident solve a problem like getting a pothole fixed, resolving a planning dispute, securing funding for a local project, they’re grateful. But unless someone has personally needed a councillor’s help, they rarely appreciate the work we do or the hours we put in. In fact, most people don’t even know what we do!
As one survey respondent noted: “The UK needs political education. Most people do not understand what councils do or even what parliament does. To be a true democracy we need voters to understand the powers and responsibilities of the people they are voting for.”
This isn’t an academic concern. Democracy requires informed citizens who understand how decisions are made, who makes them, and what trade-offs are involved. Without this understanding, we get knee-jerk reactions, social media pile-ons, and good people deciding that public service simply isn’t worth the grief.
Why councils struggle to attract diverse candidates
The current system means that being a councillor is really only feasible if you fall into one of three categories: you’re retired, you’re wealthy enough to afford a significant reduction in working hours and income, or you have family support that allows you to manage the additional commitment.
This is terrible for democracy. Council chambers should reflect the communities they serve, but they increasingly don’t. Young people, working parents, those in lower-paid employment, and anyone without independent means finds it extremely difficult to serve as a councillor.
Survey respondents expressed serious concern that without reform, the role will continue to be dominated by the wealthy and retired. This isn’t because these people don’t make excellent councillors, many do, but because we’re missing out on the perspectives and experiences of large sections of our community.
The introduction of larger unitary authorities through Local Government Reorganisation will only make this worse. Larger councils mean greater workloads for individual councillors and even less feasibility of combining the role with caring responsibilities or a job that actually pays the bills.
The problem with “lazy” councillors
Here’s something many residents don’t realise: because the payment is termed an allowance rather than a salary, some councillors treat it as optional pocket money rather than compensation for genuine work.
Political parties, desperate for candidates, sometimes downplay the commitment involved. They tell potential candidates that all that’s required is attending one meeting every six months and voting as directed by the party. This low bar means that occasionally people get elected who have no real commitment to serving their community.
As one frustrated survey respondent put it: “If you can sign your name you can stand. It’s ludicrous. Poorly educated, thick people who are computer illiterate get elected and have no clue.”
This is harsh, but it reflects a genuine problem. When some councillors do the bare minimum whilst others are working twenty or thirty hours a week on top of their employment, it breeds resentment and makes the hard-working councillors’ jobs even harder. Residents don’t distinguish between conscientious councillors and lazy ones, they judge us all by the worst examples.
What we actually do for Braunstone Town
Despite all these challenges, I continue to serve as a councillor for Ravenhurst Ward because the work is genuinely rewarding when you can make a difference.
Councillors responding to the LGC survey identified delivering tangible improvements to their area and helping residents solve problems through casework as the most rewarding aspects of the role. This is certainly true for me.
In Braunstone Town, councillors work tirelessly to secure improvements to local infrastructure, fight for better services, represent residents’ views on planning applications, and advocate for our community at higher tiers of government. We maintain local facilities, organise community events, and provide a vital link between residents and the various agencies that affect their lives.
When a resident comes to me with a problem and I’m able to help resolve it, that’s deeply satisfying. When I can secure funding for a local project that improves our community, or successfully campaign for a dangerous road to be made safer, or help preserve a valued local amenity, that makes the long hours and personal sacrifice worthwhile.
But we shouldn’t have to choose between serving our community and being able to support ourselves and our families. We shouldn’t have to accept abuse as part of the job. And we shouldn’t have to work within a system that makes it nearly impossible for anyone who isn’t retired or wealthy to step forward.
Why reform is urgently needed
The LGC’s Councillors for the 21st Century campaign is calling on the government to review the system of payment and support for councillors. This isn’t about councillors being greedy or self-serving; it’s about ensuring our democracy functions properly.
Over a century ago, the argument was won that MPs should be paid a salary to ensure people from all walks of life could represent their communities. Why are we still running local democracy on a shoestring?
The campaign isn’t necessarily calling for councillors to be salaried. Many of us, myself included, worry about preserving the deep community roots that characterise most councillors. But nobody should be prevented from representing their community because they literally cannot afford to do so.
Reform could include proper recognition of councillor allowances as income, legal entitlement to parental leave and other basic employment rights, standardisation of allowances to remove the huge and seemingly arbitrary variations between similar councils, and an independent body to set allowances so councillors don’t have to vote on their own pay (something MPs haven’t done for over a decade).
The creation of larger unitary authorities provides a perfect opportunity to address these issues. Standardisation of structures across the country is the ideal time to look at fundamental questions about how we support and compensate elected representatives.
Democracy under threat
This might all sound a bit idealistic or even unfashionable. In today’s climate, where voters routinely dismiss politicians as “all the same” and insurgent political parties from both ends of the spectrum encourage cynicism about democratic institutions, calling for better support for councillors isn’t exactly popular.
But it’s urgently necessary. Around the world, democracy, already a minority pursuit globally, appears to be in retreat. It’s in national government’s interest, as well as local government’s, to improve public understanding of how decisions are made and who makes them.
We also need citizens to recognise their responsibility to stay well-informed, to understand the constraints public servants operate under, and to resist the temptation to seek out inflammatory social media posts that simply confirm their prejudices.
Councillors are on the frontline of our democracy. We’re the most accessible elected representatives, the ones residents can actually speak to and hold accountable face-to-face. Treating us with the respect we deserve, and ensuring the roles attract capable candidates from across the political spectrum and all sections of society, would be a good place to start.
My commitment to Ravenhurst Ward and Braunstone Town
Despite everything I’ve outlined above, I remain committed to serving as councillor for Ravenhurst Ward. I believe in Braunstone Town, I believe in our community, and I believe that local democracy matters.
I want residents to understand that when you contact me about an issue, when you see me at a community event, or when you question a decision the council has made, you’re dealing with someone who has chosen to dedicate hundreds of hours of unpaid time to trying to make our area better.
I’m not asking for sympathy, and I’m certainly not complaining about my choice to serve. But I am asking for understanding. Understand that we’re volunteers who have other commitments, families, and jobs. Understand that we’re constrained by budgets, legal requirements, and the reality that we can’t please everyone all the time. Understand that abuse and harassment don’t make us better representatives; but they drive good people away from public service.
And if you’re reading this and thinking that you’d like to make a difference in Braunstone Town, that you have skills and perspectives that would benefit our community, please consider standing for election. We need you. We need people from all backgrounds, all ages, all walks of life to step forward.
Yes, it’s challenging. Yes, it requires sacrifice. Yes, the current system is far from perfect. But the work we do matters, and representing your community is one of the most meaningful things you can do.
Local democracy only works when good people are willing to serve. Braunstone Town deserves councillors who reflect the diversity and talents of our community. But for that to happen, we need systemic change to make the role sustainable for people who aren’t retired or independently wealthy.
Until then, those of us who have stepped forward will continue to do our best for our communities, working long hours for modest allowances, because someone needs to, and because we believe that local democracy is worth fighting for.
If you’re a resident of Ravenhurst Ward or anywhere in Braunstone Town and you need help with an issue, please don’t hesitate to contact me. That’s what I’m here for. I might not always be able to solve your problem, but I’ll always listen, I’ll always try my best, and I’ll always put the interests of our community first.
That’s what public service means. That’s why I do this. And that’s why we urgently need reform to ensure that future generations of councillors can continue to serve their communities without having to make impossible choices between public service and personal financial stability.