I recently took part in a survey to find out the profile of Councillors and how they saw their role. Here are some of the findings from the survey's final report.
1 Most councillors (68.4 per cent) were male, 30.8 per cent were female .
2. The proportion of female councillors has increased from 27.8 per cent in 1997 when the last census was carried out.
3 The average age of councillors has increased from 55.4 years in 1997 to 58.8 years in 2008.
4.96.6 per cent of councillors were white and 3.4 per cent came from an ethnic minority background.
While I fit exactly the profile of what most Councillors are like in the UK ie about 59, male and white it concerns me that people in general are represented by such a narrow section of the population and leads me to ask why individuals who do not fit into this category do not stand as Councillors. Is it because:
a. they do not think it is a worthwhile thing to be doing
b. they don't want the hassle
c. they haven't got the time
d. they can't afford it financially
e. they are not encouraged to stand
f. they see the Council chamber to be dominated by 60 something year old white males and that puts them off.
I would be interested in reader's views about this issue
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