Letter: Politics-free Councils Would Not Give Us What We Need

Published on: 20 Feb, 2026
Updated on: 20 Feb, 2026

From Vanessa King

Deputy GBC leader and Lib Dem borough councillor for Stoke

In response to: Parish and Town Councils Must Be Politics Free

Let me see if I understand former councillor and R4GV member John Redpath’s position clearly:

No political parties in a town or parish council – that is possible and in fact there are existing PCs that are constituted on that basis
Residents stand as Independents – although their political affiliations might be known or can be easily ascertained by simply asking
Abolish wards, because they create a political incubator – but wards create a framework whereby residents have a named individual who is their single point of contact and who can be held accountable when things don’t go right.

Would John Redpath prefer a system where issues go unresolved because there is no named person to be held responsible?

Wards as political incubators is a fantastic thing. Local residents can get involved with their communities at the tactical level, getting things done and providing services at street level that make life great for everyone.

If that leads to individual service at a different level of government, all the better. It can only be a positive thing if people understand more deeply how government and politics influences their daily lives, and see that most politicians are normal people who care deeply about their neighbours and communities and stand for elected office to serve others.

Yes, there are self-serving politicians, but those sorts of people exist in any area of life.

Mr Redpath asserts that members of a council should become experts in planning, experts in the needs of the elderly, experts in community, experts in heritage… but he does not expect to pay those experts for their expertise.

Councillors are, first and foremost, residents and they bring a great deal of expertise, but they cannot be expected to be experts in any and all areas that might impact 5,000+ residents.

Allowances at the borough and county level make it possible for people from all walks of life, all ages and stages to participate in their communities.

The suggestion that these allowances should be abolished risks creating councils that are not representative of the communities they serve and limits membership to those who can afford to become experts in a wide range of areas.

John Redpath’s suggestions would certainly not give us the best and would not ever give us what we need: councillors from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and ages that know about and care about their local area.

I am proud that our current council make up, while imperfect, goes some way to achieving that.