Acknowledging error is crucial to progress

It is interesting how U-turns are viewed with such distain in the world of politics, yet are part of the fabric in the world of entrepreneurship.

U-turns are what entrepreneurs are made of – “We tried this, it didn’t work, so we tried something else.”

And so it goes on until you have success. Somehow in government you are seen as a failure if you make ‘a U-turn’; you will be perceived as weak.

The notion was no doubt strengthened by Margaret Thatcher’s 1980 ‘The lady’s not for turning’ remark.

How refreshing it is for someone like me to hear Boris Johnson acknowledge his error of judgement in the capacity of wind power.

I have no problem with admitting to making a mistake.

I have made many.

I am only 57, so will no doubt make many more.

I was quick to teach my children to own up to their own mistakes to such an extent that one of their junior school teachers still teases me for the openness of one of their particularly stark and public confessions.

I see it as a strength, almost a super power, and it disarms those who find such an unbosoming humiliating.

In government you are scrutinised at every turn, so how do you test things out without making mistakes?

The truth is that you can’t.

Even in local government our attempt to be entrepreneurial is exhausting for many who work here.

With the lowest council tax outside of London we are already severely restricted by resources.

So, to the frustration of my officers no doubt, in my two portfolios of climate change and sustainability, and parks & countryside, we make the odd U-turn, or at least right turn.

Last September, as a new councillor, I was elected to cabinet with the climate change por tfolio.

The council was committed to delivering an environmental and climate change strategy within a year.

Lacking internal resources and funding, we gathered the community around us and developed a vision.

That vision and strategy was subsequently published, went out to public consultation, and will come before cabinet in December as a far stronger strategy.

If approved by cabinet we will go into delivery phase.

I am sure we will make some U-turns along the way.

But they will be in the right direction – as we move swiftly towards reducing our carbon footprint and improving the wellbeing and sustainability of our great borough. Cllr DONNA STIMSON Royal Borough lead member for climate change, sustainability, parks and countryside