A week in the life of a newly elected councillor
WE FOLLOWED BECA ROBERTS THROUGH HER FIRST DAYS ON THE JOB
THE start of May saw local elections take place across the country, for much of Gwynedd this meant seats for Plaid Cymru and independents taking centre stage.
But once the votes were all counted up, and the applause died down, many not directly involved with the election may be left wondering what’s next for these new councillors.
So, to offer some insight into the day-to-day job for our local councillors, we caught up with Beca Roberts, the newly elected representative of Tregarth and Mynydd Llandygai as she navigates her first week.
Beca was elected as part of Plaid Cymru by a substantial lead of 466 votes over the Labour candidate last Friday.
Her victory is of particular note to the party, as Plaid fielded several younger candidates in Gwynedd for the election, showing the groups commitment to the future of politics.
Beca Roberts said on the day: “I’m really excited and overwhelmed with all the support.
The people of Tregarth and Mynydd Llandygai clearly want a young, dynamic woman as their councillor so I’m really excited to get involved, get started and really get my teeth into some of the issues.”
SUNDAY
Council work waits for no one. Before Beca’s first official day on the job, Plaid hold a meeting for all 44 of their newly elected councillors in Gwynedd, from which the group elect a leader of their own. Their role is help keep all the councillors working together.
New councillors also get a chance to meet and discuss any big changes planned over the next few years.
MONDAY
The official first day. Beca already has messages coming in from the community, the majority concerning upcoming changes to the No. 76 bus route.
Beca says: “Going greener is a big focus for Plaid Cymru and me, public transport is central to that, so I’ll be prioritising looking into that over next few weeks.”
Beyond the buses, Beca’s keen to make a start on one of her big promises from her campaign, supporting community spaces. She jumps straight in and begins looking into what funding and grants are available.
TUESDAY
Community group Dyffryn Gwyrdd had arranged a litter pick in Tregarth, which Beca joins, saying: “It was really lovely to get know some of the people who had supported me in the election, and chat with them about plans going forward.”
Former councillor for the area Dafydd Owen is on hand to help out as well, with Beca adding “it was like a handing over the baton”.
WEDNESDAY
This day is “a mixture of excitement and nerves,” according to Beca. It’s all about getting all the elected councillors together in the council chamber in Caernarfon. The 69 members were split into two groups – one on Tuesday and Beca’s group on Wednesday, as the council retains some Covid restrictions.
“It was bit scary going into the chambers for the first time,” Beca says.
“The staff, though, were really helpful and took us through everything, giving us lots of care and attention.”
“I had a chance to put names to faces and it was nice to discover how many were still working a full-time job on top of their council duties, as I am.
“All this before we got to take our chair in the chamber for the first time as well, along with getting to hang out with the other councillors – an exciting experience all round.
THURSDAY
After an exciting day on Wednesday it’s back to business, focusing on getting to grips with the intranet systems, and who to contact for various needs.
Once that is done, Beca says: “I really wanted to make it clear how constituents can get in touch with me.
“Some people have expressed over not knowing how to get in touch, so I’ve been getting that information out there any way I can, through traditional methods but a lot of Facebook and Instagram.
“I want people to feel comfortable about getting in touch. I’ve already had a load of positive messages from people offering congratulations and support, and I want anyone to be able to reach out to me in that way.”
FRIDAY
Other than speaking with us here at the Daily Post, the key job for Friday is to meet and work through the hand over with former councillor Dafydd Owen.
This transition period is important, as it allows Dafydd to pass key contacts and in-progress projects over to Beca, thus ensuring nothing is lost.
With a busy first week over and done, we ask Beca how she thought it went.
She says: “It wasn’t as overwhelming as I’d expected. I really enjoy the work I’m doing; it makes a lot of sense to me. People want to feel heard and that will remain a main project for me throughout my time as councillor.”