Councillors stand down as family men say it can be hard
A NUMBER of Neath Port Talbot Council members have decided not to stand in this week’s local government elections.
When Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council (NPTCBC) last week published the names of all the candidates who were standing on May 5, it was revealed that 12 council members would not be running for re-election.
Seven Labour councillors will be stepping down, including long-standing members Doreen Jones and Arwyn Woolcock.
Doreen, who has been a councillor for 33 years, sitting on West Glamorgan County Council before it was disbanded in 1996, says she feels it is time to hand over the reins.
“I have enjoyed my time in politics,” said Doreen, who has been the cabinet member for corporate services and equality for the past five years.
“I am still a political animal, but I think it is time for change now.”
Doreen says she will continue to be involved in the community and maintain her volunteering role at Neath Port Talbot’s Safe and Well service.
Reflecting on her time as on the council, the former member for Aberdulais said: “One of [my] biggest achievements is being able to help the individuals.
“People only see the big picture. They don’t see the little picture, which is helping individuals [with] what could be small things to you or [me], but to that particular person [it] is a big thing that causes them sleepless nights. To be able to help someone when they have got those problems is, to me, more important than all of the razzmatazz.”
Jane Jones, the only Independent councillor who decided not to stand for re-election, said she also looks back on her time at NPTCBC with fondness representing the Gwynfi ward.
Jane, who is not standing again due to health reasons, said: “I support a lot of people in the village. There are a lot of groups that I will still be associated with and I will always be here for anyone who needs help.”
First elected in 2004, Jane lost her seat in 2012 before being re-elected in 2018.
Speaking of her time as councillor, Jane said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed it.”
The role of a councillor is not without its challenges, as former Plaid Cymru councillor Jamie Evans, who is not standing for re-election, pointed out.
Jamie, 26, was the youngest ever candidate to be elected at NPTCBC when he gained his seat, Neath South, at the age of just 21 in 2017.
“I am in my mid-20s, I have just bought a house [and] I need to be financially stable. I couldn’t do that [as a councillor],” said Jamie.
“I didn’t stand as a councillor for the money. That wasn’t a consideration, but
I can’t pay my mortgage on the wage that comes with being a councillor.”
Jamie pointed to the issue as a major factor in discouraging young people to take on the role of a councillor, saying that it is why he thinks there are “so many middle-class, middle-aged [or] older people doing it.”
He added: “It is just a top-up for a lot of [councillors]. If the pay was enough to survive on, you would get better representation. You would get people from more diverse backgrounds. You would get people that have lived on zero hour contracts [or] parents who are working a job in the evenings.”
Jamie, who will be focusing on his new job at Plaid Cymru, said hybrid meetings – the option of attending council meetings virtually, which NPTCBC has stuck with even after lockdown – is one step in the right direction. However, he said more needed to be done.
He added: “I think the timing of meetings could perhaps be looked at. [At some councils] they meet in the evening.
“It adds to your work day, but in any job you might have to work over time or longer hours. At least if you have a meeting in the evening, unless you work nights or you are already working overtime in your job, then you would be able to attend.”
Three other Plaid councillors at NPTCBC have not put their names up for re-election this year, including Del Morgan, Scott Bamsey and Linet Purcell.
Scott Bamsey said it had also been difficult for him as a younger member to juggle his job and family life around being a councillor. “It is a bit too much,” said Scott. “A lot of people don’t realise how busy the role is. It is 24/7.”
Scott, who works at Tata Steel, thinks more could be done to draw in younger candidates.
“When I first started I was able to nip out to meetings, but because I have got a more responsible job [at Tata] now, when I am working I am really struggling to attend [them].
“If I am not making half the meetings then it is really difficult doing the job.”
Despite the challenges, Scott said he could still look back on his time as a councillor with fondness.
He added: “I really enjoyed it. I have learnt a lot and I would like to think that I have contributed a lot to the community. When you are in opposition it is obviously harder to get things done.
“I have met loads of great people and residents. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Scott, who said he would use the time that had been freed up to focus on his job and help look after his two children, added he might not be turning his back on the council for good.
“That is not to say that I wouldn’t go back to it in the future,” he said.
“It is something I have enjoyed and if circumstances change in the future and if I have the time to [give it] 100 per cent then I will definitely stand again.
“It is difficult to get into politics. We are paid a fair wage for doing it, but it is not enough [to] raise a family on.
“I don’t know what the answer is to get more youngsters into politics. It is a tough one, but it is what we need.
“We need more youngsters to have a broader perspective in the council.”
You can view the names of all the candidates who are standing for each ward in Neath Port Talbot this year on the NPTCBC website.