An inspirational Induction Programme & Launch Event – 22nd October

It surprises me entering Central Hall, and then the Houses of Parliament, that today feels different from the previous occasions I have been to both. Why do today’s events feel like the start of a new journey? I shared the concerns of many about the direction in which New Labour has taken the country; also the disquiet at the double standards practiced by so many politicians. It was clear to me that simply voting in elections was no longer enough. I had therefore decided to join the Conservative Party, to become active politically, and to use my skills and experience to help shape the future in whatever way I could. But I am still not sure where it will lead. Only one way to find out…get stuck in, cross those symbolic thresholds.

It is exciting to meet the fifty women selected for the Shadowing Scheme and to renew acquaintance with those I met at the initial workshop and interviews. What a diverse range of talent. Each one is remarkable in her individual way. The marvelous speakers invited by Operation Black Vote (OBV) to address us generate a strong sense of solidarity and purpose. The personal accounts which we hear from Mimi Harker, MP Dawn Butler, and MP Diane Abbott do not gloss over the hard work, frustrations and challenges of entering public service. However, they also emphasis the satisfaction and sense of fulfillment that comes from making real changes to improve the lives of individuals and communities, especially of those less able to assert their rights.

Striding out on my own

Inspired by the launch event, I embark on some research of my own while waiting to hear who I will be shadowing. I have come to know (and, more importantly, like) several Councillors and a few Cabinet Members in Westminster through my role as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of NHS Westminster and my other activities in the community. I could start by finding out more about their responsibilities and workload, and what motivates them to devote so much time and energy to it. I get in touch with two who live near me, and they immediately agree to meet me over tea to describe their work and answer my questions.

Councillor Carolyn Keen is one of the three who represent my ward. She and her family are devoted to public service and she was recently Lord Mayor of Westminster. She alerts me to the fact that Westminster’s unique nature generates a particularly high workload for Councillors – consider the volumes of licensing applications associated with pubs, bars, clubs, restaurants, theatres etc in central London, and of planning applications arising from having so many conservation districts and listed buildings. There is a major civic renewal programme underway, with emphasis on clean streets, community protection and regeneration projects. From a practical perspective, she notes that some Committees meet in the daytime and others in the evening. Membership of Committees dealing with adoption or “looked after” children can be emotionally demanding. These insights make me think more closely about which areas of Council work I would most wish to get involved with. She also kindly makes arrangements for me to attend and observe a Ward Committee meeting to meet local party activists, learn about local issues and hear about their work at the grassroots level.

Councillor Gwyneth Hampson represents a neighbouring ward. It falls within a different Parliamentary constituency than the one I live in and is currently held by Labour. She takes my education a lot further. She invites me to attend and observe a ward surgery she holds on a Saturday morning in the local library with her colleagues. Although it was well advertised, no-one turns up specifically to see them. Instead, the Councillors introduce themselves to people who are using the library or just walking past in the street and ask if there is anything they could help with. In general, almost everyone seemed content with Council services; however, after a lot of thought, a few identified minor issues such as problems with parking, noise nuisance from leaf blowers used by neighbours, and use of petrol-driven leaf blowers instead of “green” brooms by Council street cleaners. It seemed to me like very little return for the 2 hours which the Councillors had foregone spending with their families.

Councillor Hampson also invited me as her guest to attend and observe a full Council Meeting. At the supper for members beforehand, she graciously introduced me to several colleagues and the Deputy Leader. This was an unusual meeting because two Councillors, one from each party, had died recently, and the agenda was dominated by tributes paid to them by members of both parties. The main items presented from the Future Policy Plan were a report from an independent Commission on Education and the launch of a Housing Renewal Strategy for four areas of social housing. Two aspects of the business part of the meeting surprised me: the very formal format coupled with the heckling and banter during questions and also sometimes speeches. Councillor Hampson delivered a very moving speech to Council on behalf of residents who are suffering horrendous disturbance while neighbours excavate their basements and gardens for deep underground extensions to house cinema rooms, gyms, garages and swimming pools. This was deservedly covered by the local press and The Times.

Finally, I benefit enormously from an introduction to Councillor Hampson’s Ward Chairman. She invites us to tea along with the Ward Secretary and patiently explains how her Ward Committee campaigns in order to win back this Parliamentary seat from Labour in 2010. She is very keen for me to join her campaign team. She gives me an open invitation to attend any of their Committee meetings and assures me that their fund raising events are THE best ones in Westminster!

OBV delivers

I’m finally informed on 20th November that Councillor Mehfuz Ahmed has agreed to let me shadow him. He is the first Conservative candidate ever elected to represent Church Street Ward, one of Labour’s strongholds in London and an area of derivation. I note that he is Deputy Cabinet Member for Children and Young People. That will give me a chance to supplement my prior knowledge of Adult Services through being the Older People’s Champion in NHS Westminster. There is so much I can learn from Councillor Ahmed. Shadowing him offers an excellent opportunity to engage our Middle Eastern and Asian residents, increase voter registration and campaign to convince more of them to exercise their right to vote in the forthcoming elections. I resolve to help him increase his majority next May