Satchell packed and shoes shined.

Have not written for while have been away on hols and I keep forgetting my password.

It has been a quiet August but what a start to September. The independent review panel recommends an increase in allowances for councillors.

Hmmmm this would be so much simpler if there was a national scheme to which all councillors get. However there is not. My own personal view is that councillors should be full time not part time volunteers. Local issues are important, the representation asked of us should be awarded via a reward equivalent to trustees of any large organisation. My own major frustration is that I have to earn a living and do the politics voluntarily. The part time element, where work is done in evenings or drawn out meetings, is the reason why councillors often are not as efficient in responding to residents or part of the reason why decisions take so long at council.

On the current proposals I think there is need to amend some the ideas and increases proposed. The real issue here are; that no one thanks you for public service, you are regarded as sort of weirdo/pariah despite all best efforts to serve the community you represent, employers on whole are not sympathetic to you being a councillor (as recent job applications seem to indicate) and can put a tremendous strain on personal relationships as meetings occupy time which should be spent sharing. I know what you are going to say, why do it? Because despite the hours spent in long meetings and batting of issues between the parties, for that is what this countries adversarial politics spends a lot of its time doing. I am making a difference to the life and lives of the city, that impact may not be instant or received gratefully by all but it is change and change for the better.