We need more independents

Roger Smith of the Warwick Labour Party branch (letters last week) is somewhat critical of those councillors who stand as independent members, and appears to put much more store in their allegiance or otherwise to a political party. Personally, I have never understood this fixation with politics when it comes to the business of a local council. At its most simplest, if I want my bin emptied, it matters not to me whether it is done by a Marxist Leninist, Lib Dem, or a Scots Nationalist. I only want my bin emptied in an efficient and tidy manner.

At 70 years of age I am retired, but during my career I attended a number of job interviews yet I was never once asked what my politics were, though I was always asked about my experience and skills, etc. How utterly bizarre if an employer were only interested in one’s politics, and was not at all interested in one’s strengths, work history or education, etc. What faith would anyone have in any organisation that chose it’s employees in that way? Yet that seems to be precisely what happens in local government. Maybe that is how we have ended up with some of the councillors we have.

If a councillor is elected by us, our hope must be that they will use their knowledge and skill to ensure that the council runs as efficiently as possible and does not waste too much of our council tax in the process. Playing at politics, having “cabinets”, etc. just sounds like a silly distraction. If by Independent we mean having independent thought, and if that can be allied to some genuine managerial ability, then I for one am all for it.

David Brown, Sandown Close, Lillington