Robert Jenrick Secretary of State Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF
We, the undersigned, are local councillors who are also expectant parents and parents.
Almost every week in local communities up and down the country, we take part in meetings as part of our responsibilities as councillors. We’re pleased and proud to play our part in these vital exercises of local democracy.
As you know, local authorities make decisions about issues of great importance to people in the UK, from libraries and play parks to domestic violence services and care for older people. Not to mention (who could forget?) the bins.
You will also know that local councils face real challenges in finding people who are willing to take up the role of councillor. According to the Councillors’ Census of 2018, councillors as a whole do not look like the country they serve. Just 35% of councillors are women; only 15% are under 45 (the median age in the UK is 40); and less than 4% are Black, Asian or from other minority ethnicity backgrounds. Councillors are more likely to have good health, and less likely to be in full-time or part-time employment, than their fellow citizens.
Over the past terrible year as our country (along with others across the globe) has had to cope with the pandemic, the rapid adoption of home-working and flexible working tools has been one of the small points of light.
Finally, employers and organisations have been forced to recognise what many with caring responsibilities or mobility challenges already knew: there’s no good reason to force people into physical office spaces or drafty church halls to hold a single meeting. Every tool we need to enable free, unfettered access is available literally at our fingertips. And these tools, widely adopted for the first time, have had a huge impact on the ability of people from all backgrounds, whatever their other commitments, to contribute wherever and whenever their input is valuable.
Indeed, news reports over the past few days suggest the government is rapidly coming to this conclusion itself when it comes to thinking about future working conditions for civil servants.
We believe that the practice of holding council meetings online or in hybrid form, so that they can be attended by everyone who has an interest, must be allowed to continue and become the ‘new normal’. We believe it will incentivise something that we all want: greater participation from all sectors of society, particularly those groups who are currently underrepresented – which includes parents of young children and carers for dependent adults, some of the most intensive users of locally-provided services.
We urge the MHCLG to allow remote and hybrid council meetings to continue, whatever technical glitches and difficulties have yet to be overcome. We strongly feel that in the long run, this approach will encourage participation in our democracy.
Council meetings aren’t always box office. But we think it’s vital that they remain onscreen.
Cllr Andrew Jones, Hammersmith and Fulham Council
Cllr Natalia Pérez, Hammersmith and Fulham Council
Cllr Adam Connell, Hammersmith & Fulham Council
Cllr Max Schmid, Hammersmith and Fulham Council
Cllr Barrie Grunewald, St. Helens Borough Council
Cllr David Baines, Leader of St Helens Borough Council
Cllr Rob Banks, Lewes District Council
Cllr Sharon Holder, Hammersmith and Fulham Council
Cllr Kate Groucutt, St Helens Borough Council
Cllr Rachel Leighton, Hammersmith and Fulham Council
Cllr Dr Gareth DeBoos, Ringwood Town Council
Cllr Gloria O'Reilly, Ringwood Town Council
Cllr Mike Bell, North Somerset Council
Cllr Caritas Charles, North Somerset Council
Cllr Emily Smith, Vale of White Horse District Council
Cllr Sue Fennimore, Hammersmith and Fulham Council
Cllr Nikki Woollatt, Mid Devon District Council
Cllr Rachel Tripp, Newham Council
Cllr Rachel Blake, Tower Hamlets Council
Cllr Alison Bennett, Mid Sussex District Council
Cllr Joseph Foster, Burgess Hill Town Council
Cllr Joe Cosby, Crewe Town Council
Cllr Shama Tatler, Brent Council
Cllr Sarah Russell, Manchester City Council
Cllr Emily Rowles, Manchester Council
Cllr Kaya Comer-Schwartz, Islington Council
Cllr Alex Paterson, Medway Council
Cllr Martin Bond, St Helens Council
Cllr Soraya Adejare, Hackney Council
Cllr Caroline Woodley, Hackney Council
Cllr Asma Islam, Tower Hamlets Council
Cllr Jamie Bennett, Arun District Council & Rustington Parish Council
Cllr Rabina Khan, Tower Hamlets Council
Cllr Gilbert Smyth, Hackney Council
Cllr Jess David, Bath and North East Somerset Council
Cllr Steve Donnelly, Ealing Council
Cllr Sarah Warren, Bath and North East Somerset Council
Cllr Chrissy Stamp, Medway Council
Cllr Johanna Maitland, Bollington Town Council
Cllr Sophie Cameron, Hackney Council
Cllr Josh Blacker, Ealing Council
Cllr Helen Dennis, Southwark Council
Cllr John Pierce, Tower Hamlets Council
Cllr Michelle O’Doherty, Bath & North East Somerset Council
Cllr Alison Jenne, Cumnor Parish & Vale of White Horse District Council
Cllr Carol Stanier, North Herts District Council & Royston Town Council
Cllr Tracey Wye, Central Bedfordshire Council
Cllr Diarmaid Ward, Islington Council
Cllr Benedict Dempsey, Mid Sussex District Council
Cllr Catherine Gibbons, North Somerset Council
Cllr Kelly Grehan, Dartford Council
Cllr Grace Clifton, Abingdon Town Council
Cllr Sara Hyde, Islington Council
Cllr Alice Perry, Islington Council
Cllr Nicky Brennan, Birmingham City Council
Cllr Lucia das Neves, Haringey Council
Cllr Peray Ahmet, Haringey Council
Cllr Samantha Dixon, Cheshire West and Chester Council
Cllr Sacha Gosine, Dartford Council
Cllr Emma Ben Moussa, Dartford Council
Cllr Susan Woodward, Staffordshire County Council
Cllr Eleanor Combley, Bristol City Council
Cllr Adele Barnett-Ward, Reading Borough Council
Cllr Nathan Pardoe, Cheshire West & Chester Council
Cllr Valerie Bossman-Quarshie, Islington Council
Cllr Eleanor Stringer, Merton Council
Cllr Susan Hatton, Mid Sussex District Council
Cllr Carl Quilliam, Merton Council
Cllr Nicola Holland, North Somerset Council
Cllr Ian Middleton, Cherwell District Council
Cllr Natasha Irons, Merton Council
Cllr Katherine Tyson, Cherwell District Council
Cllr Rachel Massey, Rochdale Borough Council
Cllr Christine Megson, Lambeth Council
Cllr Rebecca Moore, Manchester City Council
Cllr Tanya Slatter, Portishead Town Council
Cllr Karin Haverson, North Somerset Council
Cllr Caroline Cherry, North Somerset council
Cllr Sue Macmillan, Hammersmith and Fulham Council
Cllr Sufia Alam, Tower Hamlets Council
Cllr Miranda Williams, Royal Borough of Greenwich Council
Cllr Sade Etti, Hackney Council
Cllr Gulcin Ozdemir, Islington Council
Cllr Kate Nash, Brackley Town Council
Cllr Nanda Manley-Browne, Lambeth Council
Cllr Edward Davie, Lambeth Council
Cllr Philip Day, Ringwood Town Council
Cllr Mili Patel, Brent Council
Cllr Sally Hinkley, Bexley Council
Cllr Stuart Mccarroll, West Oxfordshire Council
Cllr Tina Valcarcel, Lambeth Council
Cllr Sophie Conway, Hackney Council
Cllr Amanda Hack, Leicestershire Council
Cllr Shaun Stephenson-McGall, Bath & North East Somerset Council
Cllr. Asif Siddique, Hammersmith and Fulham Council
Cllr Ruth Malloy, Bath and North East Somerset Council
Cllr Clare Mcintyre, Liverpool Council
Cllr Alice Smart, Leeds City Council
Cllr Ben Garner, Leeds City Council
Cllr Dr Bharat Pankhania, Bath and North East Somerset Council
Cllr Jennifer Burke Davies, Cardiff Council
Cllr Andy Wilson, Lambeth Council
Cllr Beverley Brewer, Redbridge Council
Cllr Paul Flanagan, Burntwood Town Council
Cllr James Walsh, Guildford Borough Council
Cllr Asma Begum, Tower Hamlets Council
Cllr Mike Stubbs, Newcastle-under-Lyme Council
Cllr Sean Macleod, Lewes District Council
Cllr Angela Goodwin, Guildford Borough / Surrey County Councils
Cllr Steve Bridger, North Somerset Council
Cllr Craig Whitby, Mansfield District Council
Cllr Sarah Moore, Bath and North East Somerset
Cllr Josie Channer, Barking and Dagenham Council
Cllr Chris Stanbra, North Northamptonshire Council
Cllr James MacCleary, Lewes District Council
Cllr Mick Barton, Mansfield District Council
Cllr Debra Barlow, Mansfield District Council & Warsop Parish Council
Cllr Lesley Boniface, Newhaven Town Council
Cllr Martin Wright, Nottingham County Council and Mansfield District Council
Cllr Mrs Paula Woolven, Newhaven Town Council
Cllr Victoria Olisa, Southwark Council
Cllr Andrew Abrahams, Mansfield Council
Cllr Evelyn Akoto, Southwark Council
Cllr Paula Walker, Wandsworth Council
Cllr Ann-Marie Cousins, Greenwich Council
Cllr Lisa Northover, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council
Cllr Radha Burgess, Southwark Council
Cllr Claire Gilbert, Wandsworth Council
Cllr Paul John White, Wandsworth Council
Cllr Jonathan Harris, West Northamptonshire Council
Cllr Caroline Kalu, Lewisham Council
Cllr Peter Babudu, Southwark Council
Cllr Helen Redfern, Croydon Council
Cllr Janet Campbell, Croydon Council
Cllr Kirsten Ellis, Haslemere Town Council
Cllr Diana Toynbee, Herefordshire County Council and Hereford City Council
Cllr David Noland Craven, District Council
Cllr Maurice Mcleod, Wandsworth Council
Cllr Richard Taylor, Hawarden Community Council
Cllr Ros Flowers, Waltham Forest Council
Cllr Anna-Joy Rickard, Hackney Council
Cllr Lubna Arshad, Oxford City Council
Cllr Saima Ahmed, Redbridge Council
Cllr Rachel Eden, Reading Borough Council
Cllr Graeme Hoskin, Reading Borough Council
Cllr Catherine del Campo, Windsor and Maidenhead Council
Cllr Amy Tisi, Windsor and Maidenhead Council
Cllr Clare De Silva, Enfield Council
Cllr Julie Flenley, Chiddingfold Parish Council
Cllr Mik Sabiers, Ealing Council
Cllr Portia Newling, Bestwood Village Parish Council
Cllr Maria Kay, Lambeth Council
Cllr Sandra Cornford, Old Alresford Parish Council
Hon Alderman and cllr Dr Eleanor Scott, Portsmouth City Council
Cllr Abigail Parker, Eastwood Town Council
Cllr Pauline George, London Borough of Lambeth Council
Cllr Kerrie Bradburn, Milton Keynes Council
Cllr Ewan Jones, Bruton Town Council (Chair and Mayor)
Cllr Abi Mills, Lancaster City Council
Cllr Imogen Makepeace, Lewes District Council
Cllr Nicola Presland, St Neots town Council
Cllr Mayor Philip Glanville, London Borough of Hackney Council
Cllr Vicki Bolton, Winchester City Council
Cllr Godfrey Bland, Tunbridge Wells Councils
Cllr Bridget Petty, North Somerset Council
Cllr Sarah Cloke, Brentwood Borough Council
Cllr Joanna Young, Lancaster City Council
Cllr Sharon Galliford, Surrey Heath Borough Council
Cllr Jarmila Halovsky-Yu, Windlesham Parish Council
Cllr Lisa Scott, Charlwood Parish Council
Cllr. Helen Hansen-Hjul,Windlesham Parish Council
Cllr Mark Gordon, Windlesham Parish Council
Cllr Rae Frederick, Ringwood Town Council
Cllr Rhiannon Rees, Burwash parish Council
Cllr Penny McCullough, Great Chesterford Parish Council
Cllr Kellie Hinton, Henley Town Council and South Oxfordshire District Council
Cllr Emily O'Brien, Lewes District Council
Cllr Claire Buntin, Halton with Aughton Parish Council
Cllr Elizabeth Taylor, Old Hurst Parish Council
Cllr Jude Considine, Lanchester Parish Council
Cllr Amanda Dodwell, Central Bedfordshire Council
Cllr Nikki Drogman Castle Point Borough Council
Cllr Sharanjit Bhinder-Dhonsi, Denham Parish Council
Cllr Philip Leech, Willoughby Waterleys Parish Council
Cllr Pauline George, London Borough of Lambeth
Cllr Nicole Meardon, Cheshire West and Chester
Cllr Caroline Green, St Neots Town Council
Cllr Octavia Holland, Lewisham Borough Council
Cllr Paul Lomax, Lewisham Borough Council
Cllr Radha Burgess, Southwark Borough Council
Cllr Sophie Davis, Lewisham Borough Council
Cllr James Roydon, Lewish Borough Council
Cllr Paul Browning, Lewisham Borough Council
Cllr Luke Sorba, Lewisham Borough Council
Cllr Chris Barnham, Lewisham Borough Council
Cllr Kirsty Morrison, Waldridge Parish Council
Cllr Stephen Penfold, Lewisham Borough Council
Cllr Sophie McGeevor, Lewisham Borough Council
Cllr Samantha Latouche, Lewisham Borough Council
Cllr Daniel Ashby, Abbotsley Parish Council
Cllr Kelly Thornton, Chesterfield Borough Council
Cllr Pauline Aherne, Suffolk County Council & Ipswich Borough Council
Cllr Jennifer Reznick, Bromley Borough Council
Cllr Tauseef Anwar, Lewisham Borough Council
Cllr Rebbekah Collins, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Cllr Sue Shanks, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Zoe John, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Steve Davis, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Rebbekah Collins, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Cllr Richard Noon, Meltham Town Council
Cllr Denis Payne, Histon & Impington Parish Council
Cllr Clare Paul, Somerset County Council & South Somerset DC
Cllr David Hall, Somerset County Council
Cllr Kay Wesley, Congleton Town Council
Cllr Oliver Patrick, South Somerset District Council
Cllr Liz Needham, St Albans District Council
Cllr Suzannah Clarke, Lewisham Borough Council
Cllr Kerry Mitchell, Wix Parish Council
Cllr Stuart King, Croydon Borough Council
Cllr Lindsay MacDougall, Mendip District Council/ Glastonbury Town Council
If you are a councillor and a parent and would like to add your name as a signatory of this letter, please click here.