19 year old in charge of Children’s Services for Leicestershire Council

[MmeChoufleur]

Reform have appointed a 19 year old, Councillor Charles Pugsley, to run Children’s Services for Leicestershire County Council, . How would you feel about this if you lived in the borough and had SEND children?

Does this make a mockery of democracy, handing over such an important role to a person with no experience in the workplace, certainly not at any high level?

Will this make Reform voters sit up and think about the consequences of voting for this party?

But surely he’s the cabinet member for children’s services, that doesn’t mean he’s running it or is the director? (I fully agree though that he is too young for this regardless!)

So what do you want, no police, no counselors, you would prefer a chaotic, free-for all anarchy?

I mean it is one thing to criticize and to point out individual failures, like the policeman you reference, but what about the general success of the country's infrastructure?

And this guy hasn't "failed" yet, but you're already all over him, for his age.

This is ageism.

Surely that issue is the party he represents not his age then?
Whereas a 19 year old, recently experienced with the lack of facilities for example, is likely to vote very differently to a 50 year old who has become jaded about the youth

He's 19 and already has a degree?

I'll just leave this here

I agree, he has little experience. But unless someone is given a chance then they don't get any experience, like Maihri Black.

Mhairi Black didn't hold any positions beyond her elected one, which was fine. Being a councillor or an MP or an MSP is fine to a point as young people CAN have experience in various areas and can therefore be an important voice or conduit. Age doesn't necessarily give you that, eg a young person who is care experienced can be more valuable than a middle-aged person who isn't on that particular issue. Being handed a portfolio is different though and I have a problem with MPs and MSPs in general being shuffled around positions they don't know anything about never mind the prospect of people just out of school. As an example, half the Scottish ministers who have held half the roles for no real reason.

You can also obtain experience in different ways as a councillor that doesn't require you having so much responsibility in a crucial area so the 'gaining experience' angle doesn't stack up.

Isn't he the councillor responsible rather than running it? It's completely different. Each councillor takes a particular area of council work as their speciality but it means nothing in terms of the actual work

This is what I was going to say. I know nothing about this LA but I hope there are some decent people employed by the authority who know what they are doing and are allowed to get on with their role.

My point was that the vetting process that you seem to have such confidence in clearly isn't up to much.

You can call it ageism if you like. Personally, I don't think that a 19yo who has only just left school has the experience to be able to add much value in that kind of role. I have a 19yo of my own, and she is amazing...I would entrust her with a lot of things, but I would not think she was ready at her age to have the lead on strategic oversight for children's services.

The brain is still developing at that age. Personally, I find it bizarre that we don't even allow 16yos to have the vote because they are too young, and yet by 18 or 19, they are presumed mature enough to take on roles involving significant responsibility? I would prefer to see a minimum age for councillors with a portfolio.

As for this young man, he has already failed imo by choosing to stand for Reform. I don't need to see any more. But I wouldn't want a 19yo in that kind of role from any party personally.

It's fucking awful.

FFS! Do Reform voters/MPs/councillors understand SEN provision or believe that children with SEN need additional educational support that costs money?

All over-there are more now as other posters have said.
Can’t link the story but have a look at Gloucestershirelive.co.uk’s story about councillors not knowing what they are doing.

And he had the best CV? what were the rest like?

I think this is unforgivable. It’s obvious they think the role is just “bum on seat”. The utter contempt for the SEND population is revolting. I could cry.

In what way?

You don't give someone a chance by giving them strategic responsibility for something they know nothing about. You do it by building up their expertise and by letting them shadow people.
Mhari Black was young when she became an MP but she didn't have a role where she had to make strategic decisions.

Would you ask for that if it was one of your beloved leftie parties?

Love how people throw "leftie" around like it's an insult. Mega lolz

Most sane people would ask for evidence, yes. Hard to believe I know

Did I say otherwise

Ah yes, this. My favourite post on this topic was when a MNetter said, ' There is no need to use the word moron when you can say idiot instead.'

And there we have it.

Activists have resurrected the lost meaning of the word moron, and decided to 'educate' people on it, just so that they can recouple the meaning to the word, entirely for the purpose of manufacturing outrage at its use.

I find this a senseless endeavour.

So you carry on using the words you want to and I will use the words I want to.

At the last GE, posters on this website were adamant about “getting the tories out”. Well, the tories are out of this council - this is what so many people said they wanted so badly. So, enjoy?

I would ask for evidence wherever I thought that someone was deliberately seeking to misrepresented the truth, wouldn't you?

The entire civil service is based on shuffling people about to areas they know nothing about but are expected to pick up expertise in.