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?

Why the F is a 19 year old allowed to a councillor? Practically a child. IDGAF if someone is legally classed as an adult at 18, putting someone in the position of a councillor at 19 is ridiculous. 25 should be the minimum age.

Just because someone moved out and had a baby at 16 (as someone mentioned earlier,) that doesn't mean 19 isn't too young to be a councillor.

Also, having a baby when you're 16 doesn't magically make you a super mature, wordly-wise, all-knowing oracle, and it's absolutely ludicrous to use that as an analogy. 🙄

Seems to be the main issue from the big overgrown babies on here hence the title of the tread

Problem is that being a cabinet member is generally a full time job at a big council, but lots of councillors can’t afford to do it (insecure and probably a much lower salary than their normal job). So they chose to be just a councillor where you get a small allowance (which works out at less than NMW normally) and you have to pick Cabinet from who is left and willing to do it.

There was some hysteria and she still gets grief.

But a lot of people on here wanted the vote for 16 year olds...

Well, I don't think it is the only issue. But I do absolutely think it is an issue.

It's too much responsibility at that age imo. Even for a decent 19yo with sound judgment for their age, which this kid patently lacks.

Well it does, i had more life experience before I was a legal adult than most of these over grown babies that don't move out of their parents till 25 had when they were 30.

You don't know this young man other than his age so you have no idea how well suited he is to the job. I've come across older people who could barely speak English or barely knew what they were doing, someone being young is far from the worst thing

Does he actually live in the area? He appears to run an estate agents from an address in N1.

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/16113367/officers

There is quite a big difference between exercising your democratic right to vote and taking on lead responsibility for the strategic oversight of Children's Services for an entire county.

I would like to see a more graded approach. Vote at 16. Able to stand for public office from 18. Able to assume responsibility for a specific portfolio from 25.

If people think that 16yos are too young to vote, it seems absurd to suggest that they will be ready to make significant decisions with serious implications just a couple of years later.

I believe he does, or he certainly did.

Really? a quick Google found this.....

Less than 1% of councillors are aged under 25
Under 1% of councillors serving on local councils are aged under 25, new research has revealed.
The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has called on younger people to stand for election following the results of their Councillor Census Survey.

Not me. If it was up to me, I'd put the voting age it up to 21...

And that's the kind of divisive hyperbolic bullshit that has led to Reform getting such a political footing in the UK.

Write off millions of voters as thick as pigshit, racist and misogynistic and you are not only incorrect, but playing into the hands of those parties.

The feelings of superiority of Remain, anti-Trump and anti-Reform posters who just want to discard millions of people, their thoughts. experiences, feelings and opinions as just thick, racist and misogynistic is how those movements have gained political power.

I wouldn't vote Reform in a million years but know many people who do and have, and they're not thick as pigshit, racist or misogynistic but your attitude of dismissing any of their concerns as such has driven them to a party they think represents them.

And that's democracy. Either you believe political power lies in the hands of the people who vote in governments and councils. Or you believe in a different system where people who you judge as 'thick as pigshit' shouldn't get a say or a vote which would necessitate another non-democratic system of government.

What system would be better in your opinion, where the people you judge as 'thick' don't get a say?

Sounds like you are quite bitter, and projecting your insecurities onto others. Calling people 'overgrown babies' because they still live at home in their mid to late 20s is incredibly rude and ignorant. Just because you had a baby at 16 and moved out of your parents home at that age, that doesn't make you superior to those who are still living at home in their mid-late 20s.

What an extremely odd and narrow minded attitude. As I said earlier, you leaving home and having a baby at 16, does NOT make you any more worldy-wise and mature than people still living at home in their mid-late 20s. So hop off your high horse.

And I say this as someone who left home at 20 and got my own place, (and never moved back.) AND I have 2 DC who left at 18 for uni and never came back... They got their own place when they finished Uni after a year or two of travelling. How much travelling have YOU done?

.

I wouldn't mind the voting age to be lowered to 16. That doesn't mean I want 16 year old councillors with portfolios.

Not insecure, not bitter, not projecting. Yes I do think I was a lot more mature at 18 than other 18 and even mid twenties year olds who still live at home and have mummy and daddy drive them everywhere and pay for everything.

And I'm tired of these types of people projecting their own immaturity at that age onto every other young person, as is being done on this thread

Wow. 😂 You post this about people and say you're not insecure, bitter, or projecting your issues onto others. OK then.

Again, you are not superior to people who are still living at home in their mid 20s, just because you moved out at 16 and had a baby at that age. I find it actually quite funny as well as bizarre that you think this.

Anyway, I'll leave you to it. (You're sounding a bit jealous of these people now as well by the way...)

Why would I be bitter or insecure? I didn't say I was superior I said I was more mature, you seriously don't see how someone who's moved out their parents house and has their own children has more life experience than someone still at home? I'm talking to a brick wall here I guess.
All I wanted to say was not all 19 year olds are the same and just because some posters were big ole overgrown babies at that age doesn't mean this young man is. In fact I'd say some posters sound jealous of this man's achievements

I grew up in the care system, booted out to live on my own at 16, had a (disabled) baby at 18 and another child at 22. I still don’t think that a 19 year old has enough experience for public office.

I worked for the Council.for a while and a lot of Councillors are not that bright so the council officers will be well used to dealing with it.

The point is, surely, that the council is supposed to have oversight of the head of the service. What if they aren't competent? Who is going to question them, hold them to account etc?

Power over budgets is kind of central to the running of any department. Suppose this kid decides the easiest way to deal with overspends is to stop funding all disabled children in specialist provision - and suppose one of those children is yours?

In my county I often have to contact the equivalent councillor due to Children's Services not doing what they are supposed to do.
Frankly going on the 19 year olds I've known he won't have a clue how to make sure he's answered all his emails let alone know what Children's Services are and aren't supposed to be doing.

You can’t do a medical degree in three years. Most FY1s will be age 23 or more likely 24 minimum.

Just the fact that he accepted the role suggests that he lacks any judgement or self awareness.

I hope he proves us all wrong and does a fantastic job, but I'll be watching like this 🫣