To wonder if the majority of new councillors realise what they have signed up for?

[Bobbingtons]

After the local elections and the huge shift to reform I do wonder if the majority of newly elected counselors actually realise what they have signed up for.
Bring a counsellor is not an easy task and on average the commitment is around 22 hours a week. The job involves reading reports, helping constituents, sitting on committees and running a large complex organisation with hundreds of departments, it's not just a case of having a title, but having a whole extra job.
We saw in Kent when reform took over it fell into chaos and bickering. I know a number of reform candidates were experienced political operators, but with so many newly elected I do worry they haven't as actually considered what happens next and how much work is actually involved.
I'm highly politically motivated and have thought about standing in the past, but realised that the commitment is far too much for me to handle!

I'd agree. My local green councillor hasn't mentioned Gaza once when I met him canvassing and is extremely helpful and involved in local issues. Honestly I voted for him as he was a good councillor not because he was a Green per se

Exactly the same here.

Not true - if less than ten electors demand a byelection the other councillors can choose who fills the seat.

Very much so. There was a FB post just before the election from a Reform candidate saying 'Did you know' and pointing out that no left-wing party 'won' our local council but the Green councillors and Labour ones work together and have control even though neither party won overall at all.
And I thought 'yeah, that's how it works'. And a couple of people pointed that out but most comments were along the 'oh my god disgusting' lines.
I think there are a lot of people going to get a big shock when they find out how councils actually work. As well as having to deal with the reality of a council budget

Yep! So much easier sniping from the sidelines - I really hope local people hold them to account.

I’ve seen there is an ex-Lib Dem and an ex-Green councillor who have been re-elected for Reform in one council. The mind boggles as how and why they made that leap. The one who stood for the BNP previously makes more sense - and now Reform have given a racist like him a seat at the table of local politics.

In Northampton they screwed up parking charges and are now having to implement refunds.

Its going to be very interesting in Calderdale where Reform have gained 34 out of the 54 seats, up from 2 previously!

Rats who just want to be elected.

Some of the reform councillors elected didn’t even know what they were standing for!

Virtually all Reform councillors look to be retired middle class white men! These are my three!

🤢

The issue as I see it is that Reform's lack of competency/capabilities on local councils won't actually make any difference to the way Reform voters vote when the next general election happens.

There will be daily reform councillor has shady past/ posted this/ punched someone news.

It's also going to be shit for the people they represent. Many of our local councillors (from all the main parties as well as independents) do so much great casework - getting issues sorted for people, and learning about issues and advocating for them.

That's exactly the problem as I see it

Private Eye report weekly on all the issues with reform councillors. The mainstream press report on issues regularly. It's no secret of the huge messes made already, but that clearly isn't understood or of interest to those voting for them

I think this is a really key point - damaging facts on Reform and Farage don’t really seem to have an impact on their support base. Reform don’t really have any solid policies: is that ineptitude or tactical, so people just focus on the soundbites and media spin? The slogan ‘Get Starmer Out!’ at local elections was not something they were voting on, but it doesn’t seem to matter.

We also have a good Green councillor (we didn't have elections this time). I will vote for them but only that specific councillor.

Yeah they’ll blame Labour somehow

You haven’t said if he’s a Reform councillor.

@Nat6999how old is your son? Which party is he a member of? How was he carrying out casework before being elected and sworn in?

9 years ago my friend started as a councillor and went straight in as a cabinet member. She held the profolio for tourism in an area where tourism is the main industry and when lockdown happened she secured some amazing ventures for her county. Ending her first term as deputy leader (she couldn't be leader as it was a coalition and she wasn't the right party, and there are some lines that don't even get crossed in local politics).

Today she starts her first day in the Senedd, for.....

Reform.

I don't agree with all her politics but i know she will ace it!

She has friends across the political divide (who all want to stay for free in her new Cardiff Bay flat!!).

And...

OP, do you think our prime minster realised what he signed up for?!

🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢

Not only did he not condemn them, Reform seem to have a new tactic. Whenever they're asked about racist comments by new councilors or Farage's £5 million freebie they start going on about smears and Reform being the victim of media bullying. Tice did it when Laura Kunnesburg interviewed him on Sunday and the Reform representative did the same on the election Question Time. It's disgusting behavior. In contrast when the representative from the Green party was asked about antisemitic comments from new Green party councilors she condemned the remarks and confirmed that the party had processes that would be followed to remove anyone making that kind of comment.

It’s embarrassing isn’t it? They can’t just come out and say it’s wrong because they agree with it. Farage was asked a perfectly reasonable question about the £5m and he walked out of the interview. It’s genuinely shameful

A lot will throw in the towel after a few months when they realise it entails hard work.

What really worries me is, contrary to the narrative that Reform are trying to spread, is that there is actually very little negative coverage in most of the media. I wonder how much the people who voted and even stood for Reform know about all the dodgy dealings and disgusting racist stuff that is going on in Reform. Do they really think all this stuff's ok or do they just not know about it?