I am one of three Conservative councillors for Aldridge North & Walsall Wood in the West Midlands elected in November 2006.
I started this blog just after my selection as the official candidate and it tracks my progress through campaigning, winning the election and what I have done since. I started on moblog.co.uk and have now moved across to WordPress. I mostly post directly from my mobile phone whilst out and about.
Promoted by Mike Flower on behalf of Aldridge Brownhills Conservative Association - both of 82 Walsall Road, Aldridge, WS9 0JW
Mike Flower was elected in November 2006. At 24 he is the youngest councillor on Walsall Council.
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You look a bit young for this representation malarkey may I say so? What qualifications have you got to become a local politician then? I’m interested to hear your views on this as I’m not in your ward.
Anyone can stand for public office from the age of 18. It is upto the electorate to decide who is best to represent them through the elections process. I don’t think, and haven’t found my age, any thing other than useful. You do not need qualifications to be a politican - anyone can be one. That is the wonder of democracy.
Indeed it is a wonderful thing however, what stikes me is the credibility of such “representatives”. The best people for this are those who have some experience of the world outside politics. However, these days, such people are getting rarer, which I think is part of the problem about politics being such a low priority for the nation these days. Having some experience of the real world, whether it be industry or public sector, gives you a view on how it works and how it relates to the governance of the country.
This begs the question of what society do we want to live in? One where we are cowed by laws made by people of little experience, or one where we have our freedom to do as we wish given a moral code that repects our fellow countrymen? We certainly live in the former at present thanks to 10 years of an incompetent government. However, most politicians are distrusted these days, thanks to the sleeze years of the Major Goverment, as career people who are only on the look out for themselves - which one are you?
Willenhall Lad:
On the one hand you do have a point - experience is vital in order to make informed decisions and knowing what is good for the community.
However, you miss something: from the age of 18, young adults, who have started to pay their taxes in many cases, are not being represented by their peers. How can a councillor of 35 and upwards truly understand the issues that the average young adult faces.
Thus, Cllr Flower, firstly needs to be commended on his interest in politics and is a good ‘out-let’ for the youth of Walsall, to air their views
Steve:
“How can a councillor of 35 and upwards truly understand the issues that the average young adult faces.”
That’s called good communication and understanding of your electoral base. It’s called talking to them. It’s what all politicians should be doing. One group of society shouldn’t be treated differently from others as this causes divisions and we are paying for that approach right no aren’t we?
I don’t mean to say that the young should have a crucial role to play in politics, but these people need experience and key decisions need to be based upon experience. Thus they need to learn things about life to gain a wider appreciation of the problems facing all aspects of the human race, not the narrowed approach of school-university-government. The Americans tried that in Baghdad and look what’s happened there……
I am Mikes brother, and i see the “behind the scenes” work put in which others do not. I see his age as an advantage, and with his enthusiasm, determination to make the area a better place, vision, dedication and hard work to follow though all he feels is right.
I did campaigning with Mike, and residents were stopping him on the street, knowing his name and congratulating him on all he is doing, and then putting their issues to him because they know he will fight their corner any make an effort.
It is not very often your local councilor is well known, if at all. Most local councilors could walk past you in the street, and you would not have any idea who they are so I say good on Mike, he is standing up and being counted for the good he is doing and will continue to do.
Could I just add my point on this issue? I am 15 and have a keen interest in politics. Furthermore, I have been out and about with Mike Flower, and keep in good contact with him. The use of technology has made communication all the more better. I have problem with getting my head around why, you, Willenhall Lad, has difficult in seeing the benefits of having young, enthusiastic councillors. It just seems rather ignorant and rude, that you dismiss Mike Flower’s talent and interest in politics as useless, really, because of his age. Gaius Octavian was the youngest Consol of Rome in its history, and yet he made an excellent politician. He was extremely intelligent. And yes I am only 15, and blah, blah, yes 15! I am the next generation, and if I actively pursuit my interest in politics, surely I can gain experience and knowledge, and possibly know more when I’m 23, than say someone who learned of his interest in politics at 20. Mike Flower is a great guy, and his young age is not a liability, it just paves the way for more learning, and more experience. As a society we should not be abusive over young intelligent people participating in politics.
Thanks! X
I’ll stick my oar in here.
In my (short) experience with councillors, communication and enthusiasm count for an awful lot, and having now met Mike he communicates well and is enthusiastic.
The fact that we’re able to have this discussion here is a massive improvement over what was there. I’m not in the habit of praising politicians (especially Conservative ones, having grown up during the Thatcher years), so this is a rare event. I do hope I don’t get dissapointed…
Nice to see a comment from someone who’s 15 that isn’t written in text speak, and is actually coherent too ;-).
Thank you! I can spk in da txt lng if u wnt?
To your point about the Margaret Thatcher years, does it not show that people of my age, and Mike Flower’s age not really experiencing her iron first, that we are the next generation of a different, conservative party? One that can change and understand Britain’s needs a modern, more diverse and yes, a liberal, Britain?
It’s also nice to see Mike Flower’s work being positively commented on
Willenhall Lad: You keep repeating the same opinion over and over ~ that he’s too young to be a councillor due to lack of experience ~ without being the least bit receptive to the repeated comments that there are ways in which his age is an advantage. It may be true that an entire council of 23-year-olds would collectively lack some necessary experience, but to have a council with both experienced members AND a young man who is in touch with a different demographic is very valuable.
You say that councillors merely need to be able to listen to youth in order to gain all the same benefits as having a young councillor, but in fact your attitude just reeks of someone who discards the opinions of young people because of the attitude that they don’t have the experience to contribute in meaningful ways. You could really do with a bit of the open, communicative attitude that you think older councillors should have.
Willenhall Lad is just probably a young opposition member and his party will not show faith in him and select for a winnable seat (although has probably stood in unwinnable wards). Would not worry too much makes good reading though!
Well what a debate this has stirred up! And doesn’t it show the assumptions so called politicians make when confronted by something out of their scope? They definitely feel uncomfortable!
I’m making the point about all of this because I’m fed up of a bunch of self-publicising people who insist they know best and think they have all the answers, and we’re the ones who have to put up with their decisions and consequences.
I don’t actually support any political party as I think, like a lot of other people in the UK who don’t vote, that it’s politicians and the political process in this country that is letting us down. Where has true representation gone? Where’s the consultation with the people that voted you in? Why can’t we have more of a say in the big decisions? Would we, for example, have gone into Iraq if we had of had vote on it?
Politicians are so out of touch with the public now, that there is no choice between Labour, the Conservatives or the Liberals, which probably explains why out of 44.2 million potential voters, only 27.1 million chose to do so. Check out The electoral commission if you don’t believe me.
But people should have a say, and not just once every five years.
I believe people who are trusted to make important national decisions should do so from a basis of doing their level best for the people they represent, whether this agrees with party politics or not. I also think that they should have real life experience gained in doing an ordinary job so they understand the electorate better - sweeping the factory floor or working in a shop gives you a different outlook on life than just reading about it. For us to change this country for the better, we have to get out of the cycle of career politicians we have been dumped with for the past 10/12 years. Look where it’s got us. And there seems no chance of changing any of it because the three parties stand for nearly the same.
As regards Mike Flowers, fair play to showing the way with new methods of communication and maybe other politicians will use the blogging tool to listen to the electorate. I’ve not engaged with my local councillors in any other method and this shows real accessibility. I’ve enjoyed this engagement as I’ve learned something from it too, so maybe we all have. I hope so. If we can live in a land that we’re all proud of, proud of our communities and it’s people it will have been worth the grief and the personal slights.
Well, considering you don’t presently support any party, would you support the Conservatives, after experiencing this vibrant new form of communication that has given you a better insight into the Tories? If, not why.
r we avin a new building for the well i was there the other day when you was there