‘Congratulations and commiserations’ following local elections from Lincolnshire County Council leader Martin Hill

Local elections are the focus of this month’s column by Martin Hill, leader of Lincolnshire County Council. He writes:

The recent local council elections produced a fair share of drama nationally and here in South Kesteven.

Election counts are always highly emotional occasions, the tense wait for the votes to arrive and be counted, the joy and occasional surprise of those candidates who have become councillors for the first time.

There is also the relief of those being re-elected and the bitter disappointment of those who have lost their seats.

It is a very public and brutal process. One minute you could be a well-known councillor, perhaps with a prominent position, and the next you are out on your ear without ceremony – it is not for the faint hearted!

It can also feel very unfair especially if someone has done a diligent job, carefully overseeing council services. It can be frustrating that sometimes people use local elections to send a message to national government or something that there is no local control over.

Actually, local politicians are responsible for many vital services such as social care, planning and roads and have much discretion how and where money is spent as well as deciding the amount of council tax we all pay.

However, there is also a sense of renewal, new faces appear and perhaps new administrations who can look at things differently and hopefully improve the situation further.

Of course, once you are in the driving seat it becomes obvious that it is far more difficult to get things done than you first thought. If someone has been elected on a single issue, they soon realise that there are many other services and issues which you are expected to judge on.

Still, as an elected representative of the people, you can change things, particularly for individuals and families who may need additional help contending with bureaucracy and distress.

So, congratulations to those who were successful and commiserations to those who were not and a special thanks to those who are no longer councillors, for whatever reason.

The first week in June marks National Volunteers’ Week – an appropriate time to think about and appreciate the extraordinary volunteers we have in Lincolnshire.

Choosing to dedicate time and energy to benefit others shows how these volunteers go above and beyond to help people in our communities.

I am proud to say that our county has a great tradition of volunteering.

In fact they are regarded so highly by this county council, that we created the Good Citizens Awards to give us the opportunity to recognise our own unsung heroes.

We are currently going through the process of judging this year’s recipients and I hope they will join us at the Lincolnshire Show in June so that we can show them how much they are valued.

Whatever your reasons for volunteering with Lincolnshire County Council or other organisations across the county; however much time you give, I would like to say thank you. Our volunteers are appreciated and valued.

If you would like to get in touch about any aspect of volunteering with us, you can find out more on our website at https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/jobs-careers/apply-become-volunteer

• Send your news and views to: comment@granthamjournal.co.uk