‘Our new council is a breath of fresh air,’ writes Grantham Independent Group leader Councillor Ian Selby
The work of the new South Kesteven District Council administration is the topic of the first column by members of the Grantham Independent Group, written this month by its leader, Councillor Ian Selby. He writes:
Our new council is a breath of fresh air.
It’s been a long wait to have a ‘rainbow’ coalition in charge of the council.
I’ve heard it said there is less experience in some of the roles. Well it doesn’t matter what job you do, you only gain experience by actually doing a job.
The question should be, are they capable of undertaking such a role on our council? My reply would be an emphatic ‘yes’.
There is a lot of enthusiasm, work and life skills with the new administration, and personally I’m loving being a part of it.
No disrespect meant whatsoever to the previous administration, but after a period of time, things can go stale and fresh blood can revive an organisation. It was time for a change.
We currently face a very difficult financial climate, so the change has probably come at a good time to face that financial challenge.
Life in local government has always been slow moving and improvements will not happen overnight, so I urge people to please have some patience, but I’m absolutely sure things will change for the better, given time.
One thing I’ve been trying to encourage with the new administration, and they have welcomed the idea with open arms, is for more openness, and approachability with our cabinet members, for the general public to discuss their ideas and concerns.
At the end of the day, the council belongs to us all. It’s your council as much as it is mine.
Following the council elections in May I was asked if I would like to join the Grantham Independent Group.
Then, to my surprise, they asked me to be their leader. It’s not a role I sought or particularly wanted. I have humbly accepted it, even though I would only like it to be a temporary role.
The group are all brand new councillors, and with my 27 years’ experience on the council, I think helping these smashing new councillors to learn the ropes is possibly the best thing I can do to help our town at this moment in time.
Mark my words folks, since May I’ve seen some marvellous examples of honesty and integrity within this group, as such it’s a breath of fresh air and an absolute pleasure to be a part of.
Each member of the Grantham Independent Group will take turns writing this column. Thank you for reading it.