As the local council elections draw closer, I have taken time to reflect on where we are and where we might be five years hence. A cursory glance at the incumbent local councillors reveals one stark reminder as to how far we have to go. The most obvious feature of the current councillors where I live is their age.
While they all undoubtedly have experience of sorts from all walks of life, it is their age which is likely to be least attractive to the one sub section of voters most disenfranchised as I write. When local council elections were last held in Denbigh, just 591 of the 1,583 eligible to vote did so. Much criticism (justified in my opinion) was expressed when the new Police Commissioners were recently elected throughout the UK. The counter argument always follows that democracy is being played out irrespective of the turn out. I counter that it is not healthy to content ourselves with voter turn outs of one in three. Even with a half full glass and brimming with optimism, I know that this falls well short of our democratic aspirations. But why does it?
It does so because the current incumbents of public office have failed to engage with a significant proportion of the total electorate. Maybe people really have given up on the democratic process but maybe they haven't. Maybe it's time for younger candidates to come forward with a voice more sympathetic to the aspirations of their peer group. I would happily vote for a younger candidate if only to inject some balance for the existing cohort of councillors. Experience is a wonderful quality but it also comes with baggage. Experience warns us against risk. Experience urges us to play safe. Experience convinces us we have all the answers.
Youth comes with a different set of qualities. Failure is often something yet to be experienced. That is a massive advantage. Youth can see how something can work. Experience can see the pitfalls. Youth has the imagination to see beyond the obstacles. Experience can become too focused on the obstacles. I could go on but I hope my point is made.
If the forthcoming elections were to yield an influx of younger members, I'm sure the town would be the winner. In a recent group I set up exploring what it was that people would like to see on our high street to make it more attractive and vibrant, I was overwhelmed with the number of responses. Sadly, those responses featured too few of the views and insights of our younger age groups. There is nothing I would love more than to see some of the under 30s become actively involved with THEIR town.
If the next elections are decided by the votes of three quarters of the electorate, we will have a better chance of being represented by a more age diverse subset of councillors. It is not that I have any misgivings about any of the current incumbents - I don't. I know how hard they all work often behind the scenes for little reward. I would just like to see a better spread of our community and witness the youth getting more involved. Those I've spoken to are brimming with fantastic ideas so let's try and engage them to take the next step. The energy of youth is a vital resource which I feel we are currently missing out on.
If we really want to see a vibrant high street in our local town, I feel passionately that we can only do so with the involvement of all age groups and we are currently missing out. In their seminal song "Teach your Children", Crosby, Stills and Nash recognised fully the symbiotic relationship between the old and the young. While the first part of the song urges parents to teach their children well, the second part provides the balance by urging the young to teach their parents well. It cuts both ways.
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