AS the Minister for Local Government, my responsibilities cover the work of councils large and small.
That includes of the Mayor of London and the London Assembly with a multi-billion-pound budget and the smallest parish council spending just a few hundred pounds a year.
While the scale of the area covered and budget might be different, the parish council representing just a hundred residents or less is no less important than the Greater London Authority in representing people’s views.
Despite their modest means, many of our parish and town councils do great things to fight for and enhance their communities.
Local examples that readily come to mind include Stokesley Town Council’s initiative in establishing the now annual food week which serves to highlight the great pubs, restaurants and delis in the town.
At Morton on Swale, the parish council has led on the creation of what must be one of the finest play parks in the area.
In isolated areas of the Yorkshire Dales like Hawes, which face particular challenges because of their rurality, parish councils have proved to be very effective champions for their communities, making the case for service delivery despite the distances involved.
And I am currently working with the parish councillors at Ravensworth - who have formed a dedicated action group to fight for safety improvements on one of the remaining sections of single carriageway road on the A66.
These good things only happen because people give up their time voluntarily – parish councillors receive no pay or expenses – to represent and bring together their communities.
That was very much in my thoughts when I spoke at a recent evening meeting of the Richmondshire branch of the Yorkshire Local Councils Association.
It’s a body that represents the interests of parish and town councils throughout North, West and South Yorkshire, providing lots of help and advice for authorities which by their very nature don’t have that support readily to hand.
The YCLA’s motto is “Closest to the People” which very neatly sums up what a parish or town councillor does in representing the people they live amongst.
Being a parish councillor is not just about attending a monthly meeting. It is the day-to-day contact with local people in their own community that is the most important function.
Local councillors bring all kinds of talents to the role from their work and/or personal lives. Of all those skills, listening to and understanding the views of people is vital. Many larger public bodies or organisations acknowledge this is the hardest information for them to capture and they in turn use the skills and local knowledge of parish councils to help deliver the right services.
We do need younger local councillors, however. In fact we need younger people at all levels of government. Experience is, of course, absolutely vital but if parish and other councils are to truly reflect the interests of the people they represent we need to attract a wider age range.
Finally, I think we should thank our many local parish and town councillors. They are essentially volunteers and they give many hours of their time on our behalf. While being a local councillor can be very rewarding there are sometimes when it is thankless task. They deserve our gratitude.