Thursday, August 14, 2008
The Slugger Awards 2008: Local Councillor of the year
This award is one that Slugger has a bit of a backstory with this year. Wisely or otherwise, this site has taken to the promotion of local councillors with some relish. We’ve endorsed the Councillor.info project and we’ve started running a regular ‘councillor of the week’ feature, and our next one is probably overdue.
For all of the reasons set out in our earlier award post about ‘Up and Coming Politician of the Year’ – the 2011 changes, the smaller number of councillors that will be needed, the wider representation and the new powers they will exercise – Northern Ireland is in a unique position in that it could see the quality of local democracy improve significantly over the next few years.
Councillors are central to that. In the past, it could be said in some cases that they were selected for a narrow sectarian appeal. This is less and less the case and the 2011 changes should change that further.
Councillors are often seen as a parochial lot. The ambitious ones may have more to say about the big issues in Stormont or beyond, and are clearly jockeying for something grander. This award is all about finding examples of good solid local councillors – ones that are good communicators, good at asserting the public interest over that of officialdom, and ones that have something to say about local issues beyond the briefings of their parties.
This may mean that they are more interested in expressing themselves in terms that seem to be parochial as well. We’re looking for examples of good initiatives, effective interventions, or straightforward dedication to community work. It is only through the promotion of effective legitimate local councillors that Northern Ireland can step away from the dominance that some so-called ‘community representatives’ exercise.
Of the 582 councillors we currently have, a fair number of them are awaiting for the RPA changes to retire them. You can probably get a fair idea of the ones that intend to stay on after 2011 by looking at which ones have established one of those websites that we’ve been promoting – here.
Usual award rules apply here – positive comments please. A few commenters have felt a bit constricted by our relentless deletion of negativity here – and some of the complaints about this are understandable. But let me let you into a secret. If we hadn’t applied this rule, any positive comments would have been entirely crowded out in each thread. It would not be possible to achieve what we’re doing here without a bit of monitoring.
Mick Fealty @ 07:30 AM
On this one, I’ll happily concede that there are good and bad councillors. It spice things up a little if people choose a good councillor from a party other than the one they naturally support. Perhaps people might want to deliberately choose two, including one from “the other side”. Just a thought. I’m off to give this a little thought. (seriously!)
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 10:38 AMParty other than that which I support: Naomi Long
Party that I support: May Campbell - a good hard worker in Pottinger Ward
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 11:01 AMExcellent suggestion BJ! Reasons for your choice will help too!
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 11:38 AMMick
Since being elected May Campbell has leafleted her entire council ward lots of times, drumming up busniess and make herself available to constituents 24/7.
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 12:17 PMi live in pottinger - may campbell does work very hard. got lots of stuff from her since moving here.
used to live in laganbank where the councillors where piss poor.
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 01:15 PMI live in Pottinger myself, I have never heard of May Campbell, neither has she leafleted my home once, nevermind lots of times. Anymore information would be greatly appreciated.
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 01:37 PMsan,
i’ve got 2 sets of contact details from cllr campbell since i moved into Pottinger Ward.
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 01:43 PMI am also from the Pottinger Ward (Short Strand to be precise) and I can assure you May Campbell has never leafleted this part of her constituency, I’m not even sure what political party she represents???
That’s not to say of course she won’t leaflet the area in the future, she just hasn’t thus far.
The only person we have in the Short Strand (although unelected as yet) is the local SF rep Niall Ó Donnghaile, he’s a great worker locally and has been building himself a decent profile, although I suppose it helps that he’s actually from the community.
He held his own on Good Morning Ulster with Michael Copeland this morning and made a wee boy out of Robin Newton last week on Nolan re the Mountpottinger Barracks.
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 01:43 PMbig gob, thats two more than I have. Can you post them???
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 01:45 PMsan,
do you need a Councillors assistance?
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 01:52 PMNot currently but it would be nice to know what my options are.
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 01:55 PMjoseph
Aye because she’d get out alive if she tried to leaflet that part of her constituency.
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 02:10 PMBlackmouth
There seems to be a fair amount of people from potinger who read slugger cuz i am too.
I googled may campbell cuz i too am from the strand and have never heard tell of the woman, with all due respect to her.
firstly though just because she may not get a vote in strand doesn’t mean she doesn’t have be actively represent them. she is elected a cllr for the consituency.
there are such marvelous things as post and the internet, although if she’s anything like her fellow cllr margaret mckensie she would ‘never set foot in the short strand’ (her words, all be them mumbled, at a recent dpp meeting)
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 02:20 PMmirseil,
maybe a text message would suit you. seems to be the language you work with.
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 02:23 PMWhat do you mean by that Blackmouth???
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 02:27 PMBig Gob,
it’s an option, lots of people are doing it plus it is a good way for cllrs to update people and/or make them aware of their constituency services. i mean most people have phones now so why not?!!
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 02:31 PMmirseil,
that one went way over your head didn’t it….
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 02:43 PMClearly!!!lol
feel bad now
i don’t know why but the name i use isn’t coming up correctly, it’s Máirseáil Uí Néil but it isn’t recognising the fadas
anyway, we seem to have drifted pretty much off topic; but i do stand over the point re text messaging as well as other imaginative ways of interacting with people as normally most people will throw a leaflet that comes through their door straight in the bin
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 02:48 PMIf you’re going to be rude to people about their use of language Big Gob, then you should at least ensure that do not leave out question marks where they are required. Prick.
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 06:32 PMnorton,
what
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 08:24 PMParty I support: Cllr. Conor Maskey (Oldpark, Belfast)
Party I don’t support: Cllr. William Humphrey (Court)
Cllr. Pam Barr (Ballyclare)
Cllr. Noreen Mc Clelland (Antrim Line)
Posted by on Aug 14, 2008 @ 08:57 PMHad some constituencey dealings with the Pottinger councillors. May Campbell is a nice, inoffensive lady but I do not think that she merits the Slugger crown.
In terms of the party I support, I would say Fra McCann. From the opposing camp and overall winner, it has to be Bob Stoker from the Village who does a helluva lot of work for that area-from the bread and butter stuff through to the bigger picture of gaining much-needed regeneration for that area.Posted by on Aug 15, 2008 @ 04:44 AMParty I support: Alex Easton - hard worker, good with the community assocs
Party I don’t support: Ian Parsley - always makes well thought out points (and great name)
Posted by on Aug 15, 2008 @ 02:00 PMCllr. James Tinsley (Killultagh, Lisburn CC)
Posted by on Aug 15, 2008 @ 10:42 PMNot so sure about that Parsley chap, Brian - he’s all talk if you ask me…!
Posted by on Aug 16, 2008 @ 12:26 PM
