What I’m Learning While Walking the Ward
Change doesn’t come with a manual. But it can start with a question—and a quiet moment to think.
It’s the Easter long weekend, and after two weeks of intense campaigning, this blog post is a little different. It’s a chance to pause, take stock, and share a few things that have helped me reflect—not just on the campaign, but on the kind of councillor I’d like to be.
Running as an independent while holding down a full-time job doesn’t leave much time to sit and reflect. Most days are long—starting with leaflet drops before sunrise and ending with late-night admin at the kitchen table. In between, there’s work, emails, map updates, and everything else you’d usually expect a political party to handle… except I don’t have one.
I’ve also spent time reaching out to local organisations and politicians on behalf of our community. Often, there’s no reply. But that doesn’t mean we stop trying. These moments matter—even if they don’t always produce instant results.
Between the practical demands of the campaign, I’ve carved out time to read, listen, and reflect. I’ve been learning as I go, thinking about how local government works, and what kind of councillor our community really needs.
Here are a few of the things I’ve been reading and listening to recently. They’re not campaign materials or party manifestos—they’re resources helping me think more clearly about how we got here and what’s possible, even in a flawed system.
📘 Explaining Local Government by J.A. Chandler
This book looks at the long history of councils in Britain—how they started, what they were meant to do, and how over time many of their powers were taken away by central government. It shows how local councils used to be much more active in shaping daily life, and how they've become sidelined—often with little explanation to the public.
Why it matters: If we want to rebuild trust in local politics, we need councillors who understand how it’s changed—and how it can change again. Local government should be where real decisions get made by people who know their communities, not just passed down from above. This book explains why so much now feels out of reach—and what it would take to bring it back closer to home.
🎧 Great Britain? How We Get Our Future Back by Torsten Bell (Audiobook)
This book looks at how the UK has changed—socially, economically, and politically—and what we’ve lost along the way. It talks about areas that feel forgotten, and why opportunities, services, and decisions have become so uneven across the country.
Why it matters: It reinforces why strong, visible local councils matter. When people can’t rely on national systems to listen, they turn to their local ones—if those aren’t working either, where do they go? The message helped remind me that real change often starts closest to home. Councils can—and should—be part of how we get our future back.
🎧 Failed State: Why Nothing Works and How We Fix It by James Plunkett (Audiobook)
This book takes a sharp look at why so many of our everyday systems—whether it’s housing, benefits, or basic services—feel broken or hard to navigate. It’s not just a critique; it’s also about how things could be rebuilt to actually work for people again.
Why it matters: This book gets to the heart of why so many people feel ignored or worn down by the systems meant to serve them. It’s a reminder that real change doesn’t have to start in Westminster—it can start in communities like ours, with councillors who are willing to push for better.
One of the things I’ve learned while campaigning is that people aren’t disengaged because they don’t care. They’re disengaged because they’ve been shut out—by unclear decisions, distant systems, and voices that don’t listen. These books and audiobooks have helped me reflect on how we got here—and how real change, even quiet change, can start at the local level.
If something has helped you see your place, your country, or your neighbourhood in a new light, I’d love to hear about it. That’s the kind of conversation I want this campaign to keep starting.
