Councillors Still in Crisis? The Impact of Political Life on the Private World of the Councillor.

Much is expected of councillors in governing their areas and solving multiple and intricate local problems. Workloads for councillors are increasing as they face greater pressure on their time and commitment (NFER, 2007, 2009, 2011), with a requirement for them to be available to respond to the demands made on them by those they represent and serve. Without an adequate level of support from their council, councillors have to commit more of their own time and resource in order to meet the growing demands placed upon them. While exploring the work of the councillor has been a favourite field of study for academics and government inquiries over recent decades, less attention has been paid to how their increasing workload and responsibilities in office impact on their personal and private lives. Not since Barron et al’s Councillors in Crisis (1991) have we seen a compelling exploration of the link between the public and private worlds of local politicians, and the way in which being an elected member impacts on other facets of a councillor’s life. In order to address this gap in knowledge the paper presents the findings of a year-long research project which sought to understand the role of and hear the voice of the councillor. The paper will address the following questions: 1. How does council membership affect the non-political life of the councillor? 2. Does council membership affect the social, family or work / career aspects of the councillor’s non-political life equally or are some aspects affected greater than others? 3. Is the support that councils provide to councillors adequate and sufficient to enable them to deal with the pressures that council membership has on other facets of their life. 4. Are councillors still in crisis? In addressing those questions, the paper presents the findings of research which consisted of face-to-face interviews with over 300 councillors across England, in addition to over 120 written submissions of evidence. It also draws on existing secondary sources to explore how council membership affects the non-public aspects of the life of the councillor