Young and diverse residents are needed to become councillors in Lincoln, as the city’s longstanding Labour leader said he’s looking for “fresh blood”.
As a vote draws near for the next Conservative leader and PM, many are looking at who successors for various authorities, including any contenders to Labour leader Kier Starmer’s role.
Asked whether he had adopted an heir, Councillor Ric Metcalfe, who leads the City of Lincoln Council, said he had “no plans at the present time” to retire from his position, after 40 years in local politics.
However, asked if there was any young Labour talent to keep an eye on, he said his party had been looking for years to get new people into local politics.
“We’ve had a modest amount of success with one or two new younger people who have become councillors and very welcome that is too,” he said.
“I’ve always been very keen on succession planning, to make sure we have fresh blood coming in and try to get the average age of members down.”
He pointed to national surveys such as those carried out by the Local Government Association, which show a bias towards male, middle class, white councillors with an average age of early-to-mid 60s.
The LGA’s 2022 survey of 5,055 councillors found that in district councils across the UK 94% were white.
There was a 60%/40% split between male and female councillors.
The average age for those councillors was 61.3, but a third of councillors were over 70.
Around 92% declared themselves as heterosexual or straight, with 3% being gay or lesbian, 2% bisexual and 2% other sexual orientation.
Around 16% of councillors said they had a long-term health problem.
Labour leader Councillor Ric Metcalfe looks on as the votes are counted at the May 2022 elections. | Image: Steve Smailes
Out of the 33 councillors, 14 are female. In Lincoln’s Labour group 12 out of the 22 members are female. One of the nine Conservatives is female.
The Liberal Democrats, with two councillors are 50/50.
“In terms of making our council, and certainly our majority group, more representative of the populations we serve has become more pressing as the years have gone on,” added Councillor Metcalfe.
“I’ve always led the charge on thinking to the future and getting more young people, more people from black and minority ethnic groups, or disabled, so we as a council are seen to be more representative.”
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
Revamped News Feed: Enjoy faster loading times and smoother scrolling that make catching up on local news a breeze.
New Play Video Feed: Dive into a dynamic video feed that brings local stories to life in a whole new way.
Enhanced In-App Browser: Access external links quickly and efficiently, right from the app, without any distractions.
Update your MyLocal app from your app store (version 2.73) now and start enjoying these great new features today!
P.S.: Start your MyLocal membership today to support MyLocal and The Lincolnite deliver you a better local news experience and honest journalism from across Lincolnshire.
P.P.S.: We have some huge things in the pipeline, stay tuned!
Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
Revamped News Feed: Enjoy faster loading times and smoother scrolling that make catching up on local news a breeze.
New Play Video Feed: Dive into a dynamic video feed that brings local stories to life in a whole new way.
Enhanced In-App Browser: Access external links quickly and efficiently, right from the app, without any distractions.
Update your MyLocal app from your app store (version 2.73) now and start enjoying these great new features today!
P.S.: Start your MyLocal membership today to support MyLocal and The Lincolnite deliver you a better local news experience and honest journalism from across Lincolnshire.
P.P.S.: We have some huge things in the pipeline, stay tuned!