I think that a councillor has something that they would like to achieve. Whether it’s something specific such as better facilities for young people, better parks, or better roads or whether it is just representing their own community, a councillor usually has a view on issues which they want to promote on behalf of their electors.

Councillors, generally, love the sound of our own voices. We wouldn’t stand to speak for others if we didn’t! But a good councillor needs to learn to listen to others, take those views on board and use them to shape his or her own views as, after all, we don’t represent ourselves on the council, we represent our communities.