The biggest difference between my role as a Parish Councillor and a Borough Councillor was epitomised this evening. As a Parish Councillor I am expected to present myself to the Annual Assembly of the Parish. Everyone is entitled to turn up and to question us about what we do and why and how we spend the money raised through the council tax. It really does bring home to me that we are elected by the people of the Parish to do our best for them and the area. We do have to listen and to act accordingly. Tonight, as chairman of the Recreation Committee, I had to report on the delays to the completion of the St Margaret's Play Area, our unsuccessful lottery bid for Amberley Way play area and our work towards the memorial park. A large part of the council's expenditure goes through this committee and needs to be dealt with transparently.
Maybe if the Borough council had to do that once a year there'd be more openness in how it deals with projects. And if MPs had to do that once a year, who knows where we'd be. I'd hazard a guess that we wouldn't have had the expenses scandal of last year!