The unbearable lightness of chairing

One of the slightly unexpected things about my political activity over thirty-six years is that I have seldom held down what you might describe as a leadership role. Secretary, yes. Treasurer, when there really isn't anyone else, perhaps. Organisational job that means turning up, delivering a defined outcome and leaving again? Over and over again. But being the person in charge of the show? Looks rather desperately for someone else.

People do kind of assume that, if you're politically active, you crave the limelight, that you want to lead. And, quite often, that's true. It can help to have that sort of mindset if you want to get elected, to achieve things. Being the Chair offers control, albeit with a large side order of responsibility. I've tended to avoid that - thankfully, somebody usually wants power more than I do.

I did chair my then Local Party, Dulwich & West Norwood, for a couple of years, with a modicum of success in terms of outcomes - best General Election result (second in 2005), first councillors elected (2006), but in truth my role was primarily enabling competent people to do their jobs with minimal interruption, one that I was happy to stick to.

Other than that, not much.

And so, becoming Chair of my Parish Council has been occasionally disconcerting. I worry about the job more than you might expect, although Ros is of the view that that's probably a good thing. Without much experience of being a Chair, and with plenty of competing advice on how it might be done, I've had to fall back on the experience gleaned from being subject to a variety of Chairs, and my personal preferences.

As a habitual Secretary, you appreciate short meetings, focussed on key issues, so as Chair I try to insist on having as much information circulated in advance as I can. Short meetings also free up everyone's time to do other things which, when people have busy lives, is surprisingly popular.

Control is important, and most committees have a member who tends to chunter on, blissfully unaware that everyone else is beginning to look intently at their timepieces, so I do tend to move meetings along once it's clear that all of the salient points have been made. Reading the room is important, so I switch from reading glasses to distance and back as required so that I can see everyone.

But you can't just sweep people along - they have to feel that their viewpoint is being heard, so I'll frequently pause to invite comment or questions to give my fellow councillors a chance to contribute. Given the diverse experiences of my colleagues, there's always valuable insight to be gleaned.

It's public meetings that I worry most about though. A Parish Council meeting has a structure, and rules, and a Clerk to guide me when I'm unsure. Public meetings often no such reassurance, especially when the subject is controversial, such as a significant planning application. A degree of neutrality is required which isn't always entirely appreciated and, as I don't much like confrontation, it can be a struggle when passions erupt.

So far, my colleagues are happy enough with my performance. The occasional words of encouragement are hugely appreciated, and allow me to operate on the assumption that I'm broadly in the right place as Chair. The only thing I need to worry about is keeping it like that...