A transition plan emerges…

I am in the midst of what I self-mockingly describe as a Frank Sinatra-esque farewell tour from the Town and Parish Council sector. What with my tenure on Creeting St Peter Parish Council fated to be terminated next May, I’ve taken the view that an organised handover of my various posts was a necessity, predominantly for the organisations concerned.

And so, I advised my colleagues on the Board of the Suffolk Association of Local Councils (SALC) that I would stand down as our representative on the National Assembly of the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) on 31 July, allowing me to attend one last meeting to say my goodbyes. Given that I couldn’t make the September meeting anyway, it gave time for a successor to bed in whilst I was still available to support them.

It also meant that I could attend one last meeting of NALC’s Smaller Councils Committee - I serve on the basis that I am an eligible member of National Assembly, which I have now done.

I remain Co-Chair of NALC’s Micro Council Network, representing the 4,000 or so smallest Parish Councils, for the time being, and I’m still on the SALC Board until elections take place in the autumn.

There was, and is, the question of what I’m going to do instead. I don’t really have what you’d describe as hobbies, although I do like to travel, keep up with current events and play computer games (mostly badly but nonetheless…).

Fortunately, as has often been the case, something has turned up. In my guise as an experienced Returning Officer, I’ve delivered committee elections for the Federal International Relations Committee and the Liberal Democrat European Group and have the Social Liberal Forum on the blocks. I’ve also delivered the easiest Returning Officer gig ever, as the Scottish Women Liberal Democrats had no contested positions and thus left me with nothing to actually do.

And now, one of the Party’s Regions has approached me to see if I’d be happy to act as their Returning Officer in the autumn. Admittedly, some of their current Executive might not be wildly keen on my appointment but I wouldn’t be terribly upset if it fell through.

I’ve also been asked if I’d take up the position of East of England representative on the Executive Committee of the Liberal Democrat European Group, to which I’ve responded positively. I am, and always have been, pro-European, in the sense that I see the advantages of pooling sovereignty in pursuit of economic and social advancement. And, whilst it isn’t entirely clear what I’d add just now, I do see an organisation which can influence the Party’s policies across the piece, not just in terms of the relationship with the European Union.

There is, however, something else which was rather more unexpected… but I’ll save that for another day…