I was at a planning meeting in Leith last year, arguing for better public transport links and more accessible green space around a new development. It felt like shouting into the wind sometimes. The councillors, bless them, seemed more interested in protecting specific business interests or party lines than actually looking at the long-term benefit for the people who’d live there. You could just see the disconnect between the residents’ actual needs and what was being pushed through.
It got me thinking about how we elect these people in the first place. When you have a system where a few votes in one ward can completely swing a whole council, it doesn’t really encourage looking at the bigger picture. It just rewards tactical games and safe seats.
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Mock the policy. Not the person. Community principles →
Here in Belfast, it feels like that sometimes with the health trusts too. You try to get a straight answer about maternity services or delays, and it's like talking to a brick wall, even though you know the people working there are doing their best. The system just doesn't seem set up for us to have a real say.