A Perthshire councillor has warned the region could face an exodus of young political talent over a failure to make local democracy more accessible to working-age people.
Xander McDade, who has represented the Highland Perthshire ward since being elected at the age of 23 in 2017, plans to quit frontline politics ahead of May’s council elections – and says he expects other Perth and Kinross Council members to join him.
Speaking exclusively to The Stooshie – the Scottish politics podcast from DC Thomson – he warned young councillors face many barriers to staying in the job long-term.
These include low pay, long and irregular working hours and difficulties securing a second income because of the way council meetings are scheduled.
Mr McDade also previously claimed he had been subjected to ageist jokes from colleagues on Perth and Kinross Council, including senior members allegedly plotting to stop him using his office.
He believes young Scots must be heard in their local communities and warned more needs to be done to ensure councils are not just filled with “older white men”.
Younger councillors to quit
Mr McDade said: “I think all of the younger councillors in Perth and Kinross are standing down.
“We found it very frustrating. There has been a lot of frustration about how the council operates and about how inaccessible it is.
“One of the fundamental problems is the structural issues with how local government is run, make it very challenging for people of a working age – particularly those with families – to actually get involved.”
Amongst much else, this week’s Stooshie goes deep on the topic of young people in politics – with important, articulate contributions from @Emma_Roddick, @XanderMcDade and @LloydAMelville. You don’t want to miss this one.
🎧 Listen, to #BeBetterBriefed: https://t.co/yJdUGhbAnA pic.twitter.com/UVmVzreUUQ
— The Stooshie – the politics podcast from Scotland (@stooshiescot) February 18, 2022
He continued: “Meetings are held across specific days rather than holding them any day of the week at any time.
“If you’re working, you need to be able to tell your employer what days you’re available.
“We had a really big push at the start of this council term to try and get meetings in the evenings and unfortunately, we were outvoted by our older colleagues who wanted them first thing in the morning and during the day.”
Half the minimum wage – if you’re lucky
Mr McDade said councillors who work long hours are “lucky” if they are paid half the minimum wage for what they do.
He believes local authorities need to be clearer about what is expected from representatives and ensure their workload is lighter if pay is not increased.
“It’s certainly not realistic to be expecting younger people who are perhaps trying to buy their first home to be able to buy that on the councillor allowances that are currently set,” he said.
“I think we need to be realistic. Either it is a part-time role, in which case we need to reduce the work expected of councillors, or we need to increase remuneration to reflect the level of involvement.”
Emma Roddick, who became Holyrood’s youngest active MSP last May, agrees with Mr McDade’s views on councillor salaries.
The SNP politician said she struggled to cope financially while serving as the youngest member of the Highland Council.
She was mocked by Tory rival Annie Wells when she spoke out about her money troubles after first entering Holyrood.
Mr Roddick said: “The councillor’s salary then was well below average and I wanted to do it full-time. I don’t think it’s a particularly attractive job for young people.”
Belittled by fellow politicians
The SNP MSP also told the Stooshie podcast she has been belittled as a young, disabled woman by fellow politicians and fears she “overestimated” how accepting the Scottish Parliament would be.
“There’s definitely differences I notice in how people react to me, and that’s other politicians as well as the public,” she said.
“My age tends to be brought up quite a lot in terms of people looking for a way to dismiss what I’m saying, even if what I’m saying has absolutely nothing to do with how old I am.”
Ms Roddick admits she “overestimated” how accepting the parliament would be after enduring some difficult experiences in her role as a councillor.
She said: “I was the youngest councillor in the Highland Council.
“I experienced how things were there and I don’t know why I had this expectation but I thought that it was going to be better in the Scottish Parliament.
“I think I had overestimated how liberal the parliament had become. There is still a very long way to go and I think that is the case everywhere.”