Take a look around any council chamber and you will see visual evidence of a 'lost generation' of elected members between the ages of 30 and 50.At 39, when elected to Suffolk CC back in 2009, I was one of a tiny handful of under-40S. And now, at 43,I am about to stand down after a single term. Why am I quitting? Three things stand out. The first is that public service as an elected member is, for younger professionals with families, a difficult circle to square in terms of time. It can be easily creep up to two to three days a week, even if you choose your commitments carefully. Most meetings are in the daytime and to accommodate this you need either to be self-employed or have a very understanding employer (not to mention spouse!).
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