THANK you to my neighbours in Gloweth, Malabar and Shortlanesend for trusting me with their vote on May 1. I am privileged to represent my community on Cornwall Council.

From the start, I aim to be honest and hardworking, so I think everyone should know that I will receive approximately £17,500 a year as a councillor to recompense me for loss of earnings while on Cornwall Council duties.

This may sound quite a sizeable income for what should be a part-time job; however, all things considered, it’s not enough to entice most of us into politics.

Sadly, Cornwall Council is still made up of mainly older, white, middle-class councillors who are predominantly male and usually have a separate and independent income, be that a pension or business interests.

In 2022, the average age of a local councillor was 60 with 42 per cent aged 65 or over. This does not represent Cornwall's population, raising concerns about decision-making for our working population and younger generations.

On my first day in the council chamber, I see that only one in three councillors is female - another poor political statistic. Also, I notice the women speak less and with quieter voices. It can be no surprise, then, that all the selected party leaders are male, the leader and deputy leader are male, and the newly formed cabinet has just three women out of 10.

Following the May elections, no party secured a clear majority and the Lib Dems and the Independent group have agreed to share leadership and the cabinet. What is noticeable in these negotiations is the divvying up of lucrative cabinet positions, which are worth an extra £23,000 per year on top of a councillors’ £17,500. This promotes a degree of competition and self-interest for cabinet places and does not look professional. In fact, it all looks a little tawdry.

Maybe in future, councillors could be paid a living wage to encourage more candidates from diverse backgrounds? And maybe some provision of support for women to put themselves forward, including childcare and training?

Indeed, how about proportionality on the cabinet to ensure 50 per cent is female? Of course, this would be highly problematic for the Independent group, which has only one female member out of its 16 councillors, but it would ensure political parties encourage women to seek involvement with local politics.

Karen La Borde (Green): Truro City Council, Malabar; Kenwyn Parish Council, Newbridge; Cornwall Councillor, Gloweth, Malabar and Shortlanesend.