After 11 years of planning committees, resident engagement events, surgeries and political meetings in cold church halls, I have decided to hang up my councillor lanyard today.
My decision to run came on the back of years in the Christian Socialist Movement (now Christians on the Left) and a formative time working in parliament for Stephen Timms. I have always been an idealist. In 2014/15 I was working for Christian Aid on the new Sustainable Development Goals, spurred on by the prospect of an Ed Miliband victory. Instead, election night in 2015 led to a very different outcome than the one I’d hoped for.
Austerity
The deepening austerity that followed the Conservative victory has meant real-term cuts to local government every year I’ve served. In one of my first budgets, we voted to close several day centres for vulnerable people – a decision which weighed on me heavily. Never underestimate how much politicians genuinely wrestle with such votes.
The 24/7 news and social media culture, the expectation of constant availability, and Council meetings that clash with school pick-up and bedtime have all taken their toll. And the party politics has been a rollercoaster. At its best, the Labour Party feels like family. At its worst, it has felt like a family falling apart, with little pastoral care and far too much bitter recrimination.
Strain
Being involved in local politics, as both a Councillor and Cabinet Member, has undoubtedly put a strain on my mental health. My hope for the coming months is to sort out my nervous system and have some time to just breathe and be with my family.
I am so aware that this is an unsettling and challenging time for so many. Whether it’s Trump’s latest outburst, religious extremism, the deepening polarisation of our domestic politics, or the increasing cost of living, so many are feeling the strain. This quote from a recent More in Common focus group in South Wales rings true:
“I want to wake up and not have to worry, and go to sleep without having to worry.”
Five Ways to Wellbeing
In my last Council Assembly speech, I decided to speak about the 5 Ways to Wellbeing which were developed by the New Economics Foundation. They are: Connect, Be Active, Keep learning, Take notice and Give.
But, as well as challenges, being a Councillor has also given me great experiences which have enhanced my well-being. I want to share how each of the 5 Ways to Wellbeing has been relevant to my role in local politics over the last 11 years because I think they are so relevant to the anxious times we live in.
1) Connect
Being a Councillor has given me a very special connection with my neighbourhood. I know my ward block by block – the fly-tipping hotspots and where all the big dogs live. I’ve also seen Southwark at its best, connecting with inspiring individuals and community groups.
Working with Southwark & Peckham Citizens on improvements to temporary accommodation and delivering Southwark’s first Community Land Trust has been a particular privilege. They never let me off the hook but always engaged fairly, helping me connect with voices that often don’t get heard.
2) Be Active
The year I was elected, I had already been struggling with my own mental health. The activity, rhythm, camaraderie and fresh air of campaigning was a welcome and regular discipline — and a reminder that getting out and doing something purposeful can be genuinely restorative.
3) Keep Learning
The learning has never stopped. I have held portfolios covering adult social care, homelessness, refugees, climate change, new council homes, planning and regeneration. It has taught me that if we want competent political leadership, we need to give people a good chunk of time to learn about their area so they can oversee it well.
4) Take Notice
Taking notice of things that might pass others by is woven into the fabric of ward surgeries and casework. It also means scrutinising council policies carefully and trying to understand how services could be improved — noticing what isn’t working and asking why.
5) Give
To give is at the core of what being a councillor is all about. Giving your time to sit with people in surgeries. Giving your time to persist with casework. And as a Lead Member, giving of yourself emotionally as you make hard, complex decisions with diminishing resources. Fundamentally, being an elected representative has given me the chance to live out my deeply held values, and for that I am very grateful.
Political service is costly, but it also deeply rewarding and important. It needs not only people of integrity but people with resilience.
For now, I’m looking forward to pursuing the 5 Ways to Wellbeing outside of politics. But my prayer is that more people of integrity and resilience will put themselves forward. The risk is that too many decent people step back from political office – and that presents a risk to everyone’s well-being.
Helen Dennis is currently a councillor and Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development in Southwark, South London. She has worked for Stephen Timms MP, Tearfund, Christian Aid and the Fairtrade Foundation. She was Vice-Chair of Christians on the Left and is a Trustee of Pecan in Peckham, where she lives with her husband and 2 children.
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