AT the recent Cinderford Town Council meeting, the cost and provision of polling cards for a by-election in Cinderford West ward was on the agenda.

The cost of £7,500 for their provision caused comments from various councillors about "the high cost of democracy", which some consider to be a waste of money, partly because there will be a low turn-out.

Chair of Council, Graham Morgan, suggested that the 10 people who signed the request for the by-election should be sent the bill.

He lamented the fact that if there had not been a call for this election the councillors themselves could have appointed "the right person for the job" by co-opting someone of their choice.

Cllr Wilce's contribution to the debate was that "we have been very lucky, we haven't had a by-election for years".

I think this sums up the current state of the council.

Although I was not one of the signatories, I am the person who collected the signatures. The conversations I had with the electorate who have called for this by-election indicated that this unelected co-option was a key reason they wanted to call for an election.

I will be standing for election. I do not want to be co-opted. I suspect that, as a rank outsider, I would never be co-opted and I would like to see the increasing diversity of the Cinderford population reflected in the councillors who serve the population.

The date of the by-election is November 20.

I look forward to campaigning for it and am very interested to have more conversations with the electorate of Cinderford West.

And I hope there will be a good turn-out.

– Jill Raymond, Cinderford.