I’m Councillor Euan Stainbank, the deputy leader of the Labour group and the Labour representative for Falkirk South on Falkirk Council. In the election campaign in Spring 2022 we emphasised the role that our young people have to take so that our local authority can truly claim to be a ‘Council for the Future’. Our party launched a one-of-a-kind Youth Manifesto to lay out an extensive scheme of priorities that we would use to fight for the young people of Falkirk. As the youngest councillor out of thirty and a born and bred Falkirk bairn, I understand we need fundamental change to provide more effective services so that young people can work and enjoy life in Falkirk.
To that end I was delighted to be unanimously elected as the council’s Children and Young Person’s Champion back in May, in this role I take a specific cross-party position in advocating for young people in every decision the council takes, and make sure that their opinions and priorities are highly recognised when it comes to making decisions about the future of our district. I have reached out to young people at our schools, colleges, in work and universities to ask their perspectives of the services that impact them. We should be open, accessible and engaged with our young communities and not simply add their voice to a pool of competing opinions but value their innovation and crucial perspective.
However, this has not always been the position other political groups have taken I have seen. Budgetary decisions by the SNP administration put many of our school swimming pools and much of our home to school transport at direct risk. Our Town Hall which was the starting point for so much home-grown creative talent for decades was closed by decision of the SNP and Conservative groups in September despite the voices of so many young people showing that we needed a facility of that scale to support the work of so many brilliant organisations that provided opportunities and expression for young people.
Falkirk Labour’s vision is to build towns, villages and communities we can be proud of, and we will continue to work tirelessly on your side. Why not join us and help make this happen, not just here, but across our country.