The guide, published by the Leadership Centre for Local Government, aims to give people more of an idea of what councillors do and how to become one. Cllr O’Hanlon, a Councillor since May 2006, said “I was delighted to be involved in this project. I am a passionate believer in the ability of local people to change things for the better in their communities, and that’s why I stood for election. I hope that this guide will let a lot more people find out about how to become a Councillor and what it can mean for them and their communities.”

The guide is being produced in conjunction with a national programme called “Be a Councillor,” also aimed at boosting involvement in elected local government. Bury Lib Dem’s Leader Councillor Tim Pickstone is the Liberal Democrats national “Champion” for this project. He spoke at the official launch of the guide last week, and said “It’s great that Donal is starring in this guide, and that two of us from Bury have made it through to a national level on this important project.  Hopefully the guide and the wider Be a Councillor project will make a big difference and boost the involvement of local people in their communities. The idea that it was somehow acceptable for councillors to be unrepresentative of the communities they serve belongs to a previous generation and has no place in our future democracy.”