Why do people put themselves forward to be councillors? What does the role actually involve? How much are they really paid - and what horrors can they face when campaigning on the doorstep? Listen to our full conversation with Bitterne Park ward councillor Phil Webb, now available on our digest+ channel.

Rather than a Paxman-style grilling on party positions, this full conversation with Cllr Phil Webb (Lab) offers a frank, non-partisan look at life in local office.

He talks about what drew him to stand, what his daily responsibilities actually involve, and the challenge of juggling council duties with work and family.

He also considers how much power councillors really have, reflects on the sometimes divisive reactions he encounters when trying to update residents on public forums, and shares his thoughts on the next local elections in May 2026.

You can subscribe if you haven’t already, and listen to the audio, from this link, or listen via the Substack app if you use it.

It’s one of several audio features now available to paid digest+ subscribers. A subscription gives you access to occasional previously unpublished material, archives, and our most frequent newsletter with direct links to recent stories. Most importantly, your support helps us continue reporting local news on the site, via social channels, and in our newsletters.

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