I was outraged by Green councillor Ben Duncan's statement at the Brighton and Hove City Council meeting on Thursday in which he suggested that only people in their 20s should be selected as candidates in local elections as older people do not represent the views of those in the city.
Although I am one of the younger Conservative councillors, I respect and value the older members of my party whose advice, support and experience have been invaluable to me during the past ten months.
While it is good to have younger councillors, this city is made up of a wide range of people of all ages, religions, races and cultures and as a councillor you represent all of them. It should not matter how old you are but how well you do the job.
Coun Duncan asked for a selection process to be looked at so older people are excluded from dominating councillor roles and said that it was not right that the average age of a councillor is 54.
What he forgets is these councillors have been voted for in a fair and democratic way. It is the people of Brighton and Hove he is insulting with this undemocratic theory.
- Maria Caulfield, Conservative councillor for Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, Brighton and Hove City Council
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