If politics be the food of love…

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, Deborah Lewis speaks to councillor couples about how they find being joined in local government as well as matrimony.

It would please romantics to believe that husband and wife councillors fell in love when their eyes met across a town hall chamber - but the truth appears to be more pragmatic.

Cllr Richard Kemp, deputy chairman of the LGA, does not think it is surprising that there are numerous councillor couples.

He and his wife Erica are one of five married couples at Liverpool city council.

“It’s about having shared interests and beliefs,” says Cllr Kemp, who has been in local government for more than 30 years.

“For some couples it could be rambling or gardening, for us it’s a passion for politics.

“It also means you get to see more of each other, even if it is at the back of a meeting.”

Both were long-standing members of the Liberal Democrat party, and Erica Kemp stood for election in 2003, when the couple’s three children were older.

Married couples

Similarly Cllr Barbara Price of Sandwell metropolitan borough council followed her husband Robert into local government in 1998, nine years after he was elected.

They were in good company – Sandwell currently has five married couples, but at one point had nine.
“I didn’t want to get involved until the children were grown up because of the massive commitment it is,” says Cllr Price.

“It was a joint decision, and we work very much as a team. We represent adjoining wards, and as Rob is a postman he often gets residents telling him concerns and questions, and we pass them to each other depending on what we have on.”

The Prices, who are currently mayor and mayoress (pictured above), had been members of the Labour party for over 20 years when Robert was approached to stand for council.

But it is not always the husband who is first to get involved.

Cllr Sheila Bailey had been a member of Stockport council for eight years when her husband Philip Harding was elected.

Cllr Bailey believes the fact that two councillors are married should have no bearing on their roles, which is one of the reasons she kept her own name.

“We represent the same ward, and we work as a team alongside the third ward councillor. But we are individuals, whether or not I am married to Philip is inconsequential to our work as councillors,” she says.

“That said, we are very supportive of each other and it helps to be able to discuss issues, though we often disagree on how to go about things. But then I would hate to be married to someone who agreed with everything I said – and I think Philip would say likewise.”

Understanding the commitments and issues of council life is a natural benefit of spousal councillors.

Cllr Kemp says: “If your partner is a councillor, you’re halfway to one because they know about all the phone calls, ward meetings, people coming to the door with questions.”

Cllrs Paul and Rebecca Hopfensberger are a team in every sense of the word. Not only husband and wife, they are partners in their own business, and Suffolk county councillors, having both been borough councillors in Bury St Edmunds previously.

Although they both began as Conservative councillors, Paul, 45, became an Independent member last year.

Rebecca, 33, says: “It’s not a problem, because we both share the same core values, and national politics doesn’t really come into local issues.

Paul adds: “Although when she speaks in council I might make the odd silly face and shout ‘nonsense’ at her.”

Light-hearted banter is a common theme for councillor couples.

“On the rare occasions that we vote differently on issues, there are invariably sniggers around the chamber and shouts of ‘wait ‘til she gets you home!’” says Cllr Kemp.

On a final note, he adds: “Whatever else, having the same name saves a fortune on campaign posters.”