1. Mary: So, thank you Roger, very much for letting us come and interview you.

2. Roger: Not at all.

3.Mary: Ok, so the first question then, can you tell us a little bit about what you do in the job?

4. Roger: Councillors get [1] a) access b) candidates c) elected first of all because they are thought able to represent people. So that means that individuals can get in touch with me to say, 'my bins haven't been emptied', 'my son or daughter hasn't got to the school of their choice', 'the [2] a) meetings b) repairs c) representing d) improving for my house have not been done.' That kind of thing. So on an individual level people might ring you to say, 'that hasn't been done,' and as a councillor you have an [3] a) access b) repairs c) representing to the various departments in the council, which ordinary, non-elected persons do not have. So you might be able to speed up the process, you might not, but you do have an [4] a) access b) elected c) representing d) supporters and so it's on that level first of all.

5. Then there are lots of [5] a) meetings b) representing c) residents d) supporters locally, whether they be [6] a) elected b) residents c) wards [7] a) meetings b) parliament c) residents d) ward , when [8] a) candidates b) residents c) ward have a chance to get together to meet officers and say what hasn't, council officers that is, to say what has or hasn't been done.

6. Mary: Can you tell me a little bit more maybe about the kind of problems that people come to you with? You're obviously [9] a) representing b) ward c) smiling this area here in Harehills.

7. Roger: Yes. Yes.

8. Mary: What are the main problems?

9. Roger: I suppose most of them have been to do with housing and I mean people will, that is the, it's not strictly speaking council housing, it's now called, it belongs to the city council housing has been divided up into five areas called 'ALMOs', so East Leeds homes manages a whole lot of what used to be council housing and a lot of people get in touch to say [10] a) repairs b) residents c) surgery d) ward haven't been done or they want a house and that's quite frustrating for them, first of all, but also for me as a councillor because a lot of the time there's not a lot you can do, because it depends on what priority they are as to what house they can get and yes.

10. Mary: So how do people contact you?

11. Roger: People, either they see me at a meeting, they might be at a [11] a) parliament b) representing c) residents d) surgery meeting, or they ring me up or they e-mail me, but I also have what's called a [12] a) access b) candidates c) representing d) surgery , or an advice session, once a fortnight, at Compton Road Library so people can also go there.

12. Mary: Right.

13. Roger: And also, I do what's called a street [13] a) meetings b) surgery c) ward d) wards so a letter goes to a hundred people at a time, saying I'm coming down your street between 11 o'clock and 12 o'clock next Saturday morning. Put this letter in your window if you want me to stop. Plus we send out newsletters, 3 or 4 times a year, which say, if you want to contact me, this is the way, but most people either ring me up or e-mail me. People do come to surgeries, but they don't have to depend on that because there's other ways.

14. Mary: OK. Thank you. So, one question I've always wanted somebody to explain. Can you explain the difference between a councillor and an MP?

15. Roger: The first difference is that an MP has more power.

16. Mary: OK yes.

17. Roger: And the next thing, of course, is an MP is [14] a) meetings b) repairs c) representing d) ward a larger area. That's the most obvious difference, so, I'm the councillor for one [15] a) access b) elected c) representing d) ward whereas the MP is, in his constituency there will be 4 [16] a) elected b) surgery c) ward d) wards in East Leeds anyway. And, of course, the next big difference is that he is [17] a) parliament b) representing c) residents d) wards that particular area in London, in [18] a) elected b) parliament c) representing d) wards , whereas, I'm [19] a) representing b) residents c) ward d) wards this particular area in this council here in Leeds.

18. So I have a strictly Leeds focus, whereas he, although he of course is very committed to his area of Leeds, he doesn't appear in the local council. He goes to [20] a) parliament b) repairs c) residents d) ward to try and articulate the needs of the area there and of course, support the government in its policy.

19. Mary: Right, thank you, and something that, one of the questions people sometimes ask me, they may not be British, they may be living here in Leeds in your area, in your [21] a) parliament b) repairs c) surgery d) ward , and they think, well, can I approach my local councillor? I'm not British, can I do that? So do you help everybody?

20. Roger: Certainly, anybody can get in touch with their local councillor, of course, if they haven't got British Citizenship, they can't vote, or be councillors themselves but they can, anyone can get in touch with their local councillor.

21. Mary: So any problems people can.

22. Roger: Yes, of course, sadly there are a lot of problems to do with refugees and asylum seekers at the moment and that also can be very very, well that's a perfect example of where the MP has more clout. I have to say to them, I'm passing the buck really because you need to get in touch with your MP because he'll have more clout to try and change a decision, yes, more power.

23. Mary: OK that's really interesting. Now what about me, if I say I want to become a councillor, how can I become a councillor?

24. Roger: If you want to become a councillor, your first route is to say, well the first thing I'd ask you is are you a member of a particular party?

25. Mary: Right.

26. Roger: Now I don't know how the Tories and the Lib Dems and Greens work, but if you're a Labour person and you want to be a Labour councillor, then you'd have to be on what's called the, you have to be, go to an interview and be put on a panel of acceptable [22] a) candidates b) representing c) residents d) ward .

27. Mary: OK.

28. Roger: So, in my case, I was [23] a) invited b) repairs c) supporters d) surgery along to this panel, to the interview body and was eventually onto the list of, whatever it is, 30, 40 acceptable [24] a) candidates b) meetings c) representing d) residents . And then it's for each [25] a) candidates b) meetings c) ward d) wards party in Leeds to look at that list and say, who shall we invite to interview.

29. And so if you're [26] a) candidates b) elected c) invited to interview, and another factor there is that some [27] a) parliament b) residents c) surgery d) wards have to have all women short list to make sure there are enough women being [28] a) elected b) parliament c) surgery d) ward . Then if you go to that interview and you're selected as a candidate, then of course there's a matter of an election.

30. And so you work with your local [29] a) smiling b) representing c) surgery d) ward [30] a) access b) representing c) supporters d) surgery to try and get yourself [31] a) elected b) residents c) surgery d) wards . That's roughly speaking the Labour route, but you might of course say, 'I have a plague on all the political parties,' I'm not a member of any of them and I'm going to stand on my own.

31. Well, that would be up to you to get some [32] a) access b) representing c) supporters d) ward to help you do some leafleting and whatever. And you also, when it comes to an election, have to have a piece of paper signed by 10 people to say that they support your nomination.

32. Mary: So you have to be on a list, well you have to be a member of a political party.

33. Roger: Usually yes.

34. Mary: You have to be on a list of acceptable [33] a) candidates b) invited c) supporters d) wards .

35. Roger: Yes.

36. Mary: You have to be selected and then you have to go about getting [34] a) elected b) repairs c) representing d) ward .

37. Roger: That's it.

38. Mary: Thank you, thank you Roger, thank you for your time and for your fascinating views.

39. Roger: No, pleasure.

40. Mary: Ok.