A ROCK ’n’ roll lifestyle may be the stuff of dreams for many people, but one Ellesmere Port man’s true passion lay elsewhere.
Ben Powell, 24, of Ellesmere Port, had been playing guitar in different bands since he was a teenager, performing at gigs across the North West and sharing a stage with acts such as The Noisettes and The Automatic.
This time last year he was playing regular gigs with up-and-coming Chester band Eight Day Warning and living a life many aspiring musicians would be envious of.
But in May this year former Sutton High School pupil Ben turned his back on the music world to focus on his true passion – local politics.
Law graduate Ben, who balanced his musical career with a job as a case worker for Neston MP Andrew Miller, was so interested in how his hometown was run that he got himself elected on to Cheshire West and Chester council for Labour, representing St Paul’s Ward.
Ben, who grew up in Stanney and Little Sutton, is now one of the youngest councillors in the region, one of the reasons why he says he wanted to ‘make a difference’.
“I didn’t see anyone else out there of my age so I decided to go for it,” he said.
“Playing to hundreds of people is so amazing it is difficult to describe but, for the most part, being in a band is just hard work.
“My true passion is this area and particularly Ellesmere Port.
“I think there’s a narrow view of local politics as purely being about different parties arguing with each other.
“That obviously happens and the democratic processes are vitally important but, for the most part, I hope that politics is just about saying ‘how do we make the area better?’ and then trying hard to make this happen.”
After gaining a postgraduate degree from the Chester College of Law, Ben was about to train as a solicitor when he landed the job working with Mr Miller, where he remains today.
His duties include dealing with local people’s issues and getting to know the community.
“You really feel like you’re doing something for the community,” said Ben. “In a way, it restores your faith in humanity – I have met a lot of inspirational people.”
And though he left Eight Day Warning when he was elected to the council, Ben tries to keep up with his guitar playing and songwriting when he has time, and has kept in touch with his old bandmates, who he says were ‘a bit confused’ about his new choice of career.
He said: “When they’re all going down to the pub on a Friday night and I have to go to a council meeting they do ask why I’m doing it!
“But my job is very interesting and I really hope that other young people interested in local politics will get involved in making their areas better.
“We really need more people from different walks of life.”
