CLLR Debbie Wilcox made history in May when she was elected as Newport City Council’s first-ever female leader. Now, four months into the role, she sat down with politics reporter Ian Craig to talk about some of the greatest challenges facing Newport, the role of the council within Wales’ political system and what she wants to achieve at the head of the authority.

THE job of a council leader is something of a thankless one.

But Cllr Debbie Wilcox, who was appointed as the first ever female head of Newport City Council in May following the surprise resignation of Cllr Bob Bright, who served in the role for a total of eight years from 2004 until 2008 and again from 2012 until May this year, seems to be coping well.

The former teacher was first elected to the authority as ward member for Gaer in 2004 and held a number of senior roles, including cabinet member for leisure and culture as well as education or young people, before stepping up to the leader position.

Born in the Rhondda and growing up in the south Wales Valleys, like so many others Cllr Wilcox said it was during the miners strikes of the 1980s that she truly began to consider the impact of politics on everyday life.

“My stepfather was a coal miner so I became politicised during the miner’s strike,” she said.

“I was a young teacher in Natyglo at the time and ritual on a Friday was to go to Kwik Save in Brynmawr, spend £15 on shopping for my parents and take it over to them in the evening. That’s how they lived in the miners strike.”

After some time focusing on her career as a teacher, Cllr Wilcox stepped fully into the world of politics as the Labour Party, with Tony Blair at its head, experienced a resurgence of popularity in the latter part of the 1990s.

“I thought ‘hang on a minute, I could do this, I could be part of this, I could make more of a contribution’ so I became active again in the late '90s,” she said.

“In those days you had to pay your dues a bit before becoming a councillor, so I was in the party for four or five years, I did things like being branch secretary and I did the minutes and all that groundwork where I learned about it, which was a very, very good apprenticeship.

“I stood in 2004 in the Gaer ward and luckily the good people of Gear and Maesglas have voted for me ever since.”

Although she stood on Labour’s regional list for the Assembly for the past two elections, Cllr Wilcox said it was in local government where she felt she could make the most difference.

“This job has come along at absolutely the right time,” she said. “And cometh the hour, cometh the woman.

“Although I have great regard for my national politician friends, I have to say this is a fantastic job because you are so close to the people and the decision you make.

“There’s no hiding place.”

Although perception of the the city may have improved somewhat over the past year or so, Cllr Wilcox said she was conscious Newport did not always have the best image among many.

“I think what we need to do is focus on the positive,” she said.

“Where does Team GB come to train before the Olympics? They come to Newport.

“Where did democracy begin with the Chartists? Newport.

“We’ve got to look for our ups and we’ve got to highlight the positives.

“It’s a matter of self confidence, we’ve felt below par for so long.”

“We’re not going to get it all right. Yes we’re a bit grotty, yes we’re a bit downbeat, yes we’re having to catch up.

“But gosh, what a spirit.”

But she said she believed the opening of Friars Walk last November was a watershed moment for the city.

“Regeneration remains a priority for us,” she said.

“But you have to admit Friars Walk has been a game changer.”

But Cllr Wilcox said she recognised the new shopping centre was not a cure-all.

“We’ve got too much deprivation in the city and we’ve got to continue to work to provide better opportunities for us all,” she said.

“We’ve got to work to bring investment to the city and the regeneration of this city is an ongoing priority for my administration.”

And an extra complication lies ahead with the next round of council elections to be held next May.

Cllr Wilcox said: “If you think I haven’t thought of that for the past four years you’re crazy.

“You’re always focused on your next election.

“Clearly we are focused on that, it would be remiss of us not to be.

“But the majority of the time, the vast majority of the time, myself and my cabinet colleagues are focused on delivering services for the people of Newport.

“It’s like a soundtrack that goes underneath it, and it’s the same for every politician.”

She added: “I still try to be a good ward councillor because that’s why the good people of Gaer and Maesglas put me here. That’s why I can carry out the role of leader, because I’m a ward councillor and that’s where you start and you must always remember that.”

One of the biggest projects the council is currently involved in is the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, which involves 10 local authorities, including Newport, working together to bring £1.2bn into south east Wales.

Although the agreement was signed while Cllr Bright was in office, Cllr Wilcox has since picked up the reigns and said the project was continuing at pace.

“We need to be working together and we are stronger together,” she said.

“Ten authorities working together is going to be stronger than Newport trying to do it on its own.

She added: “Brexit gave it a little wobble, but that seems to have desisted now and we are back on track."

Cllr Wilcox added she felt the project was part of a wider effort to ensure Newport is given the recognition it deserves.

“We are vitally important to the economy of Wales and the broader south west UK economy,” she said.

“We are this gateway city here.”

Looking forward to the coming weeks and months, Cllr Wilcox said she was under no illusions about the challenges posed by ongoing budget cuts.

“We’ve got 15 per cent fewer staff than we did four years ago and we’ve got £40m less in our budget than we had four years ago.

“There are going to be some unpopular decisions and I’ll be standing there with that downbeat face on the front of the Argus so people can throw darts at me.

“But I’ve been elected to do that and politics isn’t a popularity game.

“You’ve got to make those difficult decisions.”

She added: “It’s highly important for people to recognise that local government provides the services people require, but we can only do that to a certain extent with the income we are given.

“It is exactly the same as trying to manage a personal budget or a household budget.

“In England council tax makes up 50 per cent of councils’ budgets, but in Wales its only 20 per cent.

“So we are 80 per cent dependent on external funding and grants, which means when they’re cut it hits us more sharply.”

Looking further ahead still, she said her ultimate goal as council leader would be to leave Newport a better place.

“I’d like it to be a kinder, happier and stronger place with a better sense of its own worth and better in self confidence about itself,” she said.

“I think that would be my best legacy.”