Nick Cuff

Councillor in Wandsworth

I had been involved in party politics for a while when I got an email from a councillor inviting me to put my name forward for a party nomination. I was invited to stand for a safer seat. It was the opportunity I was looking for so I could be more involved in the community.

My partner cried when I was first elected. At first I thought it was for joy, but then she told me that she was probably going to see a lot less of me from that point forward. But she does understand that what I'm doing is important, and it's not something you should do half-heartedly.

There's not been one big thing that has made it all worthwhile, no Eureka! moment. It's the sense of reward, the feeling that you are achieving something. Recently I was really pleased to be involved in preventing the erection of a mobile phone mast in my ward. But you don't have time to become complacent because you are onto the next issue.

There's no point in looking back, except to learn. You never stop learning in this job. As a councillor there is always something new. If something doesn't go as well as you had hoped there is no point regretting what's happened, you just have to make sure it goes better next time.