Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2007 | Page 36

life

INTERVIEW

How do you
become a
council leader?

Just like
that!
By Martin Potter & Roz Whistance

Well, who’d have thought it? – as
John Major said after his surprise
succession to Margaret Thatcher. A
27-year-old, still living at home with
mum and dad is the most important
man on the Isle of Wight. Our Leader.
After a sudden and dramatic turn of
events on Wednesday 19th September
in which Andy Sutton resigned as Leader
after a controversial clash with the planning
department, the name to bubble to the top
of the resulting rumour stew was that of
David Pugh. You might remember him from
Newport C of E primary school, or Trinity
Middle, or it might seem like five minutes
since you were in his class at Sandown
High – maybe sharing a detention with him
for skiving off PE. Lives at home, only 27,
drives a Nissan Micra – that David Pugh.
“Yes, I guess I’m quite an unusual Council
Leader in that I still live at home,” he grins,
apparently unphased by the impli cation
that, well, what does he know about life?
“People have been asking how someone

36

of 27 who doesn’t own their own home can
represent them. But I think I’m the living
embodiment of what we need to do for
the Island: if we on the council can make
improvements in the property market, I
will stand to benefit indirectly from the
policies we’re trying to put in place – just
as some other councillors will benefit from
an over 60s bus pass. This job is a big
challenge, but the real test is on what I do.
Give me a chance to prove my worth.”
His mum and dad, incidentally, are
very pleased for him, and with the
direction his life has taken. His father is
a MacMillan nurse, and David himself
is an ardent supporter of the charity.
His career began at a precocious age.
He first met his colleague Andrew Turner
when, aged 17, he invited the councillor
to speak at the school political forum he
organised. “It’s tragic isn’t it!” he jokes. “It
sounds like I’ve been devoid of a childhood
but I didn’t really get interested in politics
until I was studying for my A levels.”

So after school he left the Island to study
politics at Aberystwyth. So, did this high
flyer emerge from University as a golden
boy? “Actually,” he grins, “I didn’t complete
my degree. I took a year out to work for
Conservative party central office, and was
invited to stay on as national head of youth.
It was too good an opportunity to miss.”
After four years he decided he’d had
enough of the Hooray Henrying he’d been
involved with – organising anti-Tony Blair
stunts by – um, getting people to put on
Tony Blair masks – and returned to the Isle
of Wight for “a quieter life”. He had fully
intended to pick up his degree where he
left off, and got a place at Southampton
University, where he took up student politics
again. But, “well, after four years in work I
found it really difficult, and I didn’t last very
long at all. There aren’t many people who
can say they’ve not finished Uni twice!”
Because his ties with his birthplace were
never broken, he was elected to the council
soon after settling back, and welcomed

Island Life - www.isleofwight.net