Final two days of being a councillor. But the work doesn’t stop.

This morning I was asked to sign a statutory declaration. I have had a few of these over the years. Usually it is for a change of name. I have also been called on to sign passport applications, shotgun licence applications, and confirm copies of documents are authentic.

The Statutory Declarations Act 1835 abolished the use of oaths and substituted statutory declarations for many subjects, and these have been added to over the years. A statutory declaration is a written declaration of facts. It is an offence punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine to make a false statement in a statutory declaration.

The applicant is responsible for the contents of the declaration. The councillor who signs the form is only confirming that the form was signed by the applicant.

It may sound not particularly important or onerous, but this is changing someone’s future.

I’ve also been to a coffee morning, knocked on some doors with Mel Sullivan, dealt with remaining casework, and answered a phone call about fly-tipping in the ward. Now to continue clearing out the files before I hand back the laptop and the mobile phone.