A FORMER Blackburn with Darwen councillor has told the Labour Party it needs to do more to bring younger people and those from more diverse backgrounds into the council chamber.

Simon Danczuk, who was on the council for seven years and represented Earcroft in Darwen, voiced his views in an internal pamphlet called Fit for the Future, written and edited by members of the Labour Party's National Executive Committee, such as Ruth Turner, co-founder of The Big Issue in the North, and actor Tony Robinson, famous for presenting Time Team and playing Baldrick in Blackadder.

He wrote: "Prospective and existing councillors need to be trained by the party in communication, community involvement, advocacy, and consultation skills.

The emphasis -- if we're to reduce monkey voting (a reference to the local election result in Hartlepool) and extremism -- has to be on creating community champions, re-connecting with local communities, re-engaging all stakeholders."

Simon, managing director of social research company Vision 21, said: "My reasons for writing the article were to stimulate discussion within the party and to convince members to come forward.

"My recommendations were not just based on Blackburn, but on years of experience on the North West Labour Party's Regional Board which examines party issues in local government."