"You can't promise the world — you set realistic expectations" - A conversation with Nathan Wilson

What was it like stepping into the role straight away — you were barely 18 hours into being elected before the casework started?

Literally. I wasn't even 24 hours in and I already had a message on my Facebook about a case. I didn't even have a laptop yet — it takes about a week to get one set up. So I was calling up accounts, like, I need my laptop, I've just been elected, what do I need to do? But the support was there. I never really had any real pushback about my age — not from the Conservatives, not from Labour, not from the Greens. Everyone was very welcoming.

And social media — was that a different story?

Completely different. I genuinely despise social media. You see it ruin people — they get so obsessed that the screen becomes their entire life. And the vitriol on there is something else. While I was running for election, I got a message from a burner account saying they were going to find me and behead me. I'm running for a local council seat and someone's threatening to stick my head on a pike. It's disgusting. But I do think it's a reflection of how frustrated people feel about politics, even if the way they express it is unacceptable.

"I think unfortunately, social media is becoming more and more necessary — and that's the problem."

When it comes to actually delivering on what you've promised voters, how do you manage expectations?

You can't promise the world. When you're knocking on doors or doing surgery sessions — I'm at Topshop on Wednesdays, and at St Peters most weeks — you give people a proper, honest outline of what you can actually do. I think some politicians go out there and say they'll fix everything immediately. I'd rather say, yes, I can get that road fixed, but here's the realistic timeline, here's the planning process it has to go through. People are very understanding if you're open with them. If you can't do something, admit it.

You pushed hard for a youth council in Ipswich. What happened?

It got knocked back, which was incredibly frustrating. We had the support of schools including Chantry, we had youth organisations on board — it was a strong proposal. My plan was simple: two representatives per school, meetings held just before the main council meeting to save on staff time and costs. East Suffolk already have a youth council running really well. We were going to be merging into the same unitary system anyway, so the argument that it would "only last two years" never held up. I genuinely believe that if it had come from a Labour councillor, it would have gone through. That's my frustration with the borough — it can be very partisan.

"If it had been a Labour idea, I think it would have gotten through. That's the honest truth."

Do you think young people in Ipswich feel like they're being listened to?

Not enough, no. When I go out to youth groups or speak to kids at esports sessions in Chantry, the consistent message is that there aren't enough third spaces and not enough for teenagers to do. We've had iHack sessions — where students come and directly tell their elected officials what they want for the town — and the feedback is real and strong. They want things like free library courses, safe spaces, stuff to do. It's not complicated. There's definitely an age gap between councillors and young people, but I don't think it's purely about age. Liz, who's in her 80s, has one of the youngest mindsets on the council — she had primary school kids come directly to cabinet to talk about road safety just last week. It's about mentality, not age.

What about votes at 16 — do you think it'll happen?

I had hope, but I'm less sure now. My view is that the voting age should be directly linked to the age you can stand for election — they should always be the same. The current proposal is vote at 16, stand at 18, and I don't think that's right. If society decides 16 is mature enough to vote, then 16 should be old enough to stand. They need to be linked.