NEWLY elected former Hitchin Girls' School student Tina Bhartwas has yet to attend her first county council meeting, but she's already making history - as the council's youngster ever member.

On May 6 she stood as the Labour candidate in the Letchworth North seat that had been held by Conservative Simon Bloxham.

And with a total of 2044 votes – she beat the former councillor by just 46 votes.

Now the politics and international relations student – who is just 19-years-old – is looking at juggling county council meetings and casework with her university studies, at Queen Mary University.

And she thinks her age may even be an advantage in the council chamber.

"I think I bring a fresh perspective," she said.

"I think that there are no doubt experiences that I don't have, but there are a whole host of experiences that I do have.

"As a county councillor I think that I will be able to make a positive change for my local community."

Local road safety, street lighting and the environment already rank amongst Cllr Bhartwas' priorities.

And she believes she has the energy and enthusiasm to see real local change, with a track record of voluntary and political activity already behind her.

Last year she spear-headed a petition calling on the county council to ensure children eligible for free school meals didn't go hungry over the school holidays.

And even while a pupil at Hitchin Girls' School she lobbied county councillors to declare a climate emergency.

In addition she has been active within the local charity and voluntary sector – as a past vice chair of the North Herts and Stevenage Centre for Voluntary Services and one of the county's Covid 'information champions'.

As part of the closely-fought election campaign in Letchworth North, Cllr Bhartwas called more than 1500 residents and – after the relaxing of Covid restrictions – knocked on hundreds of doors a day.

And she stresses the importance of having listened to as many residents as possible.

Commenting on the campaign, she said: "Social media was quite important.

"There was a lot of telephone canvassing – but what I really wanted to do was to get out there and speak to as many people as possible.

"I felt it was really important to record lived experiences and community experiences – because I see that as being really vital to the role of a county councillor.

"I am rooted in my community, but I know there are experiences that I don't have – and that's something everybody needs to bear in mind. Listening to people cannot be more important."

Cllr Bhartwas says she joined the Labour Party in 2019. And she says it was the 'bedroom tax' – where benefits were reduced if claimants were judged to have a 'spare' room – that revealed to her what a national policy can look like in practice.

Confirming Cllr Bhartwas as the council's youngest ever councillor, a spokesperson for Hertfordshire County Council said: "The minimum age to be a candidate was reduced from 21 to 18 in 2006, so it would only have been possible to be a county councillor younger than 21 from the 2009 election.

"Tina Bhartwas is therefore Hertfordshire's youngest county councillor on record to date. Five per cent of councillors are now under the age of 30."