The Final Years of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council Through the Eyes of Polish Mayor Michał Siewniak

Author/Editor Maria Anna Furman

We travelled to Welwyn Hatfield at Michał Siewniak’s invitation. Our meeting with the Polish mayor soon became more than a story of personal success. In his conversation with Maria Anna Furman for Wyspa TV, he addressed voting rights, the limits of local power, migration and the future of local government.

Residents elected Michał Siewniak as a councillor, and the council later appointed him Mayor of Welwyn Hatfield. He represents the community and chairs council meetings, while cabinet members make executive decisions. This distinction surfaced throughout our conversation: residents often expect the mayor to resolve matters over which he has no direct control. Siewniak pointed out that he is the first Pole and the first European to hold the position in the borough’s history.

Behind the ceremonial chain lies a long journey. Originally from Lublin, Poland, Siewniak holds a master’s degree in history. He lived in Croatia, where he met his wife, and in Italy before coming to the United Kingdom more than two decades ago. He worked at Greggs and helped develop a Polish association and a Saturday school. His community work eventually led him to run in local elections. He lost his first contest in 2011 but won a seat in Welwyn Garden City three years later. Today, it is home to his family, although their ties to Poland and Croatia remain strong.

His story raised a wider question: why do so few Poles in the UK seek a say in local decisions? Siewniak points to a lack of confidence, language concerns, and limited knowledge of local government. He has seen his background meet resistance, yet he has earned the wider community's trust. In his view, Polish schools and organisations should teach language and history while also helping people take part in British public life.

Democracy was a central theme of the interview. Siewniak does not hold a British passport and worries that long-standing residents from other countries could lose voting rights. He wants them to retain a vote in local elections, while recognising that standing for Parliament is a separate matter. He also described the dispute over a proposed postponement of local elections. Although he understood the arguments about the cost of local government reform, he opposed denying residents the opportunity to elect their councillors. For him, the right to vote must never be taken for granted.

Siewniak supports lowering the voting age to 16 and observes that adults, too, can be influenced by manipulation on social media. He invites pupils to the council offices and shows them how council decisions affect their daily lives. As a councillor, he holds political views; as mayor, he must remain impartial when chairing meetings. He admits that balancing those roles is not easy.

We also discussed political divisions. Reform UK representatives sit on the council, and Siewniak differs with them on migration. Even so, he looks for opportunities to talk, just as he does when residents tell him directly that they believe there are too many immigrants. He explains which matters fall to a local councillor and which the central government decides. He sees danger in both radicalisation and the belief that all parties are the same. He is also frustrated by slow procedures: even moving a road sign a short distance can take many months of consultation.

Migration returned to the conversation when we discussed the three charities Siewniak supports. One helps refugees. He connects that choice with his own experience of arriving in another country, while distinguishing his circumstances from those of people fleeing war. Asylum policy decisions are made at the national level. Through his charitable work, he hopes to bring the organisation's funding, visibility and new connections.

The discussion of local government reform in Hertfordshire brought the greatest uncertainty about the future. Under the plans we discussed, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council is due to cease operating in 2028, with a larger authority taking over its responsibilities. Siewniak sees value in bringing services currently delivered by different tiers of local government together. At the same time, he spoke about uncertainty for staff, fewer councillors, larger wards and a projected £22 million deficit for the new authority, according to figures he cited. He intends to stand for election to the new authority, but questions whether residents will retain close contact with their representatives when each councillor serves a larger area.

Against this backdrop, cooperation between schools in Welwyn Hatfield and Świdnik takes on particular importance. Siewniak hopes that visits will develop into lasting exchanges involving pupils, teachers, sports clubs and arts groups. He sees extensive support for community organisations in the UK and, in Poland, the energy of people willing to act despite limited resources. At the end of our meeting, he returned to the idea that connected every part of the conversation: residents should know who represents them, get involved, and keep talking even when they disagree.

Author/Editor Maria Anna Furman