Autism gives me critical thinking skills, politician says

Kyle is the only councillor to have completed all the non-mandatory training that is available

You won't find many more sharply dressed people in Welsh politics.

The natty suit, feathered trilby hat and engraved tie-pin reflect just how seriously 26-year-old Kyle Jamie Eldridge takes his job as a town councillor in Abergavenny.

He believes he has been elected to do an important job and so he should look the part.

And Kyle said it is his autism that makes him care about every detail.

"Having autism gives me critical thinking skills, and skills that I think are excellent for public servants," he said.

Since his election last year to represent the town's Park ward, Kyle is the only councillor to have completed all the non-mandatory training that is available.

He is also meticulous in his preparation for council work, renowned for arriving at every meeting, having read and digested all the relevant documents.

Sandra Rosser, the clerk and principal officer for Abergavenny Town Council, said: "He's made it a point to understand fully the importance of good governance, knowing the rights and wrongs of what we can and can't do as town councillors."

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Autism is neuro-developmental difference which means people have a different way of experiencing the world, and of processing information.

In Wales, more than one in 100 people are on the autism spectrum.

Each person will have different strengths and challenges as a result of the way their brain is "wired".

"Quickly I realised that, because of his autism, we would need to change as a council," said Sandra.

"Quite often councils can be accused of waffling around the point," she admitted.

"We can't do that because Kyle won't understand.

"So we need to make sure we are very clear and concise, very black and white."

The council has rewritten a lot of its procedures and also changed its website, to make them more inclusive.

And Kyle also sets a high standard for his fellow councillors.

"Because of the way his mind works, he will remember something that was discussed three months ago in minute detail.

"If someone has changed the direction of their thinking, he can bring that back to them and say, 'this is actually what we discussed a few months ago'. He holds us all to account."

Kyle told the BBC Wales Live programme that some aspects of his autism, like "sensory overload", make political life more difficult.

'Lifting double the load'

"It is like I am lifting double the load each day," he said.

"Some of the stuff a councillor has to deal with, like arguing with colleagues or dealing with pressure, for autistic people it is amplified times two."

Kyle said he is motivated by helping others, rather than money or status.

He would like to become mayor of Abergavenny before pursuing a career in the civil service, where his ambition is to tackle the employment gap for autistic people.