When you move into a new home, more often than not, the colour you are presented with is magnolia; kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedrooms all magnolia. It’s a colour that people think is least likely to offend. There is no stamp of personality, no evidence of past occupiers.
It’s a bit like my local ward, all one colour, except the councillors are not magnolia, they are blue. And, if they are all one colour, it begs the question of how representative they are of those living in the ward.
When I walk down my road I pass tidy gardens and messy overgrown ones, garages with blaring teenage bands hoping to become the next big thing, and cosy front rooms with elderly occupants sipping tea and watching the world go by. It’s not an affluent ward so I still see mums and dads walking their children to school, people at the bus stop on their way to work and even the odd brave child on a bike.
In a ward made up of so many different people (probably just like yours) it is unlikely that they all think the same way. So, how did we end up with all three councillors of one colour? This ward is not a new house. There are personalities and opinions, old and young, long time residents and newcomers to the area.
There are three possible answers, the first is that they are doing such a wonderful job that there is no need to vote for anyone else and even though they are blue they take fully into account the views of the all the red, green and yellow voters.
The second is that those who do vote blue have always voted blue, no matter who is standing. Their father’s father voted blue. They vote blue for their MP and blue for all three councillors. Which is what one of the three Conservative party flyers was suggesting; you can vote blue four times in this election. (You can vote green four times, too.)
The third is that people just don’t bother voting anymore and they rely on this.
Of the 54 councillors that make up Bournemouth Borough Council, 46 are blue. I think it’s time to add some colour to that mix and make it look a little more democratic. Here are a few ideas.
If you think they are doing a great job, you could vote for the best one and choose another colour for your second and third. If you have always voted blue and know nothing about the candidates (even after all those flyers) then you might just as well vote for a non-blue candidate just because they have a nice smile. If you don’t usually vote, and know nothing about the local councillors, you could gauge how well they are doing by looking at the roads and pavements. ‘Getting potholes fixed’ is what one of the blue councillors says she does on your behalf. I’m not so sure.
I’m not going to tell you who to vote for. I’m not a politician. I just think that this house needs a change of colour. Mine is going to be green. Not because I’ve always voted green. Not because Chris Pane, who is standing in my ward, has a nice smile (even though he does). I just think we need a younger, greener perspective on the council. I believe he will work hard and base decisions on his principles. He might even get those potholes fixed.
There is an alternative to blue.
Rachel Williams
