Ok, so this isn’t quite one of those ‘Where were you when…?’ moments. However, for supporters and members of the Green Party across Dorset, the day that Simon Bull became Cllr Bull won’t easily be forgotten, especially considering the strong support that Conservatives have in the area. The recount not only confirmed but increased the margin from the original nine to fourteen votes and Simon has been overwhelmed by the messages of congratulations and support from people locally and across the country.
I have to say that if the count had gone the other way today, it would have felt like the final nail in the coffin after the overwhelming and slightly unexpected vote for austerity both nationally and locally. Now it feels as if there is a glimmer of hope, that maybe Simon can be the voice of reason, the voice of the people, and the voice of anti-austerity within a council that is awash with blue sentiment.
Simon knows that he is going to have to fight to get his concerns addressed. Concerns that locally, and nationally, the cuts on services and welfare are having a disproportionate effect on the poorer and more vulnerable members of our community.
‘A Green vote is not a wasted vote,’ he said today after the announcement. Being the only Green in a sea of blue may seem like an impossible task but it is a challenge that the only Green MP, Caroline Lucas, has faced. Over the last five years she has won numerous awards, including MP of the year, evidence of how hard Greens work for their community. When Simon promised today to work hard for the residents of the Winton East Ward and the whole of Bournemouth, it felt as if there was finally going to be someone to represent the people in Bournemouth who don’t always feel as if they have a voice.
Simon has agreed to contribute to a regular monthly Green column for Dorset Eye because he believes that those he represents should know what takes place within the council and the work he is doing as their councillor.
