I RECENTLY voted in support of a motion of no confidence in the leader of the BCP Council. Although the motion was lost, I would like to explain to residents my two main reasons for taking this action.

Firstly, I have always been mindful that the Unity Alliance was not elected to power. In fact, the Alliance was formed after the elections when the non-Conservative groups put aside their political differences to take power.

The Alliance necessarily shares the 10 cabinet positions between them and currently, positions are held by six councillors from Poole, two from Christchurch and two from Bournemouth.

Bournemouth is the largest part of the BCP conurbation with 36 of the total 76 BCP councillors but is represented on the cabinet by only two Bournemouth councillors (one Labour and one Independent).

This means that Bournemouth has only 20 per cent of cabinet representation despite Bournemouth having 47 per cent of all BCP councillors. Compounding this democratic deficit is that 78 per cent of all Bournemouth councillors are Conservatives and they have no representation on the cabinet at all. Bournemouth residents are clearly being underrepresented on the BCP cabinet.

Secondly, the Conservative group leader offered to put political differences aside in order to form a coalition administration, with the aim of bringing all parties together, to best meet the emerging coronavirus crisis and the challenges of the difficult times that lay ahead. This offer was rejected by the Unity Alliance who flatly refuse to work with the Conservatives. If the Conservatives were to form part of the administration, the Conservative leader was left with no alternative other than to call for the vote of no confidence.

As an Independent councillor with no political affiliations, the idea of bringing all political parties and the most talented of individuals into the administration appealed to me. Importantly, if this could be achieved, this would also address the appalling lack of representation on the cabinet for Bournemouth residents.

Over the past year I have supported the Unity Alliance, but on this occasion I chose to support the motion as I felt, on balance, that this was in the best interests of the Bournemouth residents that had elected me.

STEPHEN BARTLETT

Councillor (Independent) for Redhill and Northbourne

Kingswell Road, Ensbury Park