Brighton gay councillor to stand down in next city elections

29 June 2010 15:37

Simon Williams, one of Brighton's few openly gay councillors, has announced that he won't be standing for re-election to the city council in elections in 2007

The 34-year-old Green Party councillor, who has represented Brighton's central St Peters and North Laine area since 2003, says Brighton and Hove Council is holding too many meetings in the working day for people who have to work alongside their council responsibilities.

Simon (pictured above) said: "Although councillors receive a small basic allowance, it's simply not enough to cover the cost of living in this city and it's a fact that some councillors have to work alongside their council responsibilities. Because so many meetings are in the working day rather than evenings, it's difficult for people who have full time day jobs, especially where their employer may not be able to be flexible. This is frequently the case in the private sector," he explained.

"The end result is that many people who would like to stand for election and serve their local community are prevented from doing so. The risk is that those who are left do not reflect the wider community, leaving only the wealthy, self or part time employed and retired.

"There are only two or three openly gay councillors on the council, as far as I'm aware, out of 54, in a city where the LGBT community is a much higher proportion of the population. The average age of the city's population is 38 while the average age of councillors is 57. Brighton and Hove's elected representatives simply do not reflect the wider community they are supposed to serve."

Simon works in public relations and is training to pursue a legal career. He has campaigned hard on diverse issues affecting the LGBT community. These include health, equalities, the impact of civil partnerships, community safety, policing and the criminal justice system. He has also been involved in the campaign against homophobic and misogynist music - especially targeting the large record chains who sell albums in this category. He has recently tabled a motion for the city council to mark the International Day Against Homophobia on Wednesday 17 May.

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