On the 7th of May Exeter Street Hall will once again become a polling station for the neighbourhood. It’s a noble function, a bricks and mortar embodiment of democracy, and as shareholders in the hall we can be proud that another reason to save our hall has come to fruition. I’m sure parents are also pleased the local schools haven’t had to be pressed into serving democracy, even if their offspring are not so pleased to miss out on a bonus holiday.
This year sees a General Election and also an election for all of Brighton and Hove’s council seats, including three in our own Preston Park ward. Polls currently predict another hung parliament at Westminster. This is causing the leaders of the political parties either dizzying headaches from calculating into whose bed should they jump or gleeful machinations as they list their demands for access to said bed. However in our council we have had a bit longer to get used to minority administrations, as it is almost a decade since we had a majority leader in the town hall. This has meant that individual councillors can have an important impact on decision-making in our city. In light of this we are delighted to host a local election hustings in Exeter Street Hall on Friday, 17th April at 7.30pm (free entry).
Our good friends at the Prestonville Community Association have organised this event. The PCA does great work staying abreast of decisions which affect our neighbourhood and keeping local councillors up to date with such matters. At the hustings, a Question Time style format will be used, and you may have seen their posters advertising the event requesting questions in advance to [email protected] . They have secured representation from Preston Park ward candidates across the political spectrum and this is a great chance to meet, listen to and inform those people who want to represent us, and decide how our council tax is spent. Luckily the PCA have kindly agreed to let us run a fundraising licensed bar on the evening, so take that David Dimbleby, even politics is more fun at Exeter Street Hall! So do send in a question, come along on the 17th, and give those democratic muscles a workout.