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Charlie Bolton was elected to represent Southville in the 2006 council elections.
Cllr Bolton has lived in the ward since 1990, and contested the ward for the
Green Party on a number of occasions.
For many years, he worked as a systems analyst at a well-known locally
based finance house.
In the last couple of years, he has taken a course in Environmental Policy
and management. He is the coordinator of the highly popular market at the
Tobacco Factory, a volunteer at the Soil Association and Green Party
parliamentary candidate for Bristol South in the last general election.
Further back, Mr Bolton was coordinator of Milton Keynes Friends of the
Earth, and involved in various transport campaigns, such as the Traffic
Reduction Bill campaigns.
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| Jenny Jones, an influential Green member of the Greater London Assembly and the Metropolitan Police Authority, seen with Charlie Bolton at the Tobacco Factory Market
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Charlie was also a founder member of the Sustainable Southville Project
and part of its steering group until recently. He was also co-coordinator of the Southville, Ashton and Bedminster Local Food Week.
Charlie Bolton said
'I think most people in Bristol think the City Council would be better with Green councillors. I suspect that even extends to the
local Labour Party (although I am sure they didn't want us to win in
Southville).
Nevertheless, Southville is the place where we made the breakthrough'
Southville voters chose Charlie as their councillor in a nail-biting election that gave him a seven vote victory over Labour, with the other parties nowhere. It marked a progressive swing over many years as more and more voters switched to the Greens
Mr Bolton adds
"Bristol has been crying out for a Green councillor for years. I want to see Bristol use joined up thinking when it
implements its policies. There are some officers doing great work on
sustainability and climate change, but the current councillors time and
again seem to fail to have the courage to put the strategy into action. It
is no use having a sustainability strategy, and then closing down half the
city's swimming pools, for example. Or selling off allotment sites, when
there is a waiting list for plots, such as at Alderman Moores in Ashton. Or backing road schemes, like the South Bristol Ring Road, that will increase traffic. The list is endless."
"I see the role of councillor as one of enabling people to improve their
communities in the way they see fit. I do not think a councillor needs to
be involved in every campaign going, but do think that councillors can
play a valuable role in helping community groups to achieve their
objectives."
"Many recent reports suggests that Climate change could be much worse than
previously anticipated. It is not too late, but needs action from those
with proven commitment to it - not from those who will support new roads
or expanded airports when convenient".
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