Latest Homes magazine

Dr David Bull is probably best known as a TV presenter but he now lives here in Brighton and is standing to become a local MP

What brought you to Brighton?
I have always loved Brighton. I would come down for any excuse and loved the lifestyle. Its a brilliant place for so many reasons, bars, the sea, restaurants – and such a rich mix of people. About three years ago I was at a drinks party talking to someone about how young people were so disaffected and about the poor provision of healthcare. I was talking to Charles Hendry, MP for Wealden in Sussex. I offered to help him if he wanted to talk about issues regarding young people as I have been working in Youth TV for so long and I gave him my card. He didn’t call. I met him again six months later and asked why he had not called and he told me he had thrown my card in the bin. I liked his honesty and he became a good friend. We had a lot of discussions and he finally said that If I thought that I could do a better job I should put my money where my mouth is.

So you decided there and then to stand for parliament?
Foolishly yes – well not foolishly, I am very passionate about this. The first problem of course was finding the right seat, that is never easy.

So you are standing for Brighton Pavilion?
Yes, but it’s not an easy seat. Labour has been very strong and David Leper has been a very good constituency MP. You need an MP who cares, one who understands you and can represent you. There were easier seats on offer but I wanted to stand in a place that I like, a place where there is a real sense of community and that it is a community that I can be a part of. You can always be yourself in Brighton and I encourage that.

Are you standing in Brighton on a gay platform?
I am standing on issues that matter. I am a very open and very honest person. Sexuality is irrelevant to whether you are any good at anything. I mean business, I am passionate and committed and I intend to do a good job both locally and nationally.

You were first fired up politically by health cuts.
Yes and the care of people generally. Without your health you have nothing, no matter what you own, what you have made. We need the NHS to be there when we most need it. It is an amazing organisation when it works well, but it dealing with the media. Come the general
election it will become a media bunfight. Given that the media already know me, I will have the opportunity to put the Brighton story on the map. It would certainly be amazing to be elected.

Are you too strong a personality for the conventional face of the conservative party?
Am I? I am a trailblazer and I have been working with others to change the party from the inside. We are so different from how the party was ten years ago. We are socially inclusive and compassionate.

You could be accused of tokenism.
I could, but I am not and we are not. The people that have been selected to stand are really good and that is why, not because of their faith, colour or gender preferences. And they are people who can win their seats. We are genuinely compassionate, we really believe in looking after people. The Conservative Party has changed, it is new and different and I have been part of that change.

“If you like me and like what I stand for then vote for me. Celebrity or not, what I am is a breath of fresh air. I only ask that people listen to what I have to say and then make a personal decision based on that”

You made a very big statement at this year’s Pride celebrations.
Yes, I organised the first ever Conservative Gay Pride float. It was 44’ long replete with families and friends all celebrating the event. I now know that the other political parties want to follow suit. It was a fantastic day.

But the Conservative Party did not have a great track record on gay issues.Well that’s not entirely true. For instance, David Cameron has voted for gay rights, voted for an equal age of consent and also for the introduction of civil partnerships. In contrast, the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, never voted on equal gay rights, did not vote for the equalisation of the age of consent, for the abolition of the notorious Section 28 or for the introduction of civil partnerships. The Conservative Party has openly gay councillors, MPs and parliamentary candidates.

So your main home is now in Brighton, where there is a strong ‘green” sensibility. I too am passionate about improving the environment but we need to do this by making it easy for people to be greener. Simply voting green will not make a difference, I want to see investment in technology that will really improve things. Peoples’ priorities are family and that is where we need to start, but green issues are no longer left-field, they are central to what most people want and they are central to what the Conservative Party is about. We need to make these issues easier, cheaper, more efficient and actually our natural choices. To do that we need to invest in research and technology, not burying our heads in the sand or being dictatorial about what people can and cannot do, should or should not do.

Does your celebrity status help or hinder this move into politics?
I don’t know, but I am frustrated by those people who have made a decision already. You need to vote for what you are passionate about and for the person that can achieve that. If you like me and like what I stand for then vote for me. The parties are like shifting sands, I am a centrist but possibly more left wing than many in the Labour Party. People are far too tribal, always voting on a family history. Celebrity or not, what I am is a breath of fresh air. I only ask that people listen to what I have to say and then make a personal decision based on that.

And finally, how did you choose your flat?
Well I needed something that could double up as my home and office. I needed to furnish it and asked Richard Randall to help. He’s a complete star. I am absolutely delighted with the Freemans range. It’s contemporary, stylish and perfect.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 21st, 2007 at 12:55 pm and is filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.