Interview with Bristol councillor in 'coconut' race row

Shirley Brown is the first to admit there have been many ups and downs in both her personal and political life.

She concedes that there have been “blips” and  that she  has made mistakes.

But in spite of the numerous times she has attracted controversy, the Liberal Democrat councillor remains naive.

Speaking to the Post the day after the council meeting  in  which she called Indian Tory Councillor Jay Jethwa a coconut, she had no idea of the storm that would break when her comment became public knowledge.

She was more concerned that Mrs Jethwa was backing a Conservative move to cut funding for activities to help the city’s black and minority ethnic (BME) population.

Hours later, Shirley, the council’s only black councillor, was coming under criticism from all sides for suggesting that the Tory was not being true to her culture.

She issued an apology to Mrs Jethwa for “remarks made in the heat of the moment”.

But the matter does not end there, as police are investigating it as an alleged public order offence. The comment will also be discussed at a meeting of the council’s standards committee on April 9.

Before the row, Shirley, 48, whose Ashley ward includes St Paul’s, St Werburgh’s and Montpelier, was keen to encourage more BME people to come into public life.

She believes many people would like to represent their communities but are put off by negative publicity.

She said she has had huge support from the people of Easton and St Paul’s, and never more so than when opponents criticised her for spending too long in America in the early months of her marriage to Byron Brown.

“People really rallied round me – but seeing what I went through does make some of them reluctant to put themselves forward for public life,” she said.

“It is really important for more African Caribbean people and more black and minority ethnic people in general to become engaged with the political process and I will be working on that,” she said.

Her passion was re-ignited by being in Florida with her new husband Byron during the inauguration of Barack Obama.

“What I loved about Obama was that he could engage people of all ages, races and backgrounds. Those three words. Yes We Can, have empowered so many people,” she said.

Shirley is especially keen to reach out to young people and to women, as these are the areas in which she has worked all her life.

During her first term on the council, from 2003-2007, mother of three Shirley said she spent up to 60 hours a week on council work, attending more than 30 meetings every month.

But a couple of months after she was re-elected, and shortly after the death of her father, the then Shirley Marshall collapsed at work in Easton and was taken to the BRI.

Although it turned out not to be a stroke, as suspected, Shirley took it as a warning sign that she was burning herself out.

She went to America to recuperate and it was while she was there that her friend Byron, whom she had met when he was visiting Bristol on a council exchange, proposed.

Four days later, the pair wed and three days after that Shirley came back to Bristol. Early in 2008, she returned to the US for an extended honeymoon and soon began to attract criticism for picking up her £11,000 council allowance while she was across the Atlantic.

The Lib Dems felt this was unfair, given that councillors from all parties have had long illness absences that have not drawn so much attention.

In her defence, Shirley contended that she was continuing some of her ward work by email and her fellow Lib Dem Ashley councillor Jon Rogers was covering the rest.

She now has an unexpected opportunity to repay him for that, as Jon is a cabinet member following the surprise elevation of the Liberal Democrats to control of the council at the same council meeting as the coconut incident.

Shirley said: “Jon and I work very well together and now he is an executive member it will mean I will be covering  ward work a lot more.”

She admitted that she had considered standing down from the council at this summer’s elections but has since decided to try to complete the final two years of her term.

“This is not an ideal time to be going away. When the time comes for me to depart I want to do it at the right time and in the right way. People took time to vote for me and the least I can do for them is try to do the best I can before I hand over the baton to someone else.”

But Shirley will be keeping an eye on herself and her health  this time around. She knows she owes that to her three children,  and her husband, who remains in Orlando, where he works for the council.

Byron, 46,  does not want to live in England – “he says it’s  too cold here” – and Shirley does not want to move to America yet, although she confesses she would love to retire to the sun one day. But she loves her life and also wants to see her youngest son, who’s 16,  complete his education.

“I love Byron dearly and miss him very much but I have responsibilities,” said Shirley.

And she knows when she does eventually go to the US, she will miss the UK very much.

“I am so proud to be black and British,” she said.

“I don’t think we make enough of the British culture. Children should learn in school about the Queen, the national anthem and the flag.”

Shirley hopes to help many more young people in Bristol  from all backgrounds learn about their heritage and culture.

She played an active role in many events for Abolition 200 – the 200th anniversary of the Bill to end the slave trade – and is a supporter of the Legacy Commission, which will carry on some of that work.

As well as the council, Shirley has her paid work helping young people with personal development and working with women’s groups, as well as speaking engagements and motivational seminars.

There is also her faith. She is a preacher, although she has cut back on her work since her illness.

She has, however, written a book, Abused but not Destroyed, about some of her life experiences, good and bad, from domestic abuse in her first marriage through to unexpectedly finding love in middle life. It includes some of her poetry and is on sale via local churches and on the internet.

So there’s plenty to keep Mrs Brown busy  until the time comes to seek the Florida sunshine permanently.

“I have had my blips,” she concluded. “But getting married is not a sin. It is a good thing.”