One of the memorable takeaways of election night was the exchange between Carla Denyer, the newly elected Green MP for Bristol Central, and her defeated rival, Labour’s Thangam Debbonaire. It began at the count with Debbonaire paying generous tribute to Denyer as she acknowledged her defeat, and continued on Sunday when Denyer retweeted a video of Debbonaire’s speech and praised her predecessor’s record.
The courtesy was important. But it was more than that. The two women embodied the idea that the essence of democracy is to honour the motives of those with whom you disagree. “Democracy is so special,” said Debbonaire. “We must always treasure and respect it.”
