The Herald Express is now a weekly rather than a daily. This is my occasional column for the first edition...
Thursday, July 21, 2011 Herald Express
A couple of months ago, just after the mayoral election, I wrote down a few thoughts about the new political dynasty. My concern was that when you suddenly get what you always wanted you might find that you didn't want it at all! But you've got it and now you have to do something meaningful with it.
I had the opportunity to test that thought process last Thursday when I bumped into Gordon Oliver on the stunningly beautiful main staircase at Oldway Mansion in Paignton. I reminded him of what I had written just after the mayoral election and asked whether he really had got what he wanted. His diplomatic wry smile will amuse me for years to come. As he said, these are early days.
Well, early days they might be, but we live in tumultuous times where, like the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, some things are just so hard to believe. It may well be these are simply days rather than early days. The one thing that we cannot afford is confused thinking because people too quickly become disorientated and worse still disillusioned. There is, more than ever, a need for very clear strategic thinking and a sweeping aside of the curmudgeons.
My reason for being at Oldway was to attend, in the public gallery, a meeting of the full council. My specific interest was the draconian cost increase for families being bussed to school and college. An amendment had been tabled by a couple of councillors to soften the blow, which will financially damage so many struggling families, by spreading the increase over five years. Well, what happened was that a vote was not taken, to the disappointment of a large number of parents and children who had attended the meeting, and the matter was referred back to our mayor, Mr Oliver.
I found that hugely interesting because it made me realise the shocking power an elected mayor has. But an elected mayor is what we all voted for when we went down that dubious dusty road. It seems to me therefore whatever a council may decide is ultimately at the mercy of the mayor!
These are hard times, as we all know. But even now we have the obvious winners who have managed to reach the security of the financial high ground, and good luck to them. But they are few when compared to the increasing numbers beaten down by rising prices, high utility bills, redundancy, reduced services and a myriad of other hardships. As some bright spark noted, never in the history of man has so much been taken from so many by so few!
Where am I going with this? For more years than I really care to remember I have worked with the Duke of Edinburgh's Award as participant and then as a volunteer. I have always seen the DofE as an agent of social cohesion. The gap between those who have and those who have not is getting wider by the day, which will inevitably lead to a lack of social cohesion. We need to look out for each other, help neighbours and do our best to ensure our legacy is not one of selfish greed.
In a whimsical moment I had suggested to our new mayor that we might start perhaps with monthly public gatherings at the Riviera International Conference Centre where ordinary folk can air their views to the mayor in a pleasant and productive way. The questions could be written, for those who don't want to speak in public, but still allow for energetic rhetoric. This must not be a ranting session because I am sure we can find an upturned milk crate on Torre Abbey corner for that pent-up energy of those who simply want to unleash angry venomous rhetoric.
My other little tongue-in-check suggestion was that after the meeting we all pick up a paper bag to do a little litter collection on the way home as a gesture toward community cleanliness! That really is a serious suggestion since we shouldn't wait for others to make Torbay blossom.
How's that for a new vision?
Thursday, July 21, 2011 Herald Express
A couple of months ago, just after the mayoral election, I wrote down a few thoughts about the new political dynasty. My concern was that when you suddenly get what you always wanted you might find that you didn't want it at all! But you've got it and now you have to do something meaningful with it.
I had the opportunity to test that thought process last Thursday when I bumped into Gordon Oliver on the stunningly beautiful main staircase at Oldway Mansion in Paignton. I reminded him of what I had written just after the mayoral election and asked whether he really had got what he wanted. His diplomatic wry smile will amuse me for years to come. As he said, these are early days.
Well, early days they might be, but we live in tumultuous times where, like the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, some things are just so hard to believe. It may well be these are simply days rather than early days. The one thing that we cannot afford is confused thinking because people too quickly become disorientated and worse still disillusioned. There is, more than ever, a need for very clear strategic thinking and a sweeping aside of the curmudgeons.
My reason for being at Oldway was to attend, in the public gallery, a meeting of the full council. My specific interest was the draconian cost increase for families being bussed to school and college. An amendment had been tabled by a couple of councillors to soften the blow, which will financially damage so many struggling families, by spreading the increase over five years. Well, what happened was that a vote was not taken, to the disappointment of a large number of parents and children who had attended the meeting, and the matter was referred back to our mayor, Mr Oliver.
I found that hugely interesting because it made me realise the shocking power an elected mayor has. But an elected mayor is what we all voted for when we went down that dubious dusty road. It seems to me therefore whatever a council may decide is ultimately at the mercy of the mayor!
These are hard times, as we all know. But even now we have the obvious winners who have managed to reach the security of the financial high ground, and good luck to them. But they are few when compared to the increasing numbers beaten down by rising prices, high utility bills, redundancy, reduced services and a myriad of other hardships. As some bright spark noted, never in the history of man has so much been taken from so many by so few!
Where am I going with this? For more years than I really care to remember I have worked with the Duke of Edinburgh's Award as participant and then as a volunteer. I have always seen the DofE as an agent of social cohesion. The gap between those who have and those who have not is getting wider by the day, which will inevitably lead to a lack of social cohesion. We need to look out for each other, help neighbours and do our best to ensure our legacy is not one of selfish greed.
In a whimsical moment I had suggested to our new mayor that we might start perhaps with monthly public gatherings at the Riviera International Conference Centre where ordinary folk can air their views to the mayor in a pleasant and productive way. The questions could be written, for those who don't want to speak in public, but still allow for energetic rhetoric. This must not be a ranting session because I am sure we can find an upturned milk crate on Torre Abbey corner for that pent-up energy of those who simply want to unleash angry venomous rhetoric.
My other little tongue-in-check suggestion was that after the meeting we all pick up a paper bag to do a little litter collection on the way home as a gesture toward community cleanliness! That really is a serious suggestion since we shouldn't wait for others to make Torbay blossom.
How's that for a new vision?
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