My column in the Herald Express Thursday, November 10, 2011
WHEN the coalition galloped madly into Westminster with David Cameron, Nick Clegg and dear old George Osborne at the head of the eclectic horde, I really did worry that we were slipping into some sort of neo-feudalism, as we were scattered in all directions.
Poet David Neita warns us to 'mind the gap' as he observes the widening divide between those who have so much and those who have so little.
As the coalition marches on it seems to me that the gap is indeed getting wider and wider. Part of that widening may well sadly lead to the re-emergence of the feudal class system.
Prime Minister John Major sought a more egalitarian society and part of that thrust was an attempt to make the honours system classless.
Out went the Medal of the Order of the British Empire Medal (BEM) and those deemed worthy were made Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). Well, it seems David Cameron wants to re-introduce the BEM because not enough MBE awards were being made for folk who do so much for their communities. Hmm.
Rather than go back to what many described as a 'working class award', I would have thought that simply awarding more MBE gongs to deserving tireless folk who do so much for others would do the trick.
I am sure Mr Cameron is keen to recognise the contribution that all those in his curiously named 'Big Society' should feel we are all in this together, but I worry this may not be the best way.
One thing I do know is that people do indeed quietly beaver away and so often their work is not recognised or acknowledged.
Too often it is not until they stop doing what they do that heads come up like startled meerkats and notice things are not quite as they were!
One such local hero is Bob Brewis, who until last week or so was the chairperson for the Preston Community Partnership.
Bob has been unwell and therefore decided to hand the reigns to others. He has done so much for Preston, for Paignton and indeed for the whole of Torbay.
Gesche Buecker is the new chairman and presented Bob with flowers at the recent public meeting held in the ballroom at Oldway.
Now about that meeting! My reason for being there was to keep the pressure on councillors before too much damage is done by the thoughtless planting of traffic meters.
When the parking meter issue came up you could almost touch the energy in the room.
People were on their feet and forcefully attacking the proposals. Numerous people thought that we should be pushing on with regeneration rather than making Torbay a place that people simply don't want to visit and be penalised by draconian parking charges. Others thought the planting of meters on Preston seafront was yet another tax on local people.
Sadly from where I was sitting the meeting suddenly started to look like a scene from Dad's Army with Cllr Robert Excel suddenly looking like Corporal Jones while Cllr Chris Lewis took on the role of Chief Warden Hodges!
The 'audience' were being told not to panic by Excell/Jones, Lewis/Hodges went for a show of hands and the community voted against parking meters on Preston seafront, leaving Corporal Jones scratching his head!
But all credit to Robert Excell, because he knew the ride would be bumpy but was still brave enough to face the crowd.
But here's the thing. The meeting was both packed and buoyant, demonstrating that a community can gather in a meaningful way.
This was the sort of thing that I did suggest mayor Gordon Oliver might want to think about on a monthly basis.
The thing which caught my attention at the Preston partnership meeting was the energy and constructive comment.
We all need to engage and I truly believe that we ARE all in this together, though perhaps not quite in the way that Mr Cameron keeps bleating on about!
Poet David Neita warns us to 'mind the gap' as he observes the widening divide between those who have so much and those who have so little.
As the coalition marches on it seems to me that the gap is indeed getting wider and wider. Part of that widening may well sadly lead to the re-emergence of the feudal class system.
Prime Minister John Major sought a more egalitarian society and part of that thrust was an attempt to make the honours system classless.
Out went the Medal of the Order of the British Empire Medal (BEM) and those deemed worthy were made Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). Well, it seems David Cameron wants to re-introduce the BEM because not enough MBE awards were being made for folk who do so much for their communities. Hmm.
Rather than go back to what many described as a 'working class award', I would have thought that simply awarding more MBE gongs to deserving tireless folk who do so much for others would do the trick.
I am sure Mr Cameron is keen to recognise the contribution that all those in his curiously named 'Big Society' should feel we are all in this together, but I worry this may not be the best way.
One thing I do know is that people do indeed quietly beaver away and so often their work is not recognised or acknowledged.
Too often it is not until they stop doing what they do that heads come up like startled meerkats and notice things are not quite as they were!
One such local hero is Bob Brewis, who until last week or so was the chairperson for the Preston Community Partnership.
Bob has been unwell and therefore decided to hand the reigns to others. He has done so much for Preston, for Paignton and indeed for the whole of Torbay.
Gesche Buecker is the new chairman and presented Bob with flowers at the recent public meeting held in the ballroom at Oldway.
Now about that meeting! My reason for being there was to keep the pressure on councillors before too much damage is done by the thoughtless planting of traffic meters.
When the parking meter issue came up you could almost touch the energy in the room.
People were on their feet and forcefully attacking the proposals. Numerous people thought that we should be pushing on with regeneration rather than making Torbay a place that people simply don't want to visit and be penalised by draconian parking charges. Others thought the planting of meters on Preston seafront was yet another tax on local people.
Sadly from where I was sitting the meeting suddenly started to look like a scene from Dad's Army with Cllr Robert Excel suddenly looking like Corporal Jones while Cllr Chris Lewis took on the role of Chief Warden Hodges!
The 'audience' were being told not to panic by Excell/Jones, Lewis/Hodges went for a show of hands and the community voted against parking meters on Preston seafront, leaving Corporal Jones scratching his head!
But all credit to Robert Excell, because he knew the ride would be bumpy but was still brave enough to face the crowd.
But here's the thing. The meeting was both packed and buoyant, demonstrating that a community can gather in a meaningful way.
This was the sort of thing that I did suggest mayor Gordon Oliver might want to think about on a monthly basis.
The thing which caught my attention at the Preston partnership meeting was the energy and constructive comment.
We all need to engage and I truly believe that we ARE all in this together, though perhaps not quite in the way that Mr Cameron keeps bleating on about!
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