The people have taken democracy into their own hands

For almost a year now I have been continuously inspired by the hard work of campaigners in Midsomer Norton to create their own Town Council. For years, there has been a growing dislike for Norton Radstock Town Council – an organisation that is increasingly out of touch with residents and has no public mandate to serve the community.

Last Spring, over 900 people in Midsomer Norton demonstrated their growing anger towards the current Town Council by returning a petition card calling for a Local Governance Review to take place. Later in the year, a further 700 people in Westfield signed a petition calling for the same for their area. That’s more than many B&NES Councillors get in their own elections!

These petitions and surveys were carried out by people who are passionate about the place they live in. By people who believe so strongly in local democracy that they’ll do anything to ensure that residents stay at the centre of our democratic system.

Not once, during the last 12 months, has our Labour MP helped or at all showed an interest in this matter, and it’s only recently (with a General Election just 8 weeks away) that he decided to call a public meeting – at 2pm on a Friday afternoon! This was only advertised in one local newspaper a week before the meeting was taking place.

As a local Councillor, I know how difficult it can be at times to encourage people and inspire them to feel passionate about their community. It isn’t something that happens overnight – it takes year of work and relationship building. To push in at the last minute and claim to have done a survey asking for residents views on the future of local democracy in Norton-Radstock is just cheap and tacky. Mr Norris claims in his column in last week's Somerset Guardian newspaper that he has had the lowest response ever to this survey. Did he deliver this survey to every house in Norton-Radstock? Did he put petitions in all the shops and businesses? No! He expected residents to take part in the survey on his website – which gives him the total freedom to decide which results to release to the public and press.

Ideally, as an MP serious about getting elected he should be encouraging residents to take part in the consultation by writing to B&NES. If residents want to keep the status quo, as does Dan Norris, they have every freedom to express that in their submissions to B&NES.

Dan needs to be reminded that a) it was his government that introduced Local Governance Reviews – so people can shape their own democratic future and b) all political parties, including Labour, voted in favour of the review at a B&NES Full Council meeting last year.

I agree that B&NES has dithered over when the consultation papers were to be sent out – but their recent arrival on door steps has nothing to do with any intervention by Dan Norris.

I really struggle to understand why Dan Norris doesn’t support the movement for change in Midsomer Norton, Westfield and Radstock. The only answer I can come up with is that it will finally end the unhealthy, undemocratic hold the Labour Party has on the current Town Council. Dan Norris has had many chances over the last 13 years to address this. He hasn’t, so the people have taken democracy into their own hands.

Tories arn't as 'Christian' as she assumes...

Julie Trollope’s letter in last week’s Bath Chronicle newspaper implies that the Conservatives are promoting and practicing biblical values – the true Christian party of British politics!

Ms Trollope needs to be reminded that there are many things that are also un-Christian about the Tory Party. For instance, their support for the illegal invasion of Iraq, their lack of support for the poorer members of our society and their general disinterest in social reform programmes which foster better communities.

She writes to suggest that the Tory plans to give tax cuts to married families is biblical. I completely disagree! No Bible I’ve ever read says that only children of married parents are loved by God.

These Tory tax proposals are unfair. In a society that truly wants to help those that need help, shouldn’t a tax cut be given first to the single mother, or father, living in a social housing estate with four kids?
What about the individual who is the subject of domestic violence and is abused daily by their spouse? Under a Tory government this person would be better off in a violent marriage than he or she would be if they left.

These plans also indicate how little the Tory Party has come in accepting change in the 21st century. Couples who live together, and love each other, but chose not to marry and gay couples wouldn’t even get a look in.

And finally, Ms Trollope’s attack on the Liberal Democrats as being un-Christian is insulting to many Christians who vote Liberal Democrat, and the many Liberal Democrats who are Christians.

For many, Christian values and principles and a desire to see a more liberal democratic society go hand in hand. Both advocate a fairer society where the less well off have more opportunities and both believe in fighting for and defending the underdog. Jesus himself had a reputation for challenging the establishment and questioned the conservative status-quo of doing things.

Julie has ever right and freedom to support the Conservative Party if she chooses. But she shouldn’t do on the premise that other parties are wholly un-Christian.