Letters: August 9, 2016

Anonymity is granted only at the discretion of the editor, who also reserves the right to edit letters.

Retain our greatness

AFTER eight weeks of a kind of consultation, the report on parishing Swindon will go to cabinet this month.

I attended some of these meetings in a private capacity, and the audiences’ obvious mistake was to assume they were being invited to debate the principle … sadly not.

As a result most attendees were vocal and vitriolic in expressing frustration with the idea, rather than focussing on the real considerations.

Let me try to set some of these out, particularly with regard to urban Swindon.

1. Parishes need to have sufficient critical mass to deliver effective services without a disproportionate spend on administration. Kirsty Cole’s bestimate figure of 10 per cent is frankly laughable. Haydon Wick (which is a very efficient council) spends almost a third of its precept on administration salaries and benefits.

This indicates, therefore, no more than five or six viable urban parishes as a maximum, say South, Central, North, West, East and/or Stratton, preferably five.

This will also help in the task of identifying experienced, competent and affordable clerks.

2. There must be limits set on derogation creep. Different slides were shown at different presentations defining the scope of subsidiarity.

In Haydon Wick for example, work on mature trees is outside the scope, as it is colossally expensive to manage the hundreds in HW and the thousands of mature trees in the borough. We cannot allow David Renard (or others) to awaken one morning and in a eureka moment say “I know, we’ll give parishes street lighting to manage” or “how about Coate Water”?

I am assuming a new and powerful Swindon Chairs Committee will act as some kind of brake here, a kind of parishes trade union?

3. If there is to be this new level of comprehensive localised democracy then the existing borough councillors should reduce from 57 to 39, two per ward, and “Localities”, largely a talk shop should be swept away.

Savings in allowances, admin and support should be to the benefit of the borough council tax element.

4. Newly proposed boundaries must pay heed to a proper social balance. As no proposed parish tax bases were published it’s hard to be sure, but at first glance South looks demographically a very prosperous parish.

The addition for example of the Parks would relieve Central, where so much investment in bins, cleaning, graffiti and a restoration of local pride in appearance is well overdue. Kirsty’s idea to draw down £400k of assistance from town centre businesses was confirmed to be a “pass the hat around” exercise in response to one of my questions, so no one hold your breath.

5. The proposed shadow councils (run by borough officers and ward councillors) should have a very short life until to early elections.

Immediate arrangements for identification and training of local people of talent, commitment, energy and a passion for their communities, should be encouraged, such individuals being involved at the earliest.

No contracts must be entered into which extend beyond the date of the planned elections. Political nonsense characterised by the “Dale Heenan Parish Council” should be avoided at all costs.

6. It’s scandalous that the borough has announced closure of libraries in advance of settling the parishes issue, as these bodies should play a key role in local services including libraries, ideally headquartering themselves within such a hub.

There has been no detailed discussion as yet with Haydon Wick over the long term future of North Swindon library, although I now see a new “consultation” after the closure decision has been taken?

Having said this, democracy on your doorstep remains the best kind. It was consistently argued, Brexit was partly about recovering democratic powers locally.

I will personally do everything possible to make it work and I commend others to do the same.

Swindon remains a great town and a great place to live and this process, properly and fairly managed can only further improve local neighbourhoods.

While I am a councillor it is important to make it clear that these are my personal views and may or may not be those of Haydon Wick Council.

JOHN STOOKE

Haydon End, Swindon

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Miracle of life

I FELT the urge to reply to the letter from Bill Williams SA July 27 as I seem to find myself disagreeing with him.

I agree with the first part of the letter I am sure he will be pleased to hear.

However, when he gets to where he states that, in his opinion, Theresa May is on probation, it seems to rapidly go downhill.

He then adds, and I quote, “would she release a nuclear submarine missile if necessary? ‘Yes,’ she replied.”

He then goes on to make a rather silly utterance by stating, “good on you girl, its either them or us.” No, it is not them or us Bill, but all of us and them, including you, your family, my family, and all families including your beloved Yorkie dog, and other innocent animal life.

In reply to your question, yes, I definitely believe as you suggested that you are missing something Bill, or you would not be an advocate of the mass murder of humanity.

Finally, you must be very selective in the letters that you read in the Advertiser as you clearly could not have seen the ones that I submitted recently.

Therefore, I will repeat the general gist of them for you, which was the fact that Theresa May would need to get permission from the Americans before she could allow any launch of Trident as they are built and maintained there.

Secondly, even before all the money has been wasted on replacements for these weapons of mass murder, evidence shows that they will be rendered obsolete and ineffectual due to the onward march of modern technology. This time cannot come soon enough for anyone that has a modicum of common sense surely?

Mutually assured destruction of the human race Bill, does nothing other than snuff out the most precious thing we all share - the miracle of life, and it goes without saying that we may be unique in the universe, until it can be proved otherwise.

GA WOODWARD

Nelson Street, Swindon

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We’re all God’s children

IN reply to Steve Thompson. [ Adver August 4] Aka Mystic Meg in drag. May I correct him on some salient points.

Whom I voted for is a personal matter, and none of his business.

It’s my democratic right to cast a personal vote regarding the running of the country of my birth, and the country of my ancestors.

He got it wrong on all every of his assumptions regarding my vote casting.

I have no time for the House of Lords as he states, if that is a hint.

May I suggest he takes his crystal ball, as well as his banal assertions, to Blackpool Promenade on a rainy day. Perhaps, even to the tented hut in Swindon to boost its economy. Billed as Sardonic Steve the soothsayer of Swindon. Or somewhere, that as an outdoor man, he may be reluctant to execute. Where the Sun doesn’t shine.

His nonsensical suggestion regarding the second referendum beggars belief.

The first one was for a Common Market. I voted yes.

The most recent one was for a takeover of the British Isles by a foreign power. I suspect the difference in context is obvious to all.

I hope he takes this in the sincere, yet light-hearted tone it is given in. We are all God’s children, Steve.

BILL WILLIAMS

Merlin Way

Covingham, Swindon

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Abandon Climate Act

THE Climate Change Act 2008 commits the UK to reducing Carbon Dioxide emissions by at least 80 per cent in 2050 from 1990 levels.

In order to achieve this 80 per cent reduction Britain will have to close down its coal-fired power stations and most of its heavy industrial production.

Mark Carney has reduced interest rates to almost zero in the hope of boosting the British economy. The two objectives are in conflict. It is not possible to give industry a boost while trying to reduce green house gases at the same time.

If we want a more prosperous economy we must abandon the 2008 Climate Change Act.

NOEL GARDNER

Carlisle Avenue

Swindon

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Gift of free speech

IN his letter of August 3, “Exchanges of views” Des Morgan expressed some interesting opinions on the correspondence which occurs in the Swindon Advertiser.

He made an important statement of principle, which I fully agree with, saying, “I have always held to the ideal that open debate is a hallmark of our democratic way of life and that everyone has the inalienable right to express their view, no matter how repugnant that may be to another.

“Censorship is a blunt tool in dealing with contentious viewpoints, far better to debate than dissemble.”

I may not always agree with Mr Morgan’s viewpoints, although I did find myself agreeing with his comments on the EU referendum. However, his letters are well constructed and interesting. I have often wondered whether he uses a good thesaurus or is really good at crosswords.

He says, “while my views are expressed in a trenchant manner I hope they don’t breach the bounds of courtesy and correct demeanour which should be the hallmark of all civilised debate”. I believe his letters are always courteous and show respect to fellow correspondents.

Mr Morgan ended finalised his letter by referring to the Adver letters page being a barometer for public opinion and a source of entertainment for many readers.

He also commends the Adver for the privilege of having letters printed and providing the opportunity for the free exchange of views to be made.

I point out, on the same day as Mr Morgan’s letter appeared, there was a column on the opposite page which was written by the MP for South Swindon, Robert Buckland.

We also have regular contributions from the MP for North Swindon, Justin Tomlinson, and civic leader David Renard.

They may be some of the most powerful and influential people in our community but when they write in the Swindon Advertiser they are doing the same as any of the letter writers.

They give certain facts, tell us what they are doing and express their democratic opinions.

I often find many of the letters are far more interesting, inspirational and informative than the contributions from our MPs and civic leader.

I urge anybody who has a point to make to use this democratic platform. It is a really valuable resource.

The EU referendum proved that even with the odds stacked against you by the majority of the establishment, it is still possible to win.

Along with Mr Morgan I would also like to commend the Swindon Advertiser for upholding the principle of democratic free speech.

MR K KANE

Wharf Road

Wroughton