Gary's views

Gary's weekly views

Each week an article by Gary has appeared in the Plympton Plymstock and Ivybridge News in South West Devon. The articles are published here

BLOG

Do you ever blog? Can’t say as I ever have – but all this is about to change. Today I launch a new facility on my website: www.garystreeter.co.uk namely my first blog. I will start the week with a different hot topic each week and invite your comments. Those of you with access to computer can blog away to your hearts content giving me your thoughts.

Why am I doing this? Haven’t I got enough to do? Well, yes, but we all know that the gap between the electorate and the elected is growing, especially among younger people. Remember that only 1 in 4 people aged 18 to 25 voted at the last 2 elections, crating a worrying democratic vacuum. We have to find ever more effective ways of communicating with and listening to the electorate; simple as that.
When I was first elected 14 years ago there were no e-mails. Now my office and I fight our way through a daily tidal wave, at least 2 dozen being from constituents direct, in addition to the 40 letters or so a day that roll in through snail mail. As more people get connected so the shift towards electronic contact will increase. In the 1950’s nobody wrote to their MP. Times have changed.
Of course the technology stuff can be taken too far. Some of my colleagues have dispensed with their regular surgeries claiming that the inter face with constituents can now all be “virtual”. I disagree with that. There is still no substitute for the face to face encounter. Besides some of the most vulnerable in society do not have e-mail access.

Anyway back to the blog. I want to hear from you whatever your age, but especially if you are young and have plenty to say. We start on a topical issue. In the summer, the police successfully obtained a Dispersal order for Plympton to help deal with youth anti-social behaviour. Should the police make more use of Dispersal orders to stop young people gathering on street corners and causing a nuisance? What about Plymstock and Ivybridge? What are the parents doing while Wayne is causing mayhem up the Ridgeway?

But hang on a minute, do these youngsters have anywhere else to go? Are we in danger of making criminals of kids who are just being….teenagers? What is the solution?

posted by Nigel on Friday, November 03, 2006