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

EASTER

On Easter Sunday we wanted to buy a shed. But we couldn’t because Parliament had voted some years ago to keep that Sunday special, and I had forgotten. It provoked a lively debate in our household about whether it was right to still have days on which we cannot shop.

Sunday used to be the day that most people went to church and one of the commandments teaches us to keep the Sabbath holy. In the 1980s the House of Commons rebelled against the government’s plans for a free-for-all and voted to keep Sunday Special. By the nineties societal change had gathered pace, the sea wall cracked and then collapsed, leaving only a few sandcastles standing. But as only 8% of our population currently go to church, is it right to bother with this any longer? Many argue for total liberalisation – providing choice for all and let the consumer decide.

The arguments in favour of protection are not just religious of course. Many are concerned about the exploitation of workers. A significant percentage of married adults with children now work both Saturdays and Sundays, leaving me to wonder when the family ever spends leisure time together.

But I think the arguments go even deeper than that. This country could no longer realistically be described as a Christian country, even though 72% of us ticked that box in the recent Census, when there were alternatives, including atheist or Jedi! Yet our cultural framework was built upon our ancient Judeo-Christian heritage.

The values that flowed from that faith gave us a foundation of law and custom that combined both respect for human life and the rule of law; taught both individual responsibility and the importance of strong families; both compassion for the needy with a robust work ethic. All of these are vital ingredients in producing a stable, safe and coherent society.

It has always been far from perfect, but our essential freedoms compare favourably with the outcomes in many societies in the world that were not built on these principles. Would you want to live anywhere else?

My worry is that if we allow our foundations to crumble underneath us, it won’t be long before the walls will crack and the roof will come tumbling down. Keeping Easter day special may achieve little in itself, but it sends a signal to all: our country was not built on consumerism alone. We bought our shed on Monday, and somehow we survived.

posted by Nigel on Tuesday, April 29, 2003

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

FREEDOM

The joyous scenes from Baghdad have moved me greatly in recent days as an oppressed people savour the sweet taste of freedom. After the understandable frenzy and chaos of liberation, I am confident that order will slowly be restored and if wise decisions are taken, the people of Iraq will enjoy a better way of life than they have ever known.

But what about us? Do we still celebrate our freedom from tyranny and cherish our democracy? There will shortly be local elections and my guess is that the turnout will be very low indeed, maybe less than 25%, even though we will be electing people who will make important decisions about our vital public services. Only one in four of us will bother to take a short walk or drive to the nearby polling station to put a cross in a box.

The turn out at the last general election was 59%, meaning four out of ten people did not find the time to vote to choose a government that takes massive decisions over our lives every moment.

Over centuries our democratic framework has slowly evolved to give us the rights and liberties we enjoy today. Twice in the last century, people died to protect our democracy; only eighty years ago, women had to lay their lives on the line to gain the right to vote. But we are in grave danger of taking it for granted.

I readily accept that the body politic, aided and abetted by the cynical national media, has played its part in all this. We politicians have not always behaved as we should have done, and I do not blame people for feeling alienated. But the fact remains that the British political system remains one of the most corruption free and transparent anywhere in the world. Most people at Westminster and in the town halls are genuinely well intentioned and doing their best. Democracy, Churchill said, is the least effective form of government, apart from all the others.

If we are not careful, we will see the lifeblood of our precious freedoms slowly ebb away. It is all very simple: the people vote to elect a government, whether local or national, and if they do not like what they do or say, they can vote them out and give others a go. However you vote, please exercise your democratic responsibility on 1st May 2003.

posted by Nigel on Thursday, April 24, 2003

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

THE FAMOUS GREEN BERETS

It makes you proud to be British doesn’t it? To see our locally based forces in action in Iraq doing their job so magnificently, whether storming the defences of Basra and destroying enemy positions or patrolling the streets in their famous green berets winning hearts and minds. So far, the war has demonstrated once again the sheer professionalism and courage of our troops, the quality of their training and the skill of their leadership.

The war has also underlined once again the real difference between American and British forces.

US troops are great at blasting their way through enemy resistance, using their superior firepower and incredible technology to obliterate anything that moves. They tend to shoot first and ask afterwards, sadly leading to too many friendly fire incidents. British forces share much of the hi-tech weaponry but deploy in a much more cunning and skilful way, learning the lessons learnt in many years of engagement in Northern Ireland. But it is as much a difference of culture as anything.

I first saw the stark contrast in Bosnia in 1997. The peacekeeping forces were split into three separate districts, the British being responsible for one, the Americans the other. (I can’t now remember who controlled the third.) British soldiers were constantly out and about, helping old ladies cross the road and fully engaged in local life, often at risk to themselves, but building confidence in the communities around them. The US forces stayed behind their high compound walls, only exiting from time to time in massive mechanical convoy to blast a few people into eternity and only to return, job done, to their fortresses. I exaggerate, but only slightly.

Even now, in the taking of Basra by British forces, we can see the success of exercising patience, winkling out intelligence and then striking with deadly precision when the time is right. The American armed forces are more powerful than the next 27 strongest armies of the world put together. They could do this alone, but they know full well that our presence and unique skill mix add real value, especially in situations like Iraq where getting the locals onside is essential.

And who are these British forces of whom we speak? Many of them are local lads and lasses, former pupils of local schools, products of our own community. Ordinary Westcountry men and women, highly trained, very brave, and operating like real heroes. And we should all be right proud of them.

posted by Nigel on Monday, April 14, 2003

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

PRISON IN A GOOD CAUSE

On Monday of this week I was arrested. Two police officers came to my Plympton office, slapped on the handcuffs and bundled me into a waiting vehicle. At Crownhill police station I was finger printed, photographed, cautioned and banged up in the slammer, a thoroughly unpleasant experience.

And it was all for charity. In a moment of weakness I had agreed to take part in the latest fund-raising ruse from St. Luke’s Hospice. You may have seen news items about it all earlier in the week. I congratulate all those who organised it, and to the police who had volunteered their time while they were off duty. I hope it raises a whole sack of money for this excellent local charity and if you would like to show your approval of the fact that I was stuck behind bars, I am sure they would appreciate a cheque from you!

It got me thinking again about the vital role that the charitable sector plays in our society. Most of us know someone, or of someone, who has been on the receiving end of the magnificent care that the 21 year old St. Luke’s Hospice offers. From their impressive Turnchapel facility, they provide care, treatment and support both for the terminally ill and their families at the most difficult of times. But did you know that the taxpayer provides only 15% of their income – the rest they have to find for themselves?

A similar story can be found just a few miles down the road at Dame Hannah Rogers School in Ivybridge. Here severely disabled youngsters receive a first class education and support, with truly dedicated teachers and volunteers. Once again they have to raise most of their money themselves, and with a lot of local support they work miracles. We are fortunate to have two such high quality beacons of excellence on our doorstep.

I think of them as flagships in a large flotilla of wonderful local organisations that sail neither in the public or private sector, but in that massive sea of compassion called the voluntary or third sector. Where would we be without it?

Some think that they should be funded entirely by the state, but I don’t. They would lose something vital if they changed status, not least their priceless independence and freedom to innovate. What they have is special, a cause for which it was well worth losing some personal dignity.

posted by Nigel on Monday, April 07, 2003