REFERENDUM

To debate or not to debate, that is the question that is being addressed all around the country in the run up to the referendum vote.

In Somerset we have seen a flurry of activity; more often than not prompting the appearance of Paddy Ashdown sharing the platform with all comers. I was invited to participate, and in the absence of another willing victim found myself alongside him, and two others, ostensibly to put forward the case for ‘Brexit’.

This posed something of a personal dilemma as until recently I had thought, all things considered, we might be better off ‘in’.

As the pace quickens and the junk mail is churned out it is easy to see the rise in the level of desperation. We could be forgiven for coming to the conclusion that this is more about egos jockeying for position than how this may influence us and our families.

What has been sadly missing in the hyperbole and rhetoric that has grabbed the daily headlines, has been any hard evidence of the impact, one way or another.

The problem is that we live in such an uncertain, unpredictable, world. Uncontrolled events outside the sphere of the EU can impact catastrophically on almost every aspect of our lives, whether it be immigration, the economy, or security.

Whilst I am fiercely loyal I am not xenophobic. I am fortunate enough to own a property in France, and enjoy visiting our European neighbours but I am not sure I need to be joined at the hip to enjoy all that Europe has to offer.

In our daily lives, and in our businesses, we form good working relationships with others for mutual benefit. What I find worrying is that we are led to believe that the burden of the future of the EU rests entirely on our continued membership. I think this is unhealthy and highlights the disparity between member nations.

In listening to many of those keen for us to stay in the EU, I am left wondering how many of them have gained, or seek to gain in the future, a pecuniary or personal interest in the outcome. When Scotland voted to remain in the UK I do not recall this being on condition that we stay within the EU.    

Outsiders have also been quick to express their opinions, often invited to comment by one side or the other, but what we must remember is that they have their own agendas and their aims and aspirations may be at odds with ours.

There are arguments both for and against us staying in but as I see it both sides would do well to consider the Samaritans, who receive thousands of calls daily from those finding that they are forced to make difficult decisions about their futures. All listening Samaritans are taught from the start to never, ever, offer advice or cast judgment. Samaritans are taught to listen, not talk, and to allow callers to express their fears and worries, to consider all of their options and come to their own decisions.

On June 23^rd this is what we will be required to do. What must surely be most important though is that no matter what our views we must all exercise our democratic right to vote.

It is unlike me to sit on the fence but for the time being I remain undecided. My decision may yet rest on how much more propaganda I receive in the meantime.

Rose Neave - Ilminster Mayor

If ever we needed an example of the evils of social media then this last week has given us plenty of ammunition. Whilst I cannot call former Ilminster Mayor Rose Neave a friend, I have only ever met her at official functions, I have been shocked and disgusted at the venom that has been posted on Facebook since her resignation at the town's annual meeting.
As a rule, despite pressure to do so, I choose not to engage through this dubious method of communication myself as I feel that the 'friends' one makes are false, which has been borne out this week. To me a friend is someone I have met and socialised with, not someone I have never met and have only exchanged what amounts to little more than gossip with, and to be honest I am not especially interested in the opinions of those I have very little in common with. Apparently Rose's reasons for standing down have been linked, wrongly, to the recent planning decision to refuse the development application along Shudrick Valley. 

There have also been other unpleasant comments in relation to her integrity. What this has highlighted is the lack of cooperation and support she has received since her appointment by those whose noses were put out of joint; no wonder she has decided to stand down. I know that she found it very difficult to meet her commitments, and was unaware of the expectations that went with the job, but this was largely because of her inexperience in dealing with the petty jealousies that can sometimes rear their ugly heads when one suddenly gets bounced into the top job. At least she will be able to sleep a lot easier from now on; but only if she resists the temptation to access social media.

This idea for this exciting, ambitious event, which takes place from 1- 9 June, was spawned by Ilminster resident and local Rotarian Brenda Lake, chair of the organising committee, who says,

‘In recent years the Rotary Club of Ilminster have held several very successful one-off literary talks and poetry evenings, usually with a view to raising funds for our charities. This got me thinking. Several of us are regular visitors to the Literary Festival at Hay-on-Wye, which makes everything so accessible to everyone, so it seemed like a great idea to see if we could do something similar here, if for no other reason than to help put Ilminster firmly on the literary map and encourage visitors to this wonderful market town. The aim of the Literary Festival is to ensure that all participants, both speakers and audiences, enjoy themselves, and hopefully learn something, so that they can say, “That was fantastic, when is the next event?”. If we can achieve that, then we shall be all be thrilled. Many people have asked if this will become an annual event. We would love this to happen but much depends on support from our speakers, many of whom are appearing without a fee, our sponsors and of course the enthusiasm of members of the public. If this this is the huge success we hope it will be, then that is what we shall aim for.’
Efforts to contact authors that would appeal to all age groups and interests started almost a year ago and as the enormity of the task ahead began to be realised Brenda soon called in the troops to lend a hand. Although she has been the driving force behind the 9 days of planned events Brenda has been ably assisted by fellow Rotarians Deryk Outram, Julie Fowler and Linda Piggott, along with others from the local community, including Ilminster’s two independent bookshops, to make this a really inclusive event.

Financial support has been provided by grants and sponsorship from Rotary, along with Somerset County Council, Gooch Charitable Trust, Ilminster Education Fund, Ilminster Town Council and South Somerset District Council. Organisations and businesses across the town, along with Greenfylde and Swanmead schools, have all been eager to contribute in some way to ensure that the Literary Festival will be a roaring success by becoming friends and sponsors, or by allowing the use of their premises and facilities for events.

The Literary Festival is helping to promote local authors, and to draw everyone involved or interested in Literature and the Arts in Ilminster together. The Literary Festival is kick starting at The Memory Café, which provides support for those with Alzheimer’s and their families. To ensure that the activities are as inclusive as possible, the main events will be held at a wide range of venues to gain maximum involvement and participation, including Warehouse Theatre, Ilminster Arts Centre, the Minster, Monks Yard, Sweet Surprise, Nyanza Lodge and the Shrubbery Hotel.

The official opening ceremony, held courtesy of The Shrubbery Hotel, will be followed by dinner with author and cricket commentator Anthony Gibson who will also give a talk on “Somerset Landscapes”, giving the event a real ‘Somerset’ feel from the outset.

In total there will be 30 authors, many of them local, talking about their works. There is also a Literary Quiz (just for fun, and suitable for the whole family), a children's story-telling session, a poetry competition, a talk about old and antiquarian books and so on.

In addition to this, two former Members of Parliament, both authors in their own right, will be taking an active part. Ann Widdecombe will be doing a Q&A session at the Warehouse Theatre, whilst Paddy Ashdown will be on hand to present prizes for the children’s poetry competition. 

Anyone interested in becoming a Friend of the Ilminster Literary Festival, which gives priority for event tickets and other benefits, should contact Deryk Outram on 01460 259113, or email deryk@doconsulting.co.uk.

Book your tickets online - www.ilminsterliteraryfestival.org

BHS Collapse

Hardly a week goes by without news of yet another business going under than we find that hot on its heels new headlines remind us that the employment stability of the past has long since gone. I can well remember the downfall of Woolworths which was to forever change our local high streets, notwithstanding many other familiar brand names, now obsolete.

Last month Tata announced plans to close down its steel operation in the UK. I cannot claim to be an expert but in amongst the outcry, and attempts to cast blame wherever it would stick, it seems that the situation was largely caused by the collapse of global steel prices, making profitability harder to achieve. This is a dilemma affecting many traditional industries as technological advances result in significant changes in the way we lead our lives.  

Currently the collapse of former retail giant BHS has dominated the news. On the surface the two stories are quite different, no matter what the cause, but for those whose livelihoods, and that of their families, are dependent on them being in gainful employment, the effects can be devastating.

What is particularly sobering, is that it is becoming increasingly clear that the collapse of BHS is almost entirely due to greedy shareholders asset stripping the business.

They are in effect lining their own pockets at the expense of hard working employees, who are often earning little more than minimum wage, with no stability or guarantee of income. This is no life for decent people to be leading.

Whether or not the actions of the directors and shareholders of large corporations is legally wrong or not does not come into it, or rather, it shouldn’t.

At the highest levels, as we have been hearing, we are not talking about a few hundred thousand pounds, but millions being syphoned off, using tax loopholes to avoid the burden of profits finding their way into the chancellor’s coffers.   

This is clearly immoral and whatever steps can be taken to re-dress the balance must be taken. They must be held to account. The problem is that governments, of whatever political persuasion, are reluctant to do battle with those who are often significant donors to their cause.

The big question is that when we have people living on the breadline in our towns and villages, how can anyone justify stashing away such huge sums of money for personal gain? What on earth can any human being need such huge sums of money for?

Most of us like to surround ourselves with nice things, own nice homes and go to nice places, much of which costs a lot of money. However, we can only sleep in one bed at a time, wear one pair of designer underpants, put on one pair of trousers, one shirt, one suit and one tie at a time; we can only travel in one car, sit at one table, drink from one glass, eat one thing at a time; and when we eventually die we can take none of it with us.

All else is just pure vanity, at the expense of those who wait on us hand and foot, exploited to satisfy every whim. Whilst such behaviour continues, I predict it will not be long until we see an uprising of the masses. Such avaricious behaviour only deserves our contempt. Respect is much harder to gain, and cannot be bought, at any price.        

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

Sir.

As one might expect, the issue of taking children out of school during term time for unauthorised absence has dominated our national news today, as one parent managed to persuade the courts to overturn the decision to impose fines levied by his daughter’s school.    

I believe this was the right decision but it does pose a problem for schools.

As the former Chair of Somerset Schools Forum, and now Chair of the Corporate Parent Board, which oversees the welfare of all children looked after in the county, I am well aware of the adverse impact that poor attendance can have on shaping a child’s future.

What is worrying about this case is that Jon Platt is clearly articulate and had done his homework, making his decision to take his daughter out of school for a family holiday during term time in full knowledge of the consequences. I fear that this may open the doors for less responsible parents to do the same.

On the other hand, regular attendance is of course important but what we must not forget is that merely attending is not the same thing as the child in question learning something of value. In my councillor role I know only too well of many councillors who regularly attend meetings but who gain nothing and contribute even less by their attendance; it is not unheard of for colleagues, in full view of the public, to be reading a newspaper, Tweeting their mates, or completing crosswords.

We must remember that there are many ways to learn, and many places in which to do so. Whilst classroom attendance is important it is not nearly as valuable as achievement.

We must not forget either that there remains a real issue for working parents trying to juggle their leave entitlement to fit in around school terms, along with the price hikes inflicted on them by travel companies.

There are no easy answers but the decisions taken by those in authority do need to be challenged, if for no other reason than to open up the debate.

What appears not to have been addressed is how the fines imposed were to be used; to boost the schools diminishing budget perhaps?