IS INTEGRITY IN POLITICS DEAD?

Whilst I do not always get it right, as a locally elected councillor since 2003, I like to think that one of the reasons I enjoy such strong support is that I always aim to be seen as someone who is objective, unbiased and fair; my continued Chairmanship of a number of committees bears this out.

When holding public office, it is always wise to sound people out, and I conduct opinion surveys regularly. Some years ago, I asked 100 random people, who knew me in a variety of contexts, to describe me in three words. To my surprise, and delight, the word that occurred most frequently was ‘loyal’; my own solicitor also described me as incorruptible, a description that I hold dear.

Those holding public office are required to adhere to the seven Nolan Principles of public life, of which integrity is perhaps the most important; the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.

Politically we have been through pretty turbulent times recently, and there are many, having witnessed the behaviour of our elected leaders, who would assert that integrity is dead.

On occasion it would be hard to argue against this view. At both national and local level, we observe the constant jockeying for political position almost daily. Handling the impact of the Coronavirus has rightly been at the top of everyone’s agenda, with all sides keen to blame others for any failures, and to take credit for positive achievements. I find this behaviour distasteful, and it certainly puts the integrity of our leaders into doubt.

There are few who would contradict the view that the high level of honesty and truthfulness demanded by integrity is paramount to the success of any organisation. A lack of integrity may achieve short term gains for a few, but in the long term the truth will always surface. Organisational company culture can only be strong if a high level of integrity exists, which must come from the top. Integrity is not about why someone acts in a certain way, but about who they are.

Politically, to serve the electorate well, it is important that politicians have the power to make, carry out and control policy, by influencing others where necessary. There is the risk though that politicians will use this power to serve their own political ends, rather than for the benefit of the wider society. To resist the temptation to behave this way requires integrity, which demands knowledge and compliance with both the letter and the spirit of the law. Integrity also entails acting consistently, not just in the moral sense but also in terms of what is deemed to be ethical, and to be seen as such.

The tenet on which I base my entire life is to do the right thing, in the right place, in the right way, at the right time, for the right reasons, for the right people. Can the same be said of our leaders?

EMPLOYMENT PREJUDICE PERSISTS

I have been involved with recruitment for over 40 years, often at a very senior level. In the current situation, caused largely by Coronavirus, many people have lost their jobs or seen their businesses go under. As a consequence, we can expect to see the employment market flooded

I have recently become aware of job seekers who have come up against significant prejudice; never overt of course, much more subtle than that. We can champion equality and diversity but in reality, despite legislation, and the big stick approach, it is largely still business as usual; ‘jobs for the boys’ or, ‘you scratch my back and I will scratch yours.’

One of the real issues, especially at a local level, is that small organisations, whilst they may mean well, often lack the appropriate skills and knowledge to recruit effectively. By this I mean objectively; matching the person concerned to the criteria for the role, rather than rejecting them because ‘they are too old’, ‘they may have a hidden agenda’, ‘the presentation all seemed too slick’, or ‘I just preferred the other one’.

It is a fact of life that we naturally prefer to recruit and surround ourselves with those who are most like us, with whom we feel a common bond, and who will be least likely to threaten our own hierarchical position. As a result, it is all too easy to allow subjectivity, rather than objectivity, to come into play, allowing organisations to perpetuate bad practice, which can result in poor performance.  

There is an art to completing job applications. A ‘one size fits all’ CV is unlikely to tick the right boxes, and ticking all the right boxes is, I am afraid, what it is all about. I frequently hear of those who are deemed ‘over-qualified’ for a job being turned down out of hand. A canny applicant will learn to tell the employer what they want to hear, dumbing down their true skills, knowledge and experience if necessary. I know of one person, who in applying to be a supermarket shelf stacker, started to watch soaps rather than read Jane Austen, just so that they would fit in. This lack of honesty and integrity is not how is should be, but that is how it is in many companies, most of which do not even have the decency to acknowledge applications.

Many years ago, one of my most successful recruits, for a young tele-sales team, was a woman in her 50s, which caused raised eyebrows at the time. She turned out to be their most successful, loyal, salesperson.

There are some positives to come out the situation we are in; many types of business have seen the opportunity to thrive and will prosper. Those are the ones that we must support to get our economy going again and help to mend broken livelihoods by giving everyone an equal chance.

BEWARE OF THE SMALL PRINT

We have all heard of the term ‘Buyer Beware’ but, especially since the introduction of GDPR, we should all be increasingly aware of the ploys used by many organisations which utilise misleading small print to deceive us and entice us in.

At sale time we have long been used to attention-grabbing storefront banners saying ‘50% off’, only to discover ‘up to’ in the tiniest print, once we have been lured inside. More use is being made alternative forms of media as we embrace the digital age, and I have begun to notice, especially with regard to TV ads, a plethora of what might be termed ‘riders’. In one evening alone I captured the following - minimum spend required, new customers only, for a limited time, additional costs may apply, conditions apply, available from selected stores only. And the latest from a large number of charities, ‘by texting you consent to further contact’ i.e. once we have got your details, we will be pestering you until you give in. Sadly, many organisations are suffering financially at present, but I have chosen to opt out of supporting those which have adopted such marketing techniques.  

Similar methods are also used when persuading us to buy and use new products, with statements such as ‘78% of women agree’, or ‘8 out of 10 cats prefer’. The small print often reveals that just a handful of people have been surveyed; hardly conclusive.

My big bug bear at the moment are websites which encourage us to join for free, which is  common with dating sites; it may be free to join but the service is usually of such limited value, that unless you are willing to sign up for a costly monthly subscription, the likelihood of meeting your dream date is remote.

Having been in the advertising and marketing industry for many years I am also well aware of the data that can be captured by agreeing to ‘cookies’, signing up for store cards and completing lifestyle surveys. Believe me, these companies do not have your best interests at heart; they are merely gaining information in order to target you more effectively when it comes to selling you their products and services.

Having used them several times over the years, I used to be fan of ‘Survey Monkey’, but felt thoroughly deceived recently to find that to access the full range of data I required I would have to subscribe, which had not been made clear from the beginning.

Our personal data is precious, and we must do everything we can to protect it by ensuring that when we agree to third party access, we know exactly why they need it, and for what prupose. The lesson is, read the small print, and provide only the minimum of information. In most cases no-one actually needs to know your age, gender, sexual preference or religion.

BLACK EMPOWERMENT IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN WINE INDUSTRY

For obvious reasons in recent weeks we have seen much activity across the world in relation to the #blacklivesmatter movement. Originally founded in 2013, their focus has, until now, largely been on Afro-American relations.

Personally, I am rather uneasy about it. Whilst I see the reasoning behind it, I believe that ALL lives matter, and there is much that each of us as individuals can do to support true integration and equal opportunity. Unless we continue to bury our heads in the sand, the vast majority of us will see this as a worldwide problem, not one restricted to the USA or other affluent westernised nations.

I also believe that we cannot airbrush out our history; what we can, and must, do is to acknowledge the mistakes we have made, the atrocities we have committed, and learn from them to enable us to take positive actions to change for the benefit of all.

When it comes to industry there is no doubt that certain sectors of the population have suffered unduly at the hands of ruthless organisations and employers, but we should remember when lambasting them that each of these is owned and run by individuals who are ultimately responsible and have the power to change the way they operate, if they so choose. As consumers, we have the power in our own hands to bring these people down from their pedestals by voting with our feet and our wallets. Violence is not the answer.

When it comes to the wine industry I have been particularly interested in developments in South Africa and, Covid-19 notwithstanding, had planned a trip there later this year.

The South African wine industry produces 4% of the world’s wine and is the tenth largest wine producer globally, creating employment for 290,000 people. Since entering the global market, it has made significant economic and social progress and is committed to achieving transformation and social development.

The South African wine industry wants to re-assure consumers that agri-workers are paid a decent wage, their children are supported, and that the wines they enjoy have contributed to a better life for agri-workers. Part of this has been brought about through the Black Economic Empowerment initiative. About 67 wine brands are black owned, which out of a total of over 3,000 is not a great deal, but it is a start, although black ownership is not the magic solution to the many socio-economic problems that exist.

One aspect that surprised me, and that has benefited from the change, is the prevalence of foetal alcohol syndrome where, quite illegally, workers were paid in wine.

For our part, I was please to discover that programmes such as www.stronger2gether.org, which aims to fight modern slavery, has received funding from our Home Office to contribute towards education and training.

As a wine drinker, I and other like-minded people can actively play our part in changing the world around us, buy buying wines that can make a difference. Fairtrade is one example of this, championed by the Co-op, and the #wineforgood campaign, launched in South Africa in 2016, has also done much to raise awareness.

We can help to make the world a better, fairer place. When choosing what to drink with the Sunday roast this week, why not do your bit and select one of these South African wines that, when I last checked, were available to buy in the UK, and at prices to suit most budgets.

Du Toitskloof Wines was one of the first Fairtrade producers in South Africa. Farm workers are stakeholders in the success of what is produced and have the chance to gain new skills and create opportunities for their children. More than 2,500 people have directly benefited from their initiative which includes day-care centres, a clinic, a primary school, a library, a bus-service and bursaries for education and adult literacy projects.

Oldenburg Vineyards produce award-winning wines and launched their hip Aitsa!, a local aftercare centre that supports local people by providing a safe and stimulating after school environment for children in the community. They have 230 learners in their programme, which includes lunch, chess, dancing, art, reading and computer assisted learning.

Balance wine, easily recognisable by the Hank the Elephant mascot, provides funds for the  Elephant Human Relations Aid (EHRA) PEACE project, an educational programme promoting the peaceful cohabitation of local communities with desert elephants in South Africa.

Van Loveren Family Vineyards has two wine ranges dedicated to wildlife conservation; Their Five's Reserve Range benefits the South African Wildlife College, an initiative of the WWF and Peace Parks Foundation. Their Employees Trust owns 25% of the brand, giving employees access to the range of activities and skills within the marketplace, and also a bursary scheme for their children.

I have also long been familiar with, and a fan of, Painted Wolf Wines, set up in 2007. They donate 4% of their turnover to raise funds and promote the conservation of the endangered African Wild Dog. 

We can all do our bit to make life more equal for others…. we just have to be more conscious of our own thoughts, words and deeds, and the impact they have on others.

IS IT TIME WE GAVE UP WATCHING TV?

As a rule I try not to watch too much television but during lockdown, having cleared out my flat (thank you refuse collectors for taking it all away), and now on my 43rd book, I have been exploring other forms of entertainment. Confined to home for 12 weeks, for which I am secretly very grateful, with two others for company who refuse to play board games, TV watching has become the go-to option for at least a part of the day.

The problem is that I am not interested in watching sport, soaps or serials and prefer not to be disgusted or frightened. Notwithstanding the restrictions imposed by Covid-19, I prefer to view something that will provide me with information, education or amusement. I do confess to having a mild obsession with quiz programmes (and wish they would cut out the chit-chat) but it seems that our television, despite there being literally hundreds of channels available, has little to offer apart from reality TV (television on the cheap), re-runs and celebrity watching, none of which I find appealing.

Having furnished several properties over the last 30 years with purchases from auctions, car boot sales and friends’ cast-offs I decided to watch Antiques Road Trip recently but became so cross I had to switch it off.

Those of us who like a good rummage are well used to the high mark-ups of antique dealers and know better than to offer the asking price. However, it would seem that if you are due to appear on television all sensible pricing goes out of the window and the dealers buying trinkets for the televised auction are often able to obtain discounts of over 50%. This is unrealistic and intensely annoying, leading punters like myself to imagine that we may be in a position to bargain to the same degree, which of course is never the case. Infuriating.

On the plus side, I am looking forward to viewing the remaining programmes of ‘Great Paintings of the World’ with Andrew Marr, whose knowledge and enthusiasm is something to aspire to, and late at night for a minute or two I am all agog at Family Guy…. how they manage to get away with it I shall never know.

LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF

As a Christian, whilst not fully familiar with all 10 commandments, just lately I have been considering the second one; ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself.’

Many of us have been housebound in recent weeks, and it has been tough to keep the peace, both indoors and out, as we have become frustrated at the lack of freedom of movement, especially those used to living life outdoors, in addition to the challenges experienced by not seeing loved ones, ensuring that the children are kept amused, educated and out of mischief.

Worries over finance, job security, and the potential loss of businesses and homes has been hanging over the heads of those affected like the sword of Damocles.

Given the unprecedented circumstances we have found ourselves in, I feel overall that as a nation we have handled things as best we can, by being neighbourly, although in some areas tension has been high. My answer to those intent on finding fault is, ‘Well, what would you do differently?’ So far no-one seems to have an answer.

We speak of an Englishman’s home as being his castle (established in common law in 1628), a place where he may do as he pleases, excluding anyone he chooses. All very well, as long as you love your neighbour, showing consideration towards those you live cheek by jowl with, in terms of social behaviour and any actions that may disturb the peace.

We see this notion being stretched to the limit in some communities, particularly where planning is concerned.

People are naturally suspicious of change, especially in well-established communities, but I believe we have to change if we are to prosper; I also believe that communities should be able to determine their own futures, not have the authority of Westminster bureaucrats imposed upon them.

Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, who recently announced plans to ‘get Britain building’, owns two properties in London in addition to a large country estate in Herefordshire (built for the descendant of a slave trader). I do not begrudge him the right to live comfortably, but we must consider the lives of those forced to live on cramped poorly built housing estates, at the mercy of a planning system unfit for purpose.

I have it on good authority that locally we are never likely to achieve the required five-year land supply, although this is often used as a stick to beat us with when determining applications. It seems ironic that those imposing such controls upon us are the least likely to be affected by the impact.

Thankfully, in South Somerset we are attempting to address this, but until we have autonomy there is little hope of serving our communities as we should.

There are few things in life as valuable as a good neighbour but to have one we need to be one.

MODERN SLAVERY

In the wake of the unrest following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, I find it difficult to condone the wanton violence and destruction that has followed.

Whilst it is absolutely right that we must protest against excessive force and victimisation by the authorities and law enforcement agencies against black people we must also recognise, and aim to resolve, peacefully, the wider issues within our society. To a great extent this has become a ‘black or white’ issue but it is not as simple as that.

With the calls for the toppling of statues such as that of Colston in Bristol, there has been a focus on our past abhorrent behaviour. Slavery can never be acceptable, but we must also acknowledge the part that the compatriots of those countries in which we slave-traded played in aiding and abetting our actions.

In moving forward, we must not forget that slavery still exists, with an estimate of over 136k in the UK alone. Because the majority of those in servitude do not have a different colour skin to the white majority, we tend to turn a blind eye to the issue of modern slavery.

It takes many forms, including debt bondage (where a person is forced to work for free to pay off a debt), child slavery, forced marriage, domestic servitude, sexual exploitation and forced labour.

Much modern slavery isn't visible to the public, taking place in private homes and farms.

It is not until the occasional incident hits the headlines that we take notice, just for a minute or two, until the importance of our own lives once again takes precedence.

Every time we choose to shop for cut priced goods, such as fish flown in from Thailand, use a Vietnamese nail bar, or have our cars cleaned by those obliging Eastern Europeans we are choosing to ignore what may be all the signs of modern slavery.

Yes, we must not allow discrimination of any kind to exist in our society but all the while we choose to focus on past mistakes and the colour of people’s skins we are doing a gross disservice to many, many others who continue to suffer, and who deserve our protection from these gross miscarriages of justice.

LOCKDOWN TV VIEWING

As someone who loves to entertain, and as a professional hotel and restaurant inspector, eating out and staying away from home several nights per week was the norm, until 23rd March.

For the last 10 weeks however, stuck at home, Lockdown TV viewing has been torture; programmes like, ‘Bake Off’, ‘Masterchef’, and even ‘Four in a Bed’ and ‘Come Dine with Me’ just go to reinforce what I am missing.

Then of course, there are the fly on the wall productions. The latest of these, a behind the scenes look at Best Western Hotel group, an organisation that I am very familiar with, having inspected many of their hotels over the years, has been painful to watch.

In the first programme we were shown Marco Pierre White’s quirky hotel, The Rudloe Arms, Corsham, and were led to believe by Terii, Director of Business Development, that he had agreed to join the marketing group.

Further investigation proves this not to be the case, although it is not clear whether it was Best Western or Marco who got cold feet. Given their ethos, ‘we do believe in individuality, creativity, self-expression, quirkiness, difference’, I would have thought the The Rudloe Arms would fit their portfolio perfectly; Marco’s dubious taste in artwork aside.

The stated Best Western aim is for hotels to retain their ‘independence’, but I know from my own experience, and in speaking with hotel owners, that a lot of the inspection regime is down to whether or not their corporate marketing material is given sufficient prominence. Personally, I have a strong aversion to leaflets, brochures, tent cards and the like, and sweep them all into a drawer on arrival. I was also disappointed to observe their inspection approach, with a focus on ‘criticism’, having the right ‘logo’ on display, and carpets that match. Their inspector appeared to relish pointing out minor petty failings. It would be a sad type of guest where the enjoyment of their stay, and intention to return, was based on such trivial matters.

After almost 30 years in the job, despite my reputation for being tough, whilst being aware of a property’s imperfections, I always aim to seek out and highlight the good points about a place, rather than focusing on the negative.

It also seems that in this modern era senior management encouragement to ‘give a shit’ is seen as amusing. I am afraid I found their whole approach thoroughly unprofessional.

In the long run, one wonders if despite the lure of being ‘on the telly’ such programmes do more harm than good.