The immediate catalyst for this post is the desecration earlier this week of the Glastonbury Thorn Tree by “religious extremists”, although it is unclear to which religion these vandals belong other than that of extremism, which seems to have a growing number of followers. On the same day, I believe, the burning of the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree was also a feature of disturbances arising from the Government’s “victory” on university tuition fees.
Whilst, as an angry middle-aged woman myself, I have some sympathy for those angry young people involved in the students protests, I do feel that these are misdirected, and that a broader embrace of more radical non-violent politics might in the end better serve the protestors’ cause. However, I would also add that much environmental vandalism is institutionally condoned and facilitated by the present political system.
The subject of the present political system takes me back to the conclusion of my previous post where I wondered whether the gods would be willing for me to continue the story of Councillor Adrian Hardman, the newly appointed Leader of Worcestershire County Council. It seems they are, and I want to return to this now, but before doing so, I would just like to stress that, whilst not a fan of political correctness, I am broadly in support of policies to promote greater diversity and equality of opportunity in public life and the work place.
Indeed, given the choice between the now mature Linda Bellos, diversity champion and onetime Leader of Lambeth Council in London, and Adrian Hardman as political leaders, I would certainly vote for Ms Bellos. For it is difficult to imagine that Linda Bellos, even at the height of her old “Loony Left” days, would have had something as daft to say on the subject of Worcestershire County Council chief executive’s pay, which is more than David Cameron’s, as Councillor Hardman was recently quoted in the local press as doing:
“….Unlike the Prime Minister, Trish does not get a big country estate to use at the weekend, or a house in Central London…and has to drive herself to work…in a reasonably old Volvo”.
Are we to presume from this view of the “Retarded Right” – as much a legacy of New Labour and the Blair Bush Special Relationship as unreconstructed Conservative politics – that “Trish” should be provided with a country dacha and an apartment in Worcester, along with one of those former Soviet-made limousines and similarly liveried chauffeur at one time favoured by the left-wing leaders of so-called “rotten boroughs” in order to take a pay cut?
The fact is, of course, that the County of Worcestershire, along with much of the rest of Britain (not just England) is living well beyond its means within a system of political economy and governance that is quite unsustainable, economically, socially and environmentally. The unaffordable salary packages of many bureaucrats along with unaffordable tuition fees are each manifestations of this. Another is the granting of planning consents for blatantly speculative development, of the kind which also happened this week on the edge of Worcester.
I refer, of course, to the Advantage West Midlands Worcester Bosch joint venture proposal for land at Tibberton Lane, near M5 Junction 6 which received planning consent from Wychavon Council last Thursday, and which will be the, subject of my next post. In the meantime, I would remind readers that vandalism of the green and built environment, including sacred and religious sites, is by no means confined to extreme groups, of which the Taliban is one of the most extreme examples, but also occurs with the blessing of English local authorities in places like Worcester and Environs. Or was it just the Tory Taliban behind the destruction of the city’s historic lich gate ? Beware a revisitation of the “Bad Old Days” of local planning !
I had intended to post on the planning consent for unsustainable development near M5 Junction 6, but have decided to reflect instead on celestial and climatic events on this day of the Winter Solstice.
The Witch of Worcester 