EU IS NOT DEMOCRATIC
SHOW IS JEWEL IN OUR CROWN
AS a Great Harwood resident I feel congratulations are in order to the organisers of this year’s Agricultural show on Spring Bank Holiday Monday.
Whilst some of us might possess depressing concerns over the current state of our town and its facilities this show certainly does its best to raise its profile and put it firmly on the map.
It truly is a jewel in Great Harwood’s crown.
With an energetic committee and numerous community spirited volunteers and led by former chairman and now President a sprightly 89-year-old Mr Geoffrey Hanson who has been at the helm and steering the ship for over 50 years it has survived whilst other major shows have fallen by the wayside.
This year’s show blessed with fine weather showcased all that is good in rural life, bringing it to an urban setting.
Those attending were spoilt with a myriad of attractions with something for everybody.
Not simply the farming classes but a fairground, a dazzling array of vintage cars, the Accrington Pipe Band fresh from an engagement in New York and in the main arena the start of the hill race, a Police dog demonstration, falconry, racing lambs and a motorcycle stunt team.
Political allegiances were suspended as the Mayor and Mayoress, our local MP, the leader of Hyndburn Council and Councillors plus local Clergy all mingled together in the members’ marquee.
Next year will not only be the show’s 150th anniversary but will coincide with the President’s 90th birthday and I would encourage all to attend and make it a runaway success.
The efforts of all involved over the years deserve it. Jim Oldcorn Ridgeway Great Harwood
TRIBUTE TO FALLEN GIANT
I WROTE this just two weeks before the fire at the old Con Club. “KEEP out Dangerous Building” John Ward via email OVER the past decade or so the west has invaded countries and overthrown dictators some times for the benefit of the west.
We have always used the excuse that it is to bring democracy to these countries that have been ruled for years by various dictators from Saddam Hussein to Colonel Gaddafi. But how true is this? A few weeks ago in Austria the right wing candidate Norbert Hofer was narrowly defeated in a democratic election in that country.
Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, said that if he had been elected President of Austria he would have been frozen out of EU decision making, this from a man who hasn’t been democratically elected by the 580 million people of the EU.
The EU council nominated him for the position, the EU parliament elected him with a majority of 422 votes from a total of 729 cast just over 50 per cent and they try to tell us that the EU is democratic.
In Britain we elected a government when the people have voted for 650 members of parliament, the party that has the majority of votes 326 is the party that takes power although they would struggle with a majority of one.
Some people say that this isn’t the best system, and complain that the government was elected by only 36.9 per cent or so of the population, Labour 30.4 per cent the other parties 32.7 per cent - this is roughly a quarter of the population eligible to vote. This may be true but until its made compulsory to vote these statistics may not change very much if ever.
We know before an election who the leaders of each party are and that leader will become prime minister if that party gets the most votes democratically. The EU is similar in some ways to the House of Lords where these 850 or so members are chosen in some instances through cronyism. This again is a minority of people dictating who will make and pass our laws, one is democratic the other isn’t.
They are talking about changing the system to make it more democratic but this minority of people will never change systems that are to their advantage. AP Moxham Mill Lane Great Harwood