Stuart Barton

Our columnist with his unique view of Ashford life

“Slice of Life” which was going to take over its management has pulled out.

“Here”, I hear you say, “is an ideal opportunity for our council to demonstrate its commitment to the people it purports to serve”.

Since it recently spent huge amounts buying Park Mall and even more buying International House and chucking out the charitable institutions there, here is a chance to make some amends by doing something for real people, rather than notional businesses’.

Huh! Your voices, I regret to say, will remain as unheard as mine.

Of course, this is merely another example of our council following the lead set by the government, which seems determined to make the lives of the disadvantaged as tough as possible.

Two people worthy of mention this week as a consequence of their unmentionably bad behaviour are Fergus Wilson, whose latest outbursts have been widely reported, and the (now ex) Tory councillor, Jim Wedgbury, who blamed the Westminster terror business on “Labour”.

Had he put his brain in gear before speaking, he would reasonably have traced the blame back to Tony Blair (admittedly a one-time leader of the Labour party) who, with the encouragement of the not-too-bright George Bush and the many war-mongering members of Parliament, sent so many of our young men and women to be killed, maimed or mentally destroyed in the illegal invasion of Iraq.