JACK BENYON
GROUP NATIONAL EDITOR “Scotland’s first positive step in a while”
Yeah well they said that last year, and there is nothing for this year, and they have been saying it for the last two years and it will never happen.” I came across that on Facebook, and it’s a pretty common and prevailing view of the Jim Clark Rally.
Up to now, efforts to resurrect the event have been unsuccessful. But, although I’m happy to see it return, I’m glad proper time was taken to investigate the deaths that occurred on the event in 2017. I think rally fans can quickly forget that this is people’s lives we’re talking about and their families deserve a thorough investigation into the circumstances.
But now, that investigation and Fatal Accident Inquiry is over. So what does this news mean? The Scottish Government has committed to
talking about new closed-road legislation, similar to what has been passed in England (2017) and Wales (2018).
If the effects of the deaths on the Jim Clark Rally (and the Snowman in 2013) meant the Scottish Government’s doors were closed to rallying, they wouldn’t have committed to a consultation, so signs are encouraging.
That’s not me saying ‘these events will return’. But it’s acknowledgement in Scotland that they are willing to discuss a new law, and that’s progress.
Multiple complaints to MPS could still derail the process of the new law being drafted or implemented, so it’s not a foregone conclusion. And anyone who has followed any kind of legislation on its journey through a government will know that it can be a timely process, which means 2019 could be potentially a bit optimistic.
But, for Mull and the Jim Clark to run again, the new legislation is needed. Patience is a difficult thing to ask for in any situation, especially when the economy of an island like Mull is dependent on the rally, and needs it back. But patience is what is required.
What can you do to help the event return? Get involved. Contact your local MP if you’re a Scottish resident or in the vicinity of the Jim Clark Rally. Let them know how welcome the events will be to return and how crucial they are to the local economy. That’s the kind of thing political folk will struggle to avoid, and can build campaigns around.
This is the first toe in the water for the Scottish Government, and instead of unproductive criticism of the events or governing body, which have both been working tirelessly behind the scenes for both events, positivity and encouragement is the order of the day to see this legislation passed and the Mull and Jim Clark rallies back.
And who knows, with it, more events have the potential to run. We’ve had the Tendring and Clacton Rally in Essex, what’s to say Scotland can’t have another closed-road event or two? The first step has been made. And it needs a holding hand of support.