Resurrect free speech charter
On seeing last week’s WSCT’s front page headline, I was initially perturbed to read ‘Nature at heart of plan for site’ (Rookwood) but then (thankfully) I soon spotted the quotation marks i.e. it was an assertion by the site promoters (HDC!). May I suggest my alternative? ‘Greed at heart of plan for site’!
The letter from Morag Warrack about her concern over councillors ‘voting as a group where ideology has priority over individual understanding and values’ and what this will mean for the fate of Rookwood, certainly struck a chord.
An example of exactly that was witnessed at the HDC meeting the night before. The Conservative ruling party group had determined, in one of their behind-closed-doors political meetings, that they would not restore the right of residents to freely attend a council meeting and ask a question on a topic of their choice (unlike at every other district/ borough council in Sussex, perhaps all of England!).
Even those Conservative councillors, who had publicly declared their support for restoring this democratic right in the Governance meeting of June 10, 2020, were ‘obliged’ to vote ‘against’; shameful.
Additionally, with our MP, Jeremy Quin, having ‘gone to ground’ it’s apparent that the local democratic process is not functioning at all representatively, and also at a critical time for the district.
A similar ‘crisis’ occurred a few years back and the WSCT valiantly led the way by launching a ‘free speech charter’ requesting local politicians sign-up to the following declaration:
“I undertake to speak, write and vote on behalf of my constituents without fear or favour of party discipline. If I am a member of a political party, I will respect its values and honour its preelection manifesto pledges - but I will always put first the people I am elected to serve.”
Some signed; some didn’t (notably the HDC leadership!).
At the time, the County Times editor said: “We live in an environment where political spin has never before been more prevalent; where politicians on councils even as tiny as Horsham’s seem contemptuous of public opinion. You cannot please all the people all the time but if the processes you follow are transparent you can demonstrate that you approached the issue fairly and with an open mind”. How true today. So, come on WSCT, it’s time to resurrect this initiative as it is sorely needed again, right now. Horsham district residents need to know which councillors will/won’t commit to these reasonable pledges and thereby represent their views fairly. PAULKORNYCKY CoxGreen, Rudgwick