Letters RSS Feed


Airing concern is part of our democracy

7:00am Saturday 12th November 2011 in Letters

I WISH to take Councillor John Campion to task for his lack of understanding, especially if a comment doesn’t fit his dogmatic view of the world. (Top Tory hits out at “bigoted views”, Shuttle, November 3).

What Councillor Nigel Thomas was stating was the traveller site concerns of his constituents which should be aired in a democratic society.

This is the way that it will always be. Society will not always be perfect, but we should accept it this way, warts and all.

I would also take him to task for the sleight on my character for inferring I am a racist and bigot. He has also called into question the characters of all members, helpers and supporters of Independent Community & Health Concern.

I hope that Councillor Campion will have the common decency to withdraw his emotive remarks because I, for one, have never been a bigot or a racist. In fact I abhor the very notion of such.

JOHN LATHAM Bewdley Deputy Mayor Independent Community & Health Concern Wynn Close, Bewdley

Comments(15)

Jerome K says...
7:25pm Sat 12 Nov 11

Obviously John Campion was using the 'bigot' stick for his own political purposes. He has played the traveller card and, happily, it has blown up in his face. That doesn't justify Nigel Thomas and Dixon Shepherd's recent disgraceful rabble rousing (went beyond just raising constituents concerns). I'll give Nigel the benefit of the doubt and say he probably wasn't intentionally being racist, which leaves him being incredibly thick. I have usually voted for Health Concern and I realise the vast majority of their Councillors are not racist, however I will now have to scrutinise the candidate more carefully before putting the x in the box. Not just for bigotry but to see if the candidates' brain has gone walkabout.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

walkerno5 says...
10:01pm Sat 12 Nov 11

There have been a lot of comments from ICHC representatives in public and on these comment pages which have been ill-advised at best and certainly appeared to be racist.
.
This has been pointed out by those of all parties and none, who do not subscribe to racist ideology.
.
Yet the only comment we get from ICHC is to say "we're not racist, honest". No apology, no explanation, just a "it's not racist if you really think it".
.
Utterly depressing. ICHC were the best thing about politics in Wyre Forest a short time ago, they're doing their level best now to become the worst.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

FranOb says...
9:38am Sun 13 Nov 11

Of course Councillors have a responsibility to ensure that the legitimate concerns of their electorate are voiced; nobody has ever tried to deny that.
Councillors also have an over riding responsibility to ensure that they do not state as "fact" personal opinions which clearly breach the Equalities (formerly Race Relations) Act.
Sadly the bigotted opinions, being expressed as fact, by some leading members of IHC clearly breach that Act and could be seen to incite racial hatred.
A few weeks ago a member of the gypsy community who has lived on Sandy Lane all his life, told me he had never felt such hatred directed against the local gypsy community.
it is that fear and hatred which IHC Councillors are stirring up with their public statements.
It is time to stop saying "we are not racist but" and to understand the seriousness of their statements and apologise for them; nothing less will do!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Mary79 says...
12:56pm Sun 13 Nov 11

well said Jerome K

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Jane Gordon says...
2:50pm Sun 13 Nov 11

Could it be that ICHC Cllrs are just like other cllrs from other parties who have had their comments mis-quoted and mis understood when talking on this issue. Everyone seems to be suffering bad press on this one.
ICHC seems to be dammed if they say something and dammed if they don't.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

FranOb says...
2:52pm Sun 13 Nov 11

No the IHC Cllrs are not being misquoted
Sadly they have made their comments very deliberately and very publicly

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Jon D says...
4:32pm Sun 13 Nov 11

"Everyone seems to be suffering bad press on this one" - no, just the Cabal and two ICHC councillors, one being their leader. Nobody's going to be damned for not saying anything stupid. As usual ICHC seem blissfully unaware and unrepentant.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Neville Farmer says...
1:36pm Mon 14 Nov 11

There is no mis-quoting or press inaccuracy going on in regard to the two ICHC councillors' comments. They were shamelessly rabble-rousing and at least one of them made it quite clear that, in his opinion, travellers are troublemakers whether they live in a van, a static caravan or an ordinary house. He said it in front of over 300 people. He has disgraced his party, his town and district councils, who he stated he represented at the beginning of his rant. This is inexcusable.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

jflawson says...
8:26pm Wed 16 Nov 11

Could i ask one question about the meeting where Councillor Thomas made his comment.I have a hearing problem i heard that Redditch has 50% of counties itinerant sites WYRE Forest has 30% of sites did i mishear Malvern Hills has .6%
or 6% hardly fair share for all Worcestershire.Nigel may have immotively overstepped the mark but
his comments were that he thinks Stourport has been more than accomodating to the itinerants and it would not be unfair to get other parts
of WYRE FOREST to take a fairer distribution of these sites.
When one of the biggest employers in
Stourport threatens to move if numbers of sites increase what should
he do protect Stourport jobs or support an increase it sites not an easy decision for anyone to make irrespective of their feelings.


jim lawson

ICHC Spokesperson for Rock & District

51 Kings Road,
Kidderminster,
Worcs DY11 6YU

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

FlipC - The Mad Ranter says...
11:40am Thu 17 Nov 11

I really really don't want to start this again but sigh.

@Fran - "ensure that they do not state as "fact" personal opinions which clearly breach the Equalities Act" so it's not a fact?

Perhaps yourself or Neville can *clearly* state this and challenge Nigel to prove his accusation rather than rely on the people to obviously judge that his personal option is untrue.

Why is that so difficult?

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

FranOb says...
2:08pm Thu 17 Nov 11

Dixon Sheppard has been reported to the Police. Both he and Nigel Thomas have been reported to Ethics and Standards.
I am sure that in the fullness of time those investigations will give Dixon and Nigel the opportunity to explain themselves if they fail to take the opportunities which they are already being given!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

FlipC - The Mad Ranter says...
4:06pm Thu 17 Nov 11

So his statement wasn't true?

Come on Fran - "It's not true!" hell I'll even take a "I don't think it's true" at this stage.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Gobby Robby says...
6:06pm Thu 17 Nov 11

I thought we'd proved it to be untrue?

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

FranOb says...
11:44am Fri 18 Nov 11

I too thought that the statements had been provedto be untrue.
In myexperience of 37 years as aCouncillor,there are good and bad in all communities. I have represented settled travellers for years! They are like everyone else, some pillars of the community, others a right pain!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

FlipC - The Mad Ranter says...
12:06pm Fri 18 Nov 11

*We've* proved it to be untrue - that is both Rob and Jon have stated that there is no evidence to back it up (which pedantically is slightly different) and I too hold that it is untrue.

It's just that up to this point no-one in power (or who is aiming towards it) has explicitly stated as much. Instead we've just had expressions of shock, outrage, and reports to the authorities; which isn't the same thing.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

click2find

Most popular