| Topic: | LTNs gone - but a more fundamental issue..... | |
| Posted by: | Mike Davidson | |
| Date/Time: | 06/10/21 11:21:00 |
| The LTNs may (mostly) be gone but like other British politicians in history many Ealing councillors failed to understand the political climate of the day. After over 16 months of restrictions the last thing people wanted was more control and more restrictions - they want their freedoms and their normal way of life back. But whether or not you believed that Low Traffic Neighbourhoods were a good or a bad idea, and notwithstanding any policy from central Government or finance from TfL, whether it’s the LTN fiasco or other issues such as high rise towers or Victoria Hall the whole saga is symptomatic of a more fundamental issue. That is: the abuse of position and the erosion of democracy. With their dogma and their own political agenda they become arrogant, don’t listen, think they know better than the people, and that residents should subscribe to their world view. Driven more by party political agenda than respect for the wishes of the local community, they have lost touch with the residents they are supposed to represent. Ill-thought-out policies alienate local residents, creating an anger and resentment which in itself does not promote a healthy and harmonious community. There are a few very good councillors, but generally our party political system does not produce competent individuals suitable for running a local community for the benefit of its residents. As the respected linguist, historian and political activist Noam Chomsky observed, there are always those prepared to reduce our democracy in order to further their agenda. The same people are still in council and there remains an existential threat to our communities and our democracy. But whatever your political persuasion, residents should remain vigilant else there is the risk of more of a ‘Culture of Control’ and an increasingly authoritarian administration. Local communities do not need party agenda driven politicians. Local communities do need honest and trustworthy people as councillors, who are competent, without party-political ideology, and who listen to the local residents who elect them to office to represent their majority wishes. Certain councillors may not like it, but it’s called democracy. Councillors are our local public servants, not our masters - they are not in power, they are in office at our sufferance. They might do well to remember this. |