What Led to the Brexit Vote?

James O'Brien

I found an interesting blog post called The Great British Con about how Britain came to vote for Brexit.

The views are not necessarily shared by me but serious questions are raised about just how and why we got to our current position as a country.

We hear a lot about the “left behind.” And rightly so. Social division tends to result in a pressure cooker effect. When it blows, the targets are rarely the source of the problem, hence the EU being blamed for failures of the British government.

I’m open to discuss the issues raised and encourage comment and debate from both sides of the debate.

Alan Mak MP and his fondness for “Alternative Facts”

Local Conservative MP, Alan Mak, has once again been accused of lying to the public over the ‘Save the Tip’ campaign on Hayling Island.

Despite failing to attend a public meeting on the issue, a meeting at which all the major parties bar the Conservatives were represented, Mak now claims to have led the campaign. NOT TRUE.

Whilst local residents discussed the issue, local Conservatives, keen to create a false impression, wandered around Hayling Island pretending NOT to be the party responsible for the cuts, despite being the party in government AND the party running local council.

And Mak’s claims come in spite of him consistently claiming it was a local issue which he could have no real influence over and despite the fact that local cuts are directly linked to funding cuts made by HIS own government.

By April 2016, despite Mak having previously done all he could to dodge the issue, the man now openly mocked by local residents for “jumping in front of cameras” sniffed a publicity opportunity and leapt onto the bandwagon, attempting to rebrand himself as the voice of local disquiet. Now, almost one year on, he has produced a glossy publicity leaflet which infers he is some kind of local saviour. NOT TRUE.

In the end, the campaign was arguably unsuccessful. Efforts were made by many local residents but Hayling only received the same treatment as other areas of Hampshire facing the same cuts, i.e. in the end opening hours were still cut and the council faces a legal challenge over its intention to charge new disposal fees to the public.

Why does this matter? It matters because in an era of “fake news” and “alternative facts” it is essential that someone cuts through the spin and gives the public the truth. This kind of blatant duplicity can not be allowed to continue and therefore, if we are to stop it, it needs to be exposed.

In light of all of this, and in view of the fact that this is not the first time Mak’s honesty has been questioned, I’ll shortly be establishing ‘MAK WATCH,’ a facility whereby local residents can flag up such untruths.

Please then, one and all, do not hesitate to get involved. None of us has the right to complain if we don’t step up. Our community deserves far better than what we’ve currently got.

Hayling Island – Focus on Housing and Infrastructure  

Hayling Island
The ​Hayling Island Infrastructure Review is apparently already underway. The Hayling Island Infrastructure Advisory Committee has identified the main areas of concern. All this, even before the consultation period has ended.

I would like to raise these matters:

Firstly, I believe that the social aspect of infrastructure has to have equal weighting to the economic aspect. There is little point in saving a penny or two if the result is a society that it is difficult to live in.

Secondly,  essential services and  infrastructure must be considered holistically. Infrastructure is not the sum of component parts.  For example, if the review sites transport as the top priority will this mean investment in the transport network but none or diminished investment in health services?

Thirdly, all stakeholders must be consulted. By this  I mean that organisations such as the NHS, HBC, HCC, Highways Agency etc must be heard.

Fourthly, the review should not be seen as an end point. The review should look to growth projections and plan to future proof the Island’s infrastructure.

Fifthly, I am convinced that the terms of reference of the review should give equal weighting to what might be described as intangibles such as  air-quality and environmental impact. Such indirect costs may be tricky to work out but that does not mean they should not be considered. These intangibles are often the most vital elements for the social and economic vitality of a community.

Lastly, the review should consider the long-term sustainability of any infrastructural development.

What does all this mean? Well, it means some progress is being made. It means the issue of housing is now focused on the practical realities of infrastructure, as is correct. It also means however that our local councillors are repeating a familiar routine of  creating a problem through short-term thinking, creating themselves a very limited definition of a successful outcome and then congratulating themselves when they meet those low expectations.

Young People are Right to be Angry

Generally, I’m all in favour of more localised democracy. Parish councils can be a valuable asset to a community. But sometimes, and only sometimes, the line between local and parochial can be all too thin.

How exactly is the parish council in this video serving its community? It isn’t. This is nothing more than some stuffy coggers wanting to stop the kids. They seem determined to keep their little part of England in a time warp. Except of course it isn’t just THEIR bit of England. It’s also those young peoples’ bit of England. And surely they deserve a community council which represents them as well?

Trying to ignore whole sections of communities never ends well. Disenfranchising young people will only create wider social divisions.

You can read more about the campaign for Wittering Skate Park here.

Pompey – SOS Call Good for the Club

Very pleased to see that the Pompey community group, SOS, has spoken up about getting behind the team.

At Saturday’s game at Fratton Park, despite a two-nil win against Accrington Stanley, sections of the Fratton faithful turned on the Pompey players.

There’s never any point in attacking your own team. It’s counterproductive.

Good on SOS for having their say.

More about the events on Saturday were covered in The News today.

Follow SOS Pompey on their Facebook page and Twitter