Read All About It

So, after being disappointed yesterday that the Wokingham Times hadn’t printed the letter I sent in, about the by-election and myself as the Labour candidate (never mind- there’s still a few weeks ’til the election, maybe it’ll be in next weeks), today I’m mentioned in both the Maidenhead/Twyford Advertiser and the Reading Chronicle. As some might say: result!

"By-election candidate pledges to always put people of ward first" - My letter in the Maidenhead Advertiser

The Advertiser has very kindly printed my letter, of which I have included a photograph. Since it’s a little on the small side (the picture), I’ll quote here the text:

“On July 21 there will be a by election in the ward of Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe. This election has been triggered by the resignation of Cllr Claire Stretton (Conservative) after her election to Windsor and Maidenhead Council, in a shocking display of arrogance and disregard to the people she was supposed to be representing. The election, however, gives the people of Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe the opportunity to voice their dissatisfaction with the Conservative Party, who arrogantly expect that they can still breeze to victory, even after their previous councillor has caused an expensive by-election. It also gives residents a chance to make their feelings known on other local issues, such as the planned privatisation of the library, which puts a vital community service at risk. As the Labour Party candidate, I will be fighting all such cynical and ideologically-motivated moves by Wokingham Council and, if elected, I will always put the people of the ward first. I will be campaigning throughout the ward in the coming weeks, and I strongly urge residents with any questions or issues they would like to make me aware of to contact me by email at matthewsdent@gmail.com, or by post at 3 Newalls Rise, Wargrave.“

Not bad eh?

And the Reading Chronicle article, rather than being a letter in which I spout my positions, is a

"Library Plans Slammed" The article on Wokingham BC's plans to privatise the libraries, in the Reading Chronicle

piece on Wokingham Borough Council’s plans to privatise the library service. The reporter contacted me after my comments on their website criticising the plans, and the article includes a couple of choice quotes with my feelings on the matter. Again, since the photograph is rather small, I’ll quote the relevant text:

“…Matthew Dent, who lives in Wargrave and uses the library regularly, said: “Once the libraries are outsourced to a private company the focus will be on profit and if it all goes wrong it will be the smaller libraries which suffer- even though they do more for the community. Mr Dent, the prospective Labour candidate for the village’s vacant borough council seat, added: “Wargrave’s library gets very involved in the annual festival and other activities, but I can’t see that staying a priority if a private company steps in”…“

Again, not bad? Although, I didn’t say that the festival was annual (it’s biennial), but I think we can excuse them that? Neither piece is up on the papers’ websites yet, although I will add links when they appear.

Other than that, it’s a very busy period for me. In an hour or two I’m off down to Brighton, to collect my University results tomorrow (on which there will certainly, be a blog). And from there, it’s up to sunny Scunthorpe for a family gathering, to which I will alas not be the person who has travelled furthest (we have some Australian relatives joining us, for a rare treat). And then next week I will be hitting the pavements, and starting canvassing. So if you live in Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe, you can expect to see me very soon. I look forward to it!

(Oh, and I now have a Facebook page. I’ll keep it updated with everything that’s going on with the election and my campaign, so if you want to keep up with it all, please click “Like”)

 

UPDATE: Here is the link to the letter on the Maidenhead Advertiser website, in case anyone wants to see/comment on it in its natural habitat.

Defending Picket Lines

Michael Gove on the picket lines in his journalist days - yes, the same Michael Gove who would have you believe that striking is evil and abhorrent. Go figure.

Now, let me begin this post with a disclaimer: I am not some sort of raving hard-left anarchist, or any of the other frequently-misused terms for those on the fringe left. Reading this blog, and my writings in general, should reassure you of that.

But having said that, I am a supporter of the unions, and of the right to strike. I don’t support every strike, but rather base my judgements on the matter over which industrial action is being taken. So I can say now that I do indeed support tomorrow’s strike, by teachers and other public sector unions, over changes to pensions.

It’s not that I don’t think pensions should be looked at and reformed. Even the unions don’t take that line: Mark Serwotka of the PCS has said that his union is “prepared to accept Hutton’s recommendation for a public service pension scheme based on career-average earnings rather than final salaries”. This doesn’t sound like obstanant unions intent on striking and bringing down the economy to me.

In fact, what public sector workers are largely striking over is their treatment by the government- which has been shocking. Despite the fact that negotiations have been ongoing, government ministers (I’m looking at you, Danny Alexander) have made announcements about unilateral changes to the system, such as increasing the retirement age. This can only show that the government has no intention of being influenced by the negotiations, and has already made up its mind about what it will do in advance of the conclusion of the talks.

And besides, the government is continually pushing the myth that reform is essential, as public sector pensions are on the verge of spiralling out of control. At the same time, David Cameron is relying on the report by former Labour minister Will Hutton on public sector pensions. It’s a little long, but page 22 is particularly interesting. “[The Government Actuary's Department] projected benefit payments to fall gradually to around 1.4 percent of GDP in 2059-60, after peaking at 1.9 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010-2011.” That doesn’t sound like it’s spiralling out of control to me.

When one considers all of this in the light of the demonisation of public sector workers by the government and it’s supporting newspapers, I certainly find it difficult to see the unions as the bad guys. As I write this, there is a chain-status going around facebook which is particularly pertinent: “Remember when teachers, nurses, doctors, nursery education officers, school support staff, librarians, social workers, care assistants, bin men and lollipop ladies crashed the stock market, wiped out banks, took billions in bonuses and paid no tax? No, me neither. Please copy and paste to your status for 24 hours to show your support!” I think that sums it up. It was the private banking sector which caused the financial crash- and have they had to pay for it?

There’s been the usual Tory PR campaigning against it. Particularly Michael Gove coming out and saying that parents should volunteer to teach and keep schools over. Leaving aside that most parents wouldn’t have the time for such rubbish, most wouldn’t be qualified to teach, and none of them would have been CRB-checked for it. And then there’s the embarrassing picture of Gove on an NUJ picket line.

So, when tomorrow you’re feeling annoyed at the inconvenience caused by the strikes, stop and think a minute. Regardless of how you feel about public sector workers, they do work hard, and their treatment at the hands of the government has been horrendous. The Tories are simply looking for a scapegoat to deflect public anger away from the bankers who caused the crisis, and their economic policies which are stunting the recovery. Have a little think about whose fault your inconvenience really is.

A War of Words

Joining in a cross-party campaign against the privatisation of Wargrave library

So now that I’m the Labour candidate for Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe, I’d better get campaigning, right?

Well, becoming the candidate hasn’t really changed a great deal from my point of view. I’m still fighting the same battles I was before, over the same issues as before. Particularly, the library.

Today saw me down at the library, joining in with the Save Our Libraries campaign. What really gets me about the library is just how little input by anyone other than the Council executive there has been. The privatisation issue wasn’t mentioned at all during the campaigning for the recent elections (which, I feel I must say, saw the Tories gain two seats). And it’s been rolled out so quickly, that it has to have been planned beforehand. The “competitive tendering” process has already closed, less than two months after the votes were counted. So why no mention in your campaign literature, Wokingham Conservative Association?

And beyond that, there hasn’t even been a consultation. The Tory party like to shout about democracy and the will of the people, but why not here? Could it be because the local residents wouldn’t stand for such shocking treatment of their library services? Government by the Tories, for the Tories, it seems. And as a result, a truly fantastic library is being put at risk. The place goes beyond the lending of books. Ros Fernley and her team run a great community service, providing an endless cavalcade of fascinating events.

So what can I do in all of this? Well, for residents of Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe, I’m offering you an alternative. A genuine alternative, not just the non-choice between blue and yellow. I live locally, I’m active locally and I’m always happy to listen to residents. This, it seems, is a heck of a lot more than the Tories have been willing to do. I would urge every local resident who wants to protect the library to sign the petition (if you haven’t already). But beyond that, when you go down to the polling station on 21st July, cast your vote for a candidate who will represent you and your interests in local government. Vote for me, and I will always stand up for local residents, and not give in to ideological experiments to the detriment of public services.

Introducing the Labour Candidate for the Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe By-Election…

I will be the Labour Party candidate for the by-election in Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe ward, on 21st July 2011

…Yours truly.

Yes, I am standing in the by-election on 21st July 2011, as the Labour candidate. The nomination forms were delivered to the returning officer this morning, and at noon the deadline passed. So it’s now official.

My campaign will centre on two things; the reason for the by-election, and the plans by Wokingham Borough Council to privatise the library service. I have previously made my feelings known in relation to the library, and you are welcome to read them on this blog, so I will focus on the first of these issues now.

The by-election in Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe ward comes as a result of the resignation of Claire Stretton, one of two Conservative councillors representing the ward. Thusfar nothing particularly unusual. However, the reason for her resignation was that she had four days previously won a seat at Boyn Hill ward, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. As she was now a councillor on a different council, she resigned her seat on Wokingham.

She could have resigned in the run up to the May local elections, rather than afterwards. If that had happened, then the by-election could have been run on the same day as the local elections, and the AV referendum. There was, as things were, no election in Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe on May 6th. However, there was the referendum. So the polling stations were open, and facilities in place for a ballot to be held.

Because Councillor Stretton did not do this, a separate by-election must be held. It has been estimated that this will cost the Borough an extra £9,000 (Henley Standard, 31st May 2011). And who fundamentally picks up this bill? The local taxpayer.

In a time of deep cuts and austerity for the people of Wokingham Borough, and of the country generally, a Conservative councillor has caused residents a large expense for no reason other than her own political gain. Councillor Stretton had one year left of her term- but if she had simply stood down at the election next year, she would have had to wait another three years before she could stand in Maidenhead. Her decision to resign afterwards cannot be seen as anything but a cynical ploy to ensure that she would remain a councillor regardless.

This shows a staggering arrogance, and to my mind demonstrates just how much the Conservatives take so-called “safe seats”, and the people living in them, for granted. Councillor Stretton did not think about the people she was supposed to be representing, she only thought about her own political career.

As Labour candidate in this election, I want to offer the people of Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe a choice. I will be a councillor who will fight for the issues residents care about. I want to give people an alternative to always voting for a Conservative Party which isn’t interested in them, or a Liberal Democrat party which cannot be trusted.

In the next few weeks, leading up to the date of the by-election, I will be campaigning across the ward. I will be speaking to residents, letting them know the ideals and principles I stand for, and listening to what they care about. If anyone wishes to contact me, to ask questions, to let me know their thoughts and feelings, or simply to offer their support, they may do so on this blog, by emailing me at matthewsdent@gmail.com, or by writing to me at 3 Newalls Rise, Wargrave.

I pledge to always listen to, read and  respond to any correspondence I receive.

Youth in Revolt

This is the fate which I, and thousands of other young people across the country, fear will be their long-term future.

(This piece was written for the website of Maidenhead Labour Party, where you can see it at its original home)

These are not terribly enjoyable times to be a young person. Of course, they aren’t exactly fun for everyone else, unless you happen to be an old Etonian politician, or the CEO of a bank. But young people seem to be taking a real hit at the moment.

The recent rise in tuition fees has been a definite headline-grabber, with thousands of students taking to the streets in an apparently futile bid to force the Liberal Democrats to honour the vote-winning promises they made before the election. But beyond that, there are so many other regressive policies which are already devastating the life chances of the young.

The rise in tuition fees is a poorly constructed cover for a massive cut to the budget of higher education institutions. This means that universities will be forced to cut back the facilities and services they offer to students starting from September 2012. So yes, students will be paying a good deal more for a good deal less. Which doesn’t sound like a very good deal to me.

And this, of course, is if they get to university in the first place. The withdrawal of the Education Maintenance Allowance, will hit thousands of sixth form students and prospective students. Introduced in 2004 by the Labour government, it was aimed at encouraging young people to remain in education, by giving them the funds necessary for them to do so. It was a lifeline for the poorest young people in our society, giving them hope of getting a better education, and a better job at the end of it. That lifeline has now been cruelly cut by Michael Gove and his Department of Education.

And even for those who manage to get into university, life isn’t rosy. I have just finished studying for a Law degree at the University of Sussex. Three years of hard graft, and now I’m finding it incredibly difficult to find a job. The recession has meant that there are less jobs available, but even now that we’re moving out of recession (albeit into stagnation, thanks to George Osborne’s misguided economic policies), there are graduates from the previous few years still fighting for any new jobs.

Youth unemployment in the UK is currently at record levels- something in the region of one million young people are not in employment, education or training. My biggest fear as a young person at the moment is that I will spend the next few years queuing outside the Jobcentre, irreparably setting back my life chances. I know that this is a fear unique to myself.

So what is the way forward for young people, in today’s climate? Well, the best thing that anyone can do is keep trying. The moment you give up is the moment you lose- and they win. But more than that, and I am biased here, I would remind young people that in thirteen years of government, Labour massively expanded education and provision for helping them into jobs. For example, the Future Jobs Fund, which was one of the first casualties of coalition austerity policies.

I’d also remind them that the Labour party is still fighting their corner- and tell them that active, passionate and enthusiastic Labour party branches are to be found all across the country. And if you’re under 27, it costs only £1 to join.

Words in Wargrave

This humble building (Wargrave Library) houses a vital element of local community life, and is under direct threat from the local council.

I love libraries. I think it’s probably a by-product of my love of books. The primary school I went to was  next door to the village library, and as soon as I could read, I used to love going in after school and picking out a book to read. There’s something beautiful about the concept; enough books to keep you fascinated and entertained forever. Books on all manner of subjects, you can literally learn anything you like in a library.

So it should be no surprise that, having gotten back to Wargrave yesterday afternoon, one of the first things I did today was get myself down to Wargrave Library. I joined a few years ago, when I moved to the area, but being at university for the past three years, I hadn’t used it in a while, and couldn’t for the life of me find my library card. Fortunately, the lovely staff helped me out by providing me with a replacement, and I’m now sat reading a lovely copy of “The Drowned World” by J.G. Ballard.

The reason that I bring this up, is because library services are currently under threat. With central government piling cuts onto its local counterpart, library services are at risk the country over. In many places libraries are facing closure, in an effort (hugely misguided, in my opinion) to save money. That is not happening in Wokingham Borough. Instead, they are resorting to traditional Tory fare, and handing the whole lot over to the private sector.

The party line is that this will save jobs and services, preventing the council from having to resort to harmful closures. Except, I’m not so sure. Granted, I’m an ardent critic of the Tories, but I think there are some distinct flaws with this idea.

Firstly, and most obviously, privatisation means that profit will automatically take precedence over any concept of duty or public service. In a small village like Wargrave, the local library provides a central focal point for the community. As I learnt last night, at a fantastic Wargrave Words event for Wargrave festival (featuring fascinating talks from crime authors Sophie Hannah and Simon Brett), there are ten book clubs in the village. Ten. In a village of roughly 4,000.

If a private company takes over this service, they will want to make a profit. I struggle to see where this will come in (maybe someone can enlighten me?) save for cutting back on the quality and breadth of services provided. And if there isn’t a profit margin, then the company will be forced to shut down the library. Hence there’s even less protection against the risk of closure than if it was still council controlled. Local residents can at least exercise a level of control over the council, after all.

So here it is. The library provides a key community service. A place where learning and entertainment can be attained without charge. A place where residents can socialise and form community bonds. A cornerstone of the kind of involved society which the government claims to want to promote. Any threat to the library, therefore, is a direct threat to the community.

There is an online petition, and a fledgeling campaign, already set up to lobby against this decision. I strongly urge you, if the library matters to you, to speak up and sign it. Petitions can make a difference, and the will of the people is a tremendous force in a democracy. And beyond the petition, there will in the near future be a by-election in Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe ward (the precise details of I will certainly be blogging about at a later date). This will give Wargrave residents an opportunity to protest against this Conservative disregard for their library. And I can promise you now, the local Labour Party will always be a strong and vocal advocate for the importance of local library services.

On the Rights and Wrongs of Assisted Dying

Terry Pratchett's documentary on assisted dying, whilst upsetting and heartbreaking to watch, was nonetheless informative and carefully made

Last night, I watched Sir Terry Pratchett’s documentary on assisted dying, Choosing to Die. I did so for a number of reasons, and yes one of the most prominent was that it had caused rather a moral stir, and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. In the end, what I saw was an incredibly moving, incredibly delicate look at a very difficult subject.

The whole issue was viewed through the lens of Pratchett’s own battle with Alzheimer’s, and his impending defeat in that battle, and for my part it makes it all the more relevant and heartfelt. I have personal experience of such dementia illnesses in my family, and as a writer myself (albeit nothing like Sir Terry’s calibre) I can completely understand just how soul-destroying such a fate must be, bearing down on him like it is.

Alzheimer’s, and other dementia-type illnesses, are horrible. Whereas cancers and other diseases of the body will waste you away physically, they attack the mind. A person will look perfectly healthy on the inside, but can quickly reach the point where all the memories and experiences which made them who they are have been lost to them. In essence, they remain as a shell, with the person they were scooped out of them.

This is quite clearly not a way anyone wants to die, Sir Terry included. But here he considers whether it is preferable to take his own life at some point before the disease runs its full course, rather than losing everything that makes him him. This is controversial enough, but he and the cameras also follow a pair of terminally ill persons to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland, and witnesses one of them ending his life.

The law at present makes assisted dying an offence in England and Wales. Assisting a person in ending their life can technically result in a criminal conviction, and jail sentence. The actual law in practice on the matter is much more confused and complicated than that, but the end result is that there is still an incredible disincentive towards loved ones helping a terminally ill person end their life in as painless a way possible. This means that if someone wants to take that choice, they generally have to travel to Switzerland, to end their lives hundreds of miles from home.

Now, my aim here isn’t to proscribe how the law should be changed, and whether assisted dying should be legalised. But it seems to me to be profoundly unjust that a person faced with a painful and humiliating death cannot take a painless (and, from what I saw, it did seem entirely painless) escape, in the comfort of their own home, and with their family surrounding them. The idea that there is some sort of morality in telling a person “No, you may not die- you must suffer through all the agony which is to come,” seems wholly disingenuous.

I recognise that I’m stepping on a lot of people’s toes with these opinions, but I really don’t think that anyone has the right to tell someone in that situation that they have to suffer. And the death that was shown in the documentary was much more dignified, and far less painful, than it would have been had “nature taken its course”. I understand that there are potential dangers of legalisation, which would have to be worked out very carefully, but I don’t think I can agree with enforced suffering. Not from a practical, religious or moral standpoint. Maybe that’s just because of the fact that I’ve seen some awful illnesses first hand, and because of the way in which they’ve affected me.

I’d recommend that everyone watch the documentary. It is very informative, and done with a great deal of care. It isn’t garish, and it isn’t spectacle. It is heartbreaking, and I will admit that I cried at it. But I think it shows the whole process in a very honest and frank light, which is what the debate needs rather than more scare stories. I don’t think that assisted dying is good or right. But I think that, in some circumstances, any evil in allowing someone to end their life prematurely is vastly outweighed by the evil of commanding them to endure inevitable pain and suffering.

Fear and Loathing in the Home Counties

Are these the sorts of scenes which could mar the Maidenhead Carnival on Saturday?

So, the EDL are coming to Maidenhead. They’re apparently coming to protest over the building of an Islamic Community Centre in the town, at a huge cost to the taxpayer. Except, it’s not costing the taxpayer a penny. So their grounds for protesting are apparently rubbish. What then are they coming to Maidenhead for? Oh I wonder…

Now, I’m going to make the perhaps-surprising admission that there is an outside chance that I may be talking out of my arse on this one. I say this, because I’ve never understood racism. I don’t understand the irrational anger that some people display towards others simply due to their place of birth, the colour of their skin, or something equally as arbitrary. I’ve lived in areas with large immigrant or immigrant-descended populations, and I’ve seen first hand this nonsensicle behaviour meted out to them. And even to myself, on rare occasion (my great-grandfather on my mother’s side was an immigrant from the empire, and I’ve variously been told I look Arabic, Italian, Greek or Asian- ironically, none of which reflect any of my ancestry).

Take, for example, this recent article in the Wokingham Times about approval being granted for a travellers’ site in Barkham. Not the article itself, which is fair and even-handed, as you would expect. But the comments display an alarming level of hostility towards a hypothetical group of people, based on- from what I can tell- crude stereotypes about their lifestyle.

What purpose does this serve? I mean, do we really want an entirely homogeneous society? It certainly seems so, from the views of these people. But think about it for a second- if we had no immigration, if we had “England for the English”, or “Britain for the British” (putting aside, momentarily, the sheer ridiculousness of those statements), then wouldn’t we be poorer for it? Take food as an example. I love pie and chips, bangers and mash, or the classic roast dinner as much as the next person. But it’s a little bland as the sole basis for a diet. Without immigration, there’d be no curries, no chinese takeaways, no sushi bars.

So back to the EDL. It’s become apparant from discussion in the comments on those articles that these are not local people. The day of the protest (11th June, this Saturday) coincides with the Maidenhead Carnival. At first glance, it seems like a deliberate ploy of the EDL to cause as much controversy, and get as much attention, as possible. But now it seems that it was accidental. The organisers apparently had no clue that the carnival was taking place. Which means one of two things: a) they’ve been living under a rock for the last month or two; or b) they don’t know the area, don’t live in the area, and just saw the article in the paper and fancied a chance to cause some trouble. I’ll leave the decision of which it is up to you, but they’re either morons or opportunistic morons.

So what if you’re out and about in Maidenhead on Saturday, enjoying the carnival (which you really ought to do)? My advice is to ignore them to death. Bullies are the same the world over- they just want your attention. If they don’t get it, if their racist, offensive views don’t get a reaction, then they’ll probably go home. Or they’ll try and kick off, and get hauled away by the Police. Either way they lose.

EDIT: This video interview with the organiser of the EDL protest is worth a watch, too. He contradicts himself several times, admitting that he didn’t know about the Carnival, that most of the people aren’t going to be from anywhere near Maidenhead, that the protest is actually against “radical” Islam, and that he has absolutely no evidence of any radicalism in the town. At once slightly amusing, and deeply scary.

EDIT 2: I’m making a habit of this, aren’t I? I have changed the picture with the post, after it was drawn to my attention that it was unclear and potentially misleading. It was formerly a picture of Asian men engaged in civil unrest, which I intended to be indicative of class strife and civil disorder generally. Since it seems a bit unclear, I have changed it for a different image. This one is of an EDL protest (at Dudley, in April 2010). I hope that clarifies matters, and thanks to @ToNiCcHiLi and @Englandstruth on Twitter for bringing this to my attention.

Second star to the right, and straight on ’til morning

So it’s done. After three years of hard work, the like of which I never visualised before I started, my law degree is finished.

Even writing those words feels odd. The law and studying it has taken over my life so completely that I feel lost without it. And scared at having to make my way out into the big wide world. I hadn’t realised just how integral university was to my day-to-day existence. Now I only have to wait for my results, and go to graduation, and I’m done with it forever.

It’s interesting trying to think how my university experiences have changed me. I’m certainly a different person. I feel more confident in who I am, and I think I’ve grown up a lot too. My writing has come on massively, to the extent that I had my first paid publications last year. And I’ve awoken politically too. I’ve always been a Labour man, but I grew up largely under a Labour government, and had rather taken it for granted. Now I’m living under a Tory government, and I know it’s because I’d taken Labour for granted.

So what am I going to do now? I’m not sure really. I’ve started by redesigning (and retitling) my blog. Do you like it? Beyond that, I’m going to spend a good deal of time writing and reading. I haven’t written for pleasure since Christmas, and I have a to-read pile taller than I am. I do have some other plans which are coalescing, but I’ll blog about those at a later date, when there’s more to tell.

And before you know it, I’ll be Matthew S. Dent LLB. Isn’t that the most terrifying part of all?