A letter in the Nairnshire this week will, this observer believes, find a lot of support among Gurnites. Here's a paragraph:
" Nairn seems to be in danger of being gently entrapped in the Inverness web where it can be quietly cocooned. Will we in due course retain sufficient identity to even retain our Lord Lieutenant?"
Well said Rupert, a very good letter. The Gurn has said it before and we say it again: "Freedom for Nairnshire - End Inverness Rule!"
To read Rupert Furze's letter you will need the County's well known analogue device, distributed through Co-ops (and some other outlets) near you, have 40p ready.
5 comments:
At first glance I thought the headline said, "Nairn being quietly conned by Inverness". Certainly Mr Park is trying to pull the wool over our eyes by stating in the Nairnshire that there "is no support" for a single Community Council. He is choosing to ignore repeated calls right back to the days of Frank Allen for this to be looked at. Two CCs have asked for it, but he chooses to dismiss this.
They refuse to listen. What next? Placards and petitions on the High St?
Sandy says "It is interesting that out of the over 700 responses (8% of the population) there is no support for a single Community Council"
As no one was asked in Mary Scanlon's survey if they wanted 1, 2, 3 or 200 community councils then it is hard to see how you Sandy can back his statement up, you can just as easily say 'interesting that there is no support for the status quo.' or 'interesting that there is no support for 36 community councils in Nairn instead of three.'
Unless the people of Nairn are asked in a proper referendum then this question will fester away all the way to the Highland Council ballot boxes next year and beyond, regardless how Sandy interprets surveys of MSPs prior to the Holyrood election.
Come on Sandy, all we are saying is give us a vote! Demcracy in action on the single council issue - Let's have a referendum across Nairn!
I have wrestled over Sandy's declaration that there is "no support" for a single CC. I couldn't square that statement with the reality of a ground-swell of public opinion in support of the idea. But of course, in strictly political terms, he is quite right, there is "no support". But at best it's an obfuscation - if not a cynical manipulation of language. I fear it suits Highland Council to maintain the status quo. Otherwise they would have responded differently to a request from two Community Councils that the idea be considered - regardless of the outcome of some supposed referendum, whenever and however that took place.
There is no support for the culling of seagulls. But what would be the outcome if people were asked? So Sandy, regrettably is playing with words. To test fully that there is no support he has to ask the question. Until it is asked there can be no support.
Since my Nairnshire letter I've had lots of positive comments and some have even offered to carry placards if needed. Why do authorities insist on waiting until there is unrest on the streets? Those who represent us ought to be listening, responsive and pro-active. Sadly they are all too often defensive and will never ever concede that, on occasions, they might be wrong. I say again, there are so many decent people in the town giving time and energy that could be harnessed for the good of all. But it's a fight all the way. What about more dialogue? We could all be winners.
Maybe supporters of a single councill need to get together and have a meeting Iain before everybody gets busy with too many spring and summer activities and perhaps work out ways to take this forward.
Maybe supporters of a single council should also stand for the elections across the three councils in November taking out advertisments in the Nairnshire and in other media to state clearly which candidates are in favour of a single council? Supporters of the status quo could do they same too if they wish and articultate their arguments as a correspondent in the Nairnshire this week has asked them to do.
There is of course the referendum that Liz is working for, but that would be better sooner rather than later.
In all honesty I think the Royal Burgh of Nairn community council should simply be formed.
The irony at present is that we have to ask a public-represented body (the HC) to put in place plans for a public-represented body (one community council).
When the will of the people could simply force the issue by declaring that there is no longer 3 community councils, and instead just one.
At which point it should not matter what the HC think we should have - we will have presented out representation for the HC to deal with.
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