Procession, peanuts and policy…

Crossing the High Street with care

It was the Needham Market Civic Service yesterday and, in my capacity as Chair of one of its neighbouring Parishes (but mostly as Ros’s husband), we were part of the formal party. That requires us to process up the High Street from the Community Centre to the Parish Church for the service.

I’m sure that, in past years, the High Street was closed and we processed down the middle of the road, Mayors of the surrounding towns in their regalia and robes, their Consorts by their side but it all seemed rather more low key this time. We walked on the pavement, crossing the High Street at the pelican crossing and then entering the church. Progress, I guess.

There was a nice tea afterwards, and I caught up with Steve Phillips, one of our retiring District Councillors, putting our very small part of the world to rights.

These sorts of things feel rather cozy, but perhaps they act as a reminder of an era of civic pride which is increasingly anachronistic in a world where such things are frowned upon as old-fashioned and rather fusty. I do get that - how does it help the community and does it put newcomers off? - but tradition has its place, particularly in terms of community cohesion in rural and semi-rural communities. And in Suffolk, where what are now relatively small towns were once of national significance, these events are an anchor to its proud past.

Perhaps it’s regret, or perhaps I’m simply getting older and mistily nostalgic, but I’d be sorry to see these things fade out of existence…

Pay peanuts, get?…

So, apparently the Civil Service pay remit suggests an increase in paybill of 4.5% for 2023/24, compared to inflation at 10%. Pay levels are now so low at clerical grades that they’re being swept up with the National Living Wage. And yes, that means that the person you rang to ask about your tax problem is earning the same hourly rate as the person stacking shelves at your local supermarket.

And when even broadsheet journalists are noting the vast discrepancies between Civil Service pay rates and those for private sector companies competing for the same skill levels, you shouldn’t be surprised to find that the sort of person who might altruistically opt for public service rather than private profit becomes increasingly rare.

You get the government you pay for, I’m afraid to say.

A resolution (or forty-three) to consider

I admit that my one remaining function as a Liberal Democrat - member of the Party’s delegation to ALDE Party Council - is mostly far less onerous than many of the posts elected by the Party membership. After all, going to six meetings over a three year period isn’t exactly going to kill me. It isn’t cheap - the meetings have been held in cities such as Yerevan, Bratislava, Palermo and Dresden, to name but four - but it is intensive, with a whirlwind of activity in the weeks leading up to the events.

This time, we seem to have had far more resolutions to consider - whereas it’s usually no more than twenty, it’s over forty this time. Our delegation has to consider them both in their own right but by comparison to Party policy - you really wouldn’t want us to be freelancing on potentially controversial issues here at home.

I’d better start reading, I guess…