A worrying societal shift in attitudes sees Simon Hoare MP fighting to protect rural communities and defend democracy when it matters most
In this edition I want to try to cover three topics. The first one was going to concern the recent announcement by Lloyds Bank of the impending closure later this year of its branch in Blandford. This story is covered elsewhere in this edition. While it is true that we are going through a period of transition when it comes to how we do our banking, the creation of ‘banking deserts’ is in nobody’s interest. But it leads to a disproportionately harder hit on my older constituents, as well as having a greater impact on the vitality and viability of a rural market town than would be felt in a large city. I am meeting representatives of Lloyds to learn more about their plans for community banking support, and will be working alongside our local councillors to explore the provision of a ‘banking hub’ to meet the needs of Blandford and the villages it serves – more as it is known.
Overnight stays
On the subject of fragility, I recognise the oftentimes marginal nature of our market towns as they face pressure from online sales. Car parking charges are too often used as a cash cow to be milked by councils. You may be aware that Lib Dem controlled Dorset Council is pursuing a policy of introducing night-time car parking charges. I am opposed to these and have made my views known to the council leader and in the House of Commons during a recent Business Question. Night-time charges will hit local hospitality and leisure businesses across all of our North Dorset towns, as well as impacting negatively on local residents – for example, in Blandford and Shaftesbury, where people use car parks in the evenings, when there is pressure on on-street capacity. These cars are off to work etc before the next business day starts.
This is not a good policy coming from County Hall, and I would urge you to make your views known to the council. From my inbox, I know that many local residents and pubs are opposed to this plan. Let us hope that Lib Dem councillors listen.
Up with dictatorship?
My final fragility point is our basic functioning of democracy. A recent poll of GenZ (those born 1997 to 2012) found that more than half are in favour of turning the UK into a dictatorship! This follows polling by the Electoral Commission, which found that younger people are more likely to find the abuse and intimidation of political candidates and their supporters acceptable. I listened with interest to two GenZ men discuss why many of their cohort would support a British dictatorship. I have some sympathy with their call for politicians to be bold and visionary, to take brave decisions.
While I see their point, they neglect, I fear, to comprehend the massively negative effect social media and the rise of populism has on achieving these policymaking umbrellas.
A Parliamentary friend and colleague of mine, Alec Shelbrooke, has also commented in the media that people are likely to support a dictatorship only on the presumption that the dictator’s views align with their own. Pity them when they do not.
The reason given for GenZ’s opinion is that there is a lack of knowledge, in the historical context, of what a dictatorship is. Indeed, one interviewee did not believe that Putin is a dictator.
I find this hard to believe, with the attention given in schools to the rise of Nazism. It also suggests a certain lack of intellectual curiosity, of researching the historical examples of what one is calling for before actually calling for it.
But there is a serious point which we cannot duck: we need to remind this and future generations of why democracy is the best option and why participation in it makes sense. Just because we know it to be true does not mean that our successors will. The dictators of Europe, South America and Africa create an all-too-clear picture. Everyone needs to see it, understand it and learn from it.
We are doomed if they do not.
