Democracy? I don't think so...

There will be an election soon and no doubt political views in the far-away Shire will be as numerous as the sheep in the fields.

It is my understanding that in a 'Democracy', everyone has an equal right to stand as a Candidate for election and it is the People of voting age who decide election outcomes.

Well, er, yes... that is more or less the case here.

But oh, how difficult it is to become a Candidate in a General election. That is, unless you are a member of a 'registered political party'.

So, what's the problem?

Having the support of a large and [usually] wealthy political machine to help with doorstep canvassing, posting manifestos through most constituents' mailboxes, printing and postage costs, travel expenses and so on, is most helpful.

But there are areas where 'legality' creeps in to make sure the electoral playing field is not quite so level as it may first appear.

One of these concerns the Electoral Roll.

It is available to all election candidates and is a vital tool in any electoral campaign. It is available at any time, 'on demand' to anyone who is a candidate approved by a registered political party.

Great! So the Tories, Labour, Greens, Plaid, Lib-Dems, etc., can get ready to do battle months in advance; knowing who their constituents are is actually a great advantage.

But...

If you intend to stand as a true Independent, with no 'party affiliations', then:

You are entitled to receive a free copy of the register for the constituency in which you are standing from the moment that Parliament has been dissolved. [see Electoral Commission Guidelines]

A matter of weeks before the election date hardly gives much time to prepare mailings and other material from the Roll and is, in this cynical Cat's eyes, undoubtedly a tactic designed to assist 'registered political parties'.

Oh the joys of trying to join the 'Overseers' in what they call a 'Democracy'.

I don't think so...

Shops or Supermarket? Tourism or Nothing?

Curiosity again being the order of the day, one of my many Boo!gle feeds led me to a website which belongs to the 'Overseers'.

This tells a fantastic story of how they are committed to 'Build Sustainable Communities' and states that: 'The Shire area is rural and the population is sparse, so the key challenge is to ensure that the Area’s settlements have the scale and catchment areas to sustain the level and quality of retail, leisure and services.'

Oh yes?

Is that really what is occuring in this far away place?

There is a particular town in the Shire, which is full of brightly painted houses and has a whole bunch of independent, individually styled and unique shops. It is a shopping destination for people from all over the UK, Ireland and beyond. It is a little treasure in the heart of the Shire. Oh, and it has a castle too!

This little Town is one of the final few and is under threat of having its heart ripped out by the 'Overseers'. The very people whose policies state so clearly that this is the antithesis of their intentions.

The majority of fresh foods available in this little Town are locally sourced. One of the butchers is the winner of a UK-wide award, seasonal fruit and vegetables are available in the Spar as are local breads, pies, meats, quiches, cakes...

There's even a mad potter who makes the most fantastically glazed things. But he's another story!

Yes, its one of the 'final few'. The final few towns of a sub-3,000 population, anywhere, that still has no major supermarket.

This Town has its own supermarket. Take note all you 'Overseers'. This and the other 'final few' actually do have their own supermarkets.

They are now unique and ought to be preserved... Towns like this have everything anyone could ever want, available in 'departments' that just happen to be next-door to each other. And the Department Managers probably know all their regular customers by name. These Departments have their own unique qualities, products and, perhaps most importantly, humanity.

These sort of Towns bring Tourists from 'far away' to our Shire. Tourists always spend money and that goes... where? To 'Head Office', or directly into the local economy and, thus, sustaining 'the level and quality of retail'?

But no...

The Shire's 'Overseers', a cynic might observe, are determined to ensure a 'major' supermarket chain will be given permission to destroy a 'Jewel'.

'A supermarket development will never happen in this Town', was the oft-quoted reports from a local representative of the 'Overseers'. Curious how the same person is now suggesting that this is just what the Town needs. Oh yes, and resigned his position with the Town's lowlier 'Overseers' just as his possible 'opinion' changed?

And then there are the business rates! They will be discussed tomorrow, naps permitting of course...

So, the 'Overseers' of the Shire may be quite happy to allow a supermarket development in one of their biggest Tourist attractions. They are also going to be taxing the Town's success by enforcing parking charges on the hitherto-free carpark, despite objections from the Town's 'Overseers', the Business community and the Townspeople themselves.

Such arrogance does surely not become them...

Any jobs provided by such a development would probably not be filled by people from the Town. A few maybe but most have jobs already.

Such a development would, if attempting to source food locally, likely find that there was no surplus available to them, so their goods would be trucked into the Shire. A stable, local economy would be disturbed, to say the least; by produce shipped in, to sell for a profit, to provide money for 'investors'.

But benefit, truly benefit the local economy? Absolutely not.

The balance, which those far away 'Overseers' profess to endorse are, in the ever-cynical Cat's Eye, quite simply just words.

If they aren't careful, the answer WILL be 'Nothing'.

I should be ashamed of myself!

Opening my car door the other day in the Capital Village here in the Shire, I heard a voice saying: "You should be ashamed of yourself."

Curiosity, being a natural function of cats meant I was compelled to turn round and see who the person was talking to.

"Yes! You!" was the triumphant exclamation that greeted my gaze! "You should be ashamed of yourself."

"What? What are you talking about?" was my extremely civil reply.

"You have no right to be parking in that space. It's illegal and I will report you to the police."

"Umm... I don't follow..." By now, I was almost on my last breath and was in no mood to listen any more to such a person.

I opened the door and fell into my seat gasping for air but ex-Sargeant Major Snodgrass wasn't letting up.

"These spaces are reserved for disabled people only, which means you are parking illegaly. You can not just 'borrow' a blue-badge permit so you can park anywhere you like, you know."

"But it's not borrowed, it's mine, so just go away and leave me alone." I muttered.

He wasn't believing, even on the photographic evidence, that it could be a genuine 'Blue Badge' and carried on. "What's wrong with you then? Doesn't look like much to me."

Well, being a giant of a cat, with a large mane, I can understand that I may not look disabled. Not on the outside, mostly. But inside is another story!

Hidden away in my chest is a chronically diseased lung and, in my head, a brain that suffers from an extreme and chronic neurological condition. I think that qualifies as quite severely disabled in fact. But on the outside my mask is secure and few know what lurks beneath my skin!

That was the point where my patience wore thin. But I kept cool, due to this being the [insert a number between 20th and 50th] time I've heard this!

Many, many years ago, I learned that one ought 'never judge a book by its cover', an expression that is so very true.

Society appears to be turning ever more 'suspicious', ever more distrustful; so much so that the distrust feels almost palpable these days.

Even in a comparatively tranquil and civilised place such as the Shire, it now appears that even my fellow 'not quite as able' types now distrust each other to this level.

I told him not to worry... "I'll get a wheelchair in a couple of years when I'm ready to give in. In the meantime I'll remember what you told me and you never know, you might get to read about it one day."

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"That I should be ashamed of myself, of course."