Browse > Home /

| Subcribe via RSS



Mark, Ming and the meeting of minds

By Angela Harbutt
February 11th, 2011 at 1:34 am | 2 Comments | Posted in Uncategorized

I know for  a fact that Mark Littlewood (formerly of this parish) and Sir Ming Campbell respect one another. Mark was the head of media for the Lib Dems when Ming was leader of the party. They got on. Ming listened to Mark’s media advice .  Mark recognised Ming’s political and international experience and knowledge. They were as one, I think, on civil liberties.

In recent times it would be fair to say, however, that their views have not always chimed on economic issues.

But in the last 24 hours there seems to have been a meeting of Ming/Mark minds. On David Cameron’s Big Society of all things.

Yesterday Mark Littlewood suggested that the libraries of this nation could be saved if the likes of Nicky Wire, bassist of the Manic Street Preachers, multimillionaire Richard Pullman, and indeed all those  who care about libraries, put their hands in their pockets to help save them. 

In much the same way frankly as many football fans – rich and not so rich – have put their hands in their pockets over the years to save their local clubs in times of need, parishioners have done to save their local church roof, villagers have bought their local pub etc.

Tonight on Question Time , Ming Campbell advocated pretty much the same thing as far as I can see. On the issue of  the Big Society , Ming argued that the big society has been around for a long time – local charities, societies, self help groups etc, working voluntarily for the wider benefit of society. People getting on, doing stuff for themselves.

But in these dire economic times, Ming argued, this is the time for those that can afford to put an extra £10 or £20 into their preferred voluntary cause, local group etc should step up to the plate. 

And he is right. It’s the best articulation of the Big Society I have heard quite honestly.

If you care about it – do your bit – don’t leave it all to the state. That’s Ming bunging an extra score or so to his local athletics club, Mark doshing out more to his beloved Saints Foundation and Nicky Wire dobbing something in for his beloved libraries -rather than expecting the state to look after the things we hold dear. …theatre,church, football club, library….. We all have things we think are important – we just shouldn’t always expect someone else to pay for it.

Tags: , , , , , ,
'