Dear Local Resident,
 

Willie Nelson said of country music that is was essentially ‘three chords and the truth’. He was suggesting that however complex things may seem, the essence of what country music was about was faithfully articulating real life experiences in musical form.

Willie would probably think roughly the same of Westminster as he did of Nashville – that politics should be very simple and a reflection of the lives that people actually live. But he would probably share a collective disappointment at Westminster’s failures. There are not three chords, just discord. I was unable to quite understand those Opposition MPs standing with placards saying “Silenced”, arguing they were standing up for democracy. Like many a protest movement, they shout “What do we want? An election. When do we want it? Not quite now, unlike what we have been saying for the past two years, cos we’re a bit busy protesting about the outcome of a referendum”.  

I have been walking round the streets a lot the past couple of weeks helping deliver both our latest newspaper and a few other bits and bobs – so I’ve had plenty of conversations over garden gates or at bus stops. I have been genuinely struck by the (literal) unanimity of public support for the Prime Minister, and bemusement and bewilderment at what is occurring in Westminster. People look to me for answers as to what is going to happen, but I can’t supply the certainty I would like to. With the normal ‘rules’ suspended by the Speaker, anything could happen and probably will.

This is not a good situation to be in. I think that last sentence is worth putting in here. Our task is quite simple – deliver the referendum outcome, and then get on with governing the country in the national interest. Take advantage of Brexit’s opportunities, look to where we can innovate, and sort out big structural challenges. We’ve announced big investments in the NHS, the police and education – but the bandwith to talk about how they can positively impact Blackpool North & Cleveleys. Were you aware we have just got £25m to invest in our future locally after much lobbying of just about every Minister that draws breath by me? It doesn’t surprise me, since the oxygen is being sucked out of public life.

Ronald Reagan springs to mind – a conservative who always urged fellow conservatives to remember that rather than just chart a decline, we must believe that tomorrow will always be better than today, and work towards that. We should live on the sunrise side of the mountain, he said. At times, I feel like dark shadows are what overhang us – but, rapidly, I know that if we can only surmount these challenging times, a much brighter future is indeed round the corner.

These shenanigans are not what I got into politics for. Many politicians will say they want to make a difference – and so did I. Most of us genuinely believe in public service, even if the compass of some has swung widely away from that right now. I looked around and saw problems that I wanted to tackle – on some governments I have supported have made progress, on others there is still more to do. My political motivation remains undimmed – and sometimes we need to remember why my Party exists, rather than it just seeming a vehicle for some.

Our identity as individuals springs not from abstract labels imposed on us by others, but is built from the experiences of our home, our family, our community, our local ties, our voluntary groups, our sports teams, our landscapes. “Our” people are those whose organisational resources are limited compared to that of the interest groups which dominate the public square. That identity is far more powerful than artificially constructed identities imposed upon us. My party has always been the party of the “unorganised majority” and needs to keep relearning that.
 
But we are neither relaxed, comfortable nor confident as a nation right now. There is a nagging sense that the system no longer works for in favour of the unorganised majority. We are uncertain in the face of Brexit, unsure of which nation if any we are part of, or what our national identity is. Under Labour, I felt we became a sullen nation. I think we are now a nervous nation, needing leadership, direction and reassurance – but above all some unifying principles which reconnect those we govern with those who govern them. If we don’t, we risk recreating what the Ancient Greeks called an ‘ochlocracy’, a word for rule by the mob, which tends to manifest itself in obsession with celebrity scandals, and government by tabloid headline. Sound familiar?

I’ve gone on long enough – and you’ll get a proper update in a day or two of what I have actually been doing! – but let the final word go to President Reagan once more:

“They say we offer simple answers to complex problems. Well, perhaps there is a simple answer – not an easy answer – but simple: if you and I have the courage to tell our elected officials that we want our national policy based on what we know in our heart is morally right”.

What we are seeing in politics right now need not be so complex. It takes confidence and conviction. The people spoke, but too many politicians didn’t, or wouldn’t, hear. 

You can take my short survey on how you can help by clicking here get involved.
 

Yours faithfully,




Paul Maynard MP
Blackpool North & Cleveleys - 01253 473071
www.paulmaynard.co.uk