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Dear Sir – The local and European elections were yet another opportunity to delay the inevitable fall of our Big Society. The UKIP votewas seen as some sort of radical vote to stop the tide of immigration that comes from Europe like the juggernaut that lands on the M20 each day; a protest vote that is gaining ground becausewe can’t cope any more with this constant influx of new people with new languages. The indigenous people are struggling


and desperate, but many problems that face our society today, and indeed elsewhere around theworld,were born some 70 years ago. Although I live in Coxheath I have seen first-hand the implications of immigration on a population in a local area. My uncle lives in Southall,west London, and Iwas responsible for a company office in Bradford for a very short while. In visiting these places it is instantly visible that the local population is no longer indigenous to England or Britain. Southall is indeed lile India; Bradford is


lile Karachi. Our Commonwealth duty or responsibility for that exchange of young men for twoworldwars as part of the British Empire has cost us dear, not in terms of building a united multicultural capital city and beyond, but in building countries within countries. We have definitively established that we


rarely truly integrate as different tribes. In the South Eastwe enjoy a largely wealthy indigenous population that has been immune from such home invasion, but now with the European influx on top of our Commonwealth commitments, this feeling has broken the back of many of our local people. Local politicians in Maidstone or further afield in Kent are perhaps mediocre because they haven’t had towork very hard to continue the status quo. If in the 21st century we still remain divided by the colour of our skin, even though we all talk the game of racial equality, thenwe should understand why UKIP is growing. Although Maidstone has largely been protected from such thoughts, constant new build developments just might change that acceptance here too. We have ruled by “right” but as with the decline and fall of our British Empire, can we still hang on to an outdated philosophy?We may be a post-Christian society, but perhapswe ought to drop our high-minded righteousness and become a post-right society too. Richard Maryan, Coxheath


Richard, your conclusion that different cultures rarely integrate is obviously contentious and makes a general assertion on a complicated subject that resonates emotionally with many. However, your point that the exceptionally


high number of homes being built in Maidstone borough could lead to the current national immigration debate becoming a much more local one strikes a less arguable chord.


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Stephen Eighteen Editor stephen@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 231


44 Maidstone East June 2014 Diane Nicholls


Assistant editor diane@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 232


Jane Shotliff Journalist


jane@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 233


Dawn Kingsford Journalist


dawn@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735 ext 233


Employers so supportive


Dear Sir – I want to shout from the rooftops about how wonderful it is to work for a family business where I am not considered just a number. I am being treated as a person the Notcutts family really cares for. In January 2013, at the age of 45, I was rushed to Maidstone Hospital from work at Newnham Court, where I had had a stroke.Within a couple of days I was taken to King’s College Hospital for a life-saving operation to allow the swelling to take place in my brain. My husband, children and family


didn't know if I would survive. I then spent a further 10 months in both hospitals and a special neurological rehabilitation unit in Sevenoaks, where I was told I would be unlikely to walk again. However, my husband and I decided I


had too much to live for and I was determined I would walk again, which I can now do with the help of a physiotherapist. I recently walked in a public place for


the first time, when I did a sponsored walk from the Town Hall along Maidstone High Street. I completed about 100m and there were 50 people


The mixture of an overheated property


market in London, Maidstone Council’s top priority to provide affordable housing and an abundance of large housing estates set to spring up in the borough in the next 20 years is likely to result in a more diverse racial and cultural make-up in Maidstone. This notion is likely to have been behind UKIP’s success in the recent elections, with four councillors winning seats on Maidstone Council and the party gaining more votes in the borough than any other in the European count. Our local authorities must therefore learn from the experiences of other areas in the country that have seen large influxes of people from minority backgrounds and do all within their powers to facilitate a high level of social cohesion. Response by Stephen


Council failing parish


Dear Sir –As a former parish council chairman I havewatched in dismay at the severe lack of progress in Bearsted in the two years since I resigned. There are three main issues that demonstrate the council’s failings: 1 Music On The Green The cancellation of this event, which is hugely popular with residents and families, is unforgivable and did not have to happen. The council received two offers from a local events management company to run it for free. The event has been cancelled due to individual councillors’ ineptitude, poor planning and incompetence. 2 The play area This closure did not have to happen, as the councilwas discussing


Hannah Green with her husband Andrew


there supporting me. I never dreamed of being able to do


this and I have now raised about £1,400 for the Stroke Association’s Step out for Stroke campaign. The charity has helped me in the past few months, but sadly during this time, I unexpectedly lost both of my parents. Mr Notcutt and my colleagues have supported my family and me, helping me to get to the place I am now. Anyone who would like to contribute


to my fundraising total for the Stroke Association can do so online at www.justgiving.com/Hannah-Green16. Hannah Green, Bedgebury Close, Vinters Park


renovating the play area as far back as 2011, but the decisionwas taken by the environment commiee at the time to defer repairs and refurbishment to later years. The repairs to the play area have been further delayed due to the council’s tendering process and no definite date has been provided by the council for the re- opening of the play area. 3 The 5% precept increase This is unjustified, unfair and insulting. Other organisations on the council tax bill are only increasing by 2% and the parish has funds in the bank and must have saved money in the last financial year as they have not had a clerk for the majority of the year and have spent lile around the village. What does the council plan for Bearsted using the extra money? I have sat back from the council since I


le, but I cannot continue to sit back and let the council go back to its oldways of spending more and doing less. When Iwas on the council, I tried to encourage new ideas, realistic projects, plans and timescales and geing the council to identify new sources of income rather then rely on puing up the council tax every year. Sadly, I see very lile evidence of this in


the current leadership of the council and if anything, the council is going backwards once more. If the councilwould like to take


advantage of my knowledge and experience to move forward then Iwould be more than happy to consider returning to the council. Paul Young, Fauchons Lane, Bearsted


Comment


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