Wednesday 21 March 2012

Guest Blog -A response to A Tale of Two Barnets - By John Sullivan


By John Sullivan,

First of all, thank you Roger & Charles, the Barnet Trades Council Barnet Alliance for Public Services and all others that made the Premier screening of A Tale of 2 Barnet's  possible last evening at the Phoenix in East Finchley. 


It was brilliant to see the theatre so packed with concerned residents of Barnet, contrary to the complacency no doubt  hoped for  and anticipated  by Barnet councillors  who all refused an invitation to attend the place was packed.

A lady sitting next to me was brought to tears at the devastation that is being inflicted upon the disabled and the elderly with a disability in Barnet, coupled with the complacency and the blindness to reality being  displayed by Cllr Cornelius & CEO Wakeley who insists that everything in the garden is rosy and appear to be completely unaware or in denial of what is happening to the disabled and the elderly with a disability in Barnet.  She asked  "how can they do this to disabled people ", I said tragically the answer is simple " they don't care ", they have only one concern and one direction in life which is profit before people a mantra driven by right wing  ideology and dogma encouraged by the spirit of Lady Porter who is still alive and well in the hearts and minds of Barnet councillors.
Apart from the deliberate anti disabled campaign being run by Barnet councillors at the altar of profit, whilst they dishonestly claim they have engaged in meaningful consultation and offered alternatives and choice, which is completely and absolutely untrue. I was surprised to realise the impact on the elderly and infirm stuck at home and unable to get out very often, the huge rises in parking fees has added to their isolation from their community their loved ones friends and family along with the closure of and struggle to survive of the shops on our high streets coupled with the complete indifference to the impact from Barnet council.

A Tale of 2 Barnet's was an eye opener and perhaps in this year of a diamond jubilee and the Olympics , where once again local and central governments will pretend to the world that all in the garden is rosy. A Tale of  2 Barnet's should be distributed more widely because it tells a story for the whole country as well, including a copy to Buck house. So that the reality of what is happening in Barnet and across the UK is not deliberately covered up to portray a false image of Great Britain,  a Britain that was great because it was once a caring society a Britain that has become in just 2 years a completely uncaring society.

The question A Tale of 2 Barnet's raised for me is, when did right become wrong and when did wrong become right, when did it become right to denigrate disabled children and adults as did Cllr Coleman at a recent transport  meeting and still be considered fit for office. When did it become right to ignore the plight of the seriously ill, the disabled and those with a disability and deny them succour, and right to devastate their lives to make a profit from their misfortune.

A Tale of 2 Barnet's  truly opens the eyes to what is really happening in Barnet, I look forward to the sequel in the hope this film will encourage Barnet councillors to represent all the people of Barnet for a change and not just those that vote for them, and cease to be driven by blind right wing ideology and dogma, but I will not hold my breath. My main problem is , how do we now differentiate between right and wrong & wrong a right.
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John Sullivan is a parent Carer in Barnet and a supporter of disabled rights. He is also a regular guest blogger at the Barnet Eye. Guest blogs are always welcome

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