Strayside Sunday is our weekly political column written by Paul Baverstock, former Director of Communications for the Conservative Party. 

Yesterday was ‘Super Saturday’. 101 days since lockdown, the nation is emerging from the social constraints and restrictions of pandemic into what I hope will blossom into newly respected and cherished freedoms, rather than revert to the taken-for-granted entitlements we had allowed to develop pre-crisis.  Many too hope that yesterday’s grand opening will herald the dawn of what economists call a “V-shaped” recovery, one in which the financial markets, business wealth and personal incomes rebound swiftly to pre-pandemic levels.  But should we wish for an old, rather than a new normal?

During the early days and weeks of lockdown, for those of us fortunate enough to possess a garden or other outside space, could not fail to notice the nature that filled the space we and our noisy humanity had vacated.  Birdsong never sounded so good.  Now, even approaching Independence Day, traffic noise and the hustle and bustle of life are coming back and nature is in visible retreat.  I fear we have not heeded Mother Nature’s warning and that we will revert to environmentally disastrous type.

With luck, Boris Johnson’s cry of “Build, build, build” will let loose a new, green and historically respectful economy. One in which the streamlined planning laws the Prime Minister promises, create thriving high streets and town centres, mixed and affordable residential and business use property, local shops and eateries stocked with local produce, with attention paid to making our world-beating heritage work for the public good of all.  I’m not wholly optimistic; a planned £6,000 scrappage scheme to encourage us to buy electric cars has already been, well, scrapped; and a bicycling revolution has been announced, but little evidence of the pedalling republic has yet been seen.

Meanwhile, our leaders here in Harrogate are, in a special edition of “Residents’ News,” signposting a move away from a posture of Covid response, towards one of recovery.  This is welcome, as is the news that the borough council does not face an immediate threat of bankruptcy.  It’s clear too that the council understand how much effort it will take to reboot our town centres across the district.  Indeed, the council has received cash from the European Union (remember them?) Development Fund and will be using it, they tell us, to run a campaign promoting our high streets.  This is great news and the perfect opportunity to bring activist voices together, to create a recovery campaign with the full and engaged support of those it seeks to serve, and to build the ‘Town Teams’ that the council needs, both for their fresh ideas and for their undeniable industry.  We look forward to hearing the detail soon…

In last week’s column, I discussed the recent racist Facebook posts of Darley parish councillor Ernest Butler.  In so doing I expressed my opinion that public representatives (whether they are elected or co-opted into their position, as Mr. Butler was into his) are always on duty and, as such, should always be held to account for any and all views they express on social media, or indeed anywhere else.

My column prompted corrective email correspondence from Harrogate Borough Council Leader Richard Cooper.  In order to respect Mr. Cooper’s express wishes I will not quote here the contents of his email, save to say that he was not impressed by my column, in which I accused the council of “washing their hands” of the Ernest Butler affair.  In fact, the council’s code of conduct does not apply to social media comments made by councillors “in a personal capacity.” My piece suggested otherwise and I am happy to clarify that the council felt their hands, rather than being washed, were tied.

However, in his latest and much reported bigoted outburst, that historian David Starkey was not speaking, at or on behalf of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, did not stop them stripping him of his honourary fellowship.  Nor did it stop Harper Collins refusing, henceforth, to publish his history books.  Starkey has been so unceremoniously given the boot, precisely because his employers know that public opinion is a blunt instrument and makes no distinction between what we say in a private capacity and what we say in public.  In short, if you are a public figure, no matter how obscure, you simply don’t have the luxury of sharing abhorrent views.

Nonetheless, my opinion - and it is just my opinion - remains that it is always the role of our political leaders to call out any racism on their patch, when they become aware of it, whether they choose to do so comfortably, within the narrow confines of written procedure, or on the basis of their implied moral authority; sought freely through public election.

As I hope to continue to write opinion about the council and local politics for our growing Stray Ferret readership, and given I believe in dialogue, on Wednesday I wrote to Councillor Cooper directly to ask him whether he would like to meet, have the opportunity to share his vision for the district and to have a no doubt robust exchange of views.  At time of going to press my email to him has yet to be acknowledged.  I look forward to a response.

That’s my Strayside Sunday.