Thursday 9 May 2013

When ‘City Of Culture’ Means ‘City Of Counterculture’…

Amber Rudd, the Conservative MP for Hastings, told the Financial Times that people who are on benefits and want to be by the seaside move to Hastings to have easier access to friends, drugs and drink.
A statement she’s getting a lot of stick for, but which is demonstrably true.

Just like Southend, which in the past few years has suffered the rush of benefit claimants being ‘encouraged out’ of London, and the increase in Somali drugs gangs, acquisitive violent crime, street beggars and rough sleepers.

And, like Hastings, Southend is also launching a bid for ‘City of Culture’:
Sarah Owen, the Labour Party’s candidate for Hastings and Rye said: “You don’t have to be from Hastings to love the place – it just so happens I was born and grew up here.
“So when I hear the MP talk down my hometown and the people who live here, I question what commitment they have to stand up for us.
“It’s also really disappointing given the timing for our City of Culture bid. We need an ambassador for Hastings and Rye not someone who rubbishes a place that has so much to going for it.”
So, Sarah, what do you plan to do about it’s seedy reputation?

Nothing? Just sweep it under the carpet?

Shouldn't your voters be told?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hastings? City of Culture? WTF?

Loved this comment:


rufacts says...
11:33pm Wed 1 May 13

After 23 months in Lewis (possession with intent + GBH) I never thought the outside would be the same, wrong! Hastings has been my home from home ever since 2011 and not only have I been welcomed with open arms I get to see so many of my old chums. I do not agree with the sentiments of our mp completely (though I do agree with the tory stand on foreigners being thieving scum!) but I do think it unfair to demonise the pastimes of Hastings folk. After a hard day impregnating the mouth breathing teens of Hollington and suchlike I like nothing more than a soothing pipe of crack, it helps with the stamina though the long nights of robbing smoked salmon from Tesco express (silverhill branch CCTV is currently on the fritz *touches nose*) and running brown for my m8 up Farley bank.

This is all.


Place is a dump like most of the seaside towns around the south / south east coast, a dumping ground for the homeless, unemployed of London and the thousands of asylum seekers no one wants.

Sad places. They need more than Mary Portas and her young 'foodie n fashion' for the new gentrifiers. All that pop star exodus from London to Whitstable has ruined that place too.

blueknight said...

The fact is that the old seaside hotels and guest houses do not do enough trade so they reopen as multi-occ flats.
This has the unfortunate and self fulfilling effect making the area worse, which further discourages holiday makers from visiting/staying.
I am fairly sure that the last Conservative Govt tried to stop benefit claimants moving to the seaside, but I cannot remember what happened.

JuliaM said...

"Loved this comment"

Heh! Missed that one first time around.

"I am fairly sure that the last Conservative Govt tried to stop benefit claimants moving to the seaside, but I cannot remember what happened."

You have to go back a LONG while to find a Conservative government!

Anonymous said...

I live in a quaint seaside town, and we get endless unemployed "people" turning up. Most end up causing minor crime, and drinking cheap beer. When one complains , all you get is shouted down, called "inbreds" and zenaphobic. Considering our size we get a lot of drug problems and petty crime..... And dont start me on the Polish situation.

Furor Teutonicus said...

This appears to be "the answer" to many "problems".

Toxteth riots. What was the answer "Give Liverpool a Garden show, and make it a "city of culture".

It is still wrong, but NOT new.