Tony Porter Ponders: the point of a petition, safety and where is Christmas?

What is wrong with people? A petition is currently online demanding a new General Election because Labour ‘lied’ about their polices before taking power 2,409,059 as I start to write this (Monday evening) That’s over a third of votes Labour got in the election in July, but this is not how democracy works. If folks can’t be bothered to vote, then spit dummies out after the event they only have themselves to blame.

As I have mentioned it was not a Labour win remember they got a million less votes than under Corbin in 2019. To me that is not a mandate to do what they are doing to farmers, employers and the elderly. But, like Brexit, the result is the result, we cannot change the constitution because of the policies they are rolling out. I do worry when this petition will be, rightly, ignored, that some might decide to take more direct action. I sense a Winter of Discontent 2 coming, but will anything change? I think Keir and Rachel are done for, but who else can take over, it could be another PM merry go round like the Tories, who knows if you join Labour today you could be Prime Minister by the next general election.

All that said its beginning to look at lot like Holidays.. The decorations are up in The Grand Arcade, Sunday saw Father Christmas arrive and the Lights turned on in Market Place including a tree? Is that a new thing or have I just missed the tree on ‘The Marble’? One word seems to be on decline though, the C word, we have Holidays, Festive, Winter and the like, but less and less Christmas.

As you know I am about as religious as that tree, but I do like tradition and to feel British, it would seem that a few are upset by a word with Christ in it so in order to avoid ‘offence’ many companies and other organisations have removed it from signage and window displays. Yet our local news channels are keen to wish other religions happy ‘insert event/festival here’ and show at length people enjoying their traditions, but we are having Christmas taken away. It all seems odd and deliberate?

I often work late at the shop and leave via Crompton Street, usually without an issue, but last week I left about 7PM and walked up Standishgate, two young men had got off a bus as I passed the stop on Crompton Street and followed me, closely, all the way to Specsavers talking in an unfamiliar language in hushed tones and sniggering on occasion. While walking up there were two groups of very similar young men walking down and I did feel incredibly intimidated. It’s the first time I have felt like this and as an older bloke I wondered what a woman would have felt in that situation. Now Wigan Council is rightly proud of its Purple Flag status, but this was early evening, and going past, what may be the main entrance to the cinema planned in the town centre, I have said before I would choose Robin Park cinema all day long particularly if I have my Grandkids with me, this cemented that in my head.

While writing this the petition is up to 2,427,753