County cuts

Disabled and non-disabled – young and old – danced and sang with the joy of simply being together.

The bitter cold, biting wind and lashing rain could not dampen their warm, oft’ ignored, exuberant hearts.

I was moved to tears – an unforgettable experience.

It was a privilege to be there.

Inside county hall, the opposite was true.

The chamber echoed with the sound of cold, hardened hearts – uncaring voices from the comfortably numb, devoid of compassion and understanding.

It was beyond shameful – a moral disgrace.

One councillor was heard to say : “I was really upset that people, who have taken the trouble to come here in the most appalling weather outside county hall, are trying to speak to us as elected members, and they haven’t been listened to.”

Another described certain scenes as ‘horrible’.

Another countered : “We have to do the dirty work.”

Politics can indeed be ‘dirty work’, but the majority were doing it with such relish, it was almost obscene.

The majority had their way.

Those who had been seen outside laughing, singing and dancing were now in tears – broken. Oh, what have we done?

Richard W. Symonds

Ifield Street

Ifield

Crawley

• Editor’s note: A report of this meeting is on page 9 of this week’s paper (February 20)

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