Penny for the Guy (From Bromsgrove Advertiser)

Penny for the Guy

5:00pm Monday 16th November 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(15)

I walked along Bromsgrove High Street on Saturday afternoon and was struck by the irony of the scene in front of me. Near to the Housman statue was a small group of men, including one dressed in black wearing a mask, pretending to be Guy Fawkes, complete with bomb.

He carried a bucket containing a few coins and shook it at people while standing in their path, with the request – Penny for the Guy. I thought this looked somewhat aggressive not least inappropriate. The ‘Guy’ who the penny was for was Mark France, campaigner against the abuse of parliamentary expenses and someone I gather who wants to stand for parliament himself. I considered for a moment the irony of that cause being supported by a man in a mask demanding money from passersby to fight the abuse of public funds. I had a small reality check and confirmed that we are at least five months from an election. This was confirmed by the presence of a number of young men and women dressed in the uniforms of our armed services, collecting for the Poppy Appeal.

In fact, next to the horde was a senior gentleman, wearing a beret also collecting for the Poppy Appeal.

This was the day before the Remembrance Sunday memorial services.

I looked on and thought of the total tactlessness of the methods being employed and I wondered about the lack of sensitivity.

I do not know if Mr France was present. I recognise that people have the right to campaign. However, this was a shoddy, ill-conceived and inappropriate exercise that competed against those who were trying to raise funds for our former servicemen and their families.

Let us not forget that Guido Fawkes and his co-conspirators tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in an act of terrorism.

I remind Mr France that terrorism is something that a number of servicemen have lost their lives fighting against and to use that imagery on that day was poor.

For someone with such a poor sense of humour I would like to say: “Thanks, but no France.”

A Collins, Bromsgrove

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(15)