EU political Correctness
Lakeland walkers ‘wrong colour’
By John Crowley (Filed: 03/01/2005)
The Lake District National Park is to axe the free guided walks carried out by over 100 volunteer rangers because they attract only “middle-aged, middle-class white people”.
The scenic walks, which introduce thousands of tourists to the fells each year, are being scrapped as part of a three-year plan to bring more ethnic minorities, inner-city children and the disabled to the area.
The national park’s authority said it would be able to meet Government targets to attract minority groups and attract more funding.
It said it had also taken the “hard” decision to reduce significantly the services provided by the park’s 10 information centres.
Among activities facing the axe is a programme of 900 events run by 300 rangers. These include a magazine, informative talks, slide shows and children’s farm visits.
In a letter informing volunteers of the authority’s decision, Paul Tiplady, national park officer, said more regional and EU funding would be attracted by refocusing on the “urban young, people from ethnic communities and disabled people”.
I do not understand the mentality behind this confirmation of political correctness gone mad, there is absolutely nothing preventing anybody of any ethnicity visiting the countryside if they choose.
The EU however feels that they have a right to demand that the countryside changes in order to meet arbitary targets on the mix of minorities or they will withhold our money from our countryside organisations.
If the three year plan to attract more ethnic minorities, inner-city children and the disabled to the area fails to meet the arbitrary targets, what are they going to do next, force people onto busses and drag them out in the park, or perhaps ban middle aged middle class white people.
These moves were indicated in the middle of last year when certain groups suddenly began claiming that the countryside was racially biased, because not enough minorities visited. This is not only ridiculous but insulting, and shows a certain mindset that claims the evidence that because the mixes of those visiting the countryside do not conform to the ethnic mix in the country as a whole, is itself evidence of racism, they make this claim without any other verification to back up their accusations.
We are also witnessing the creeping power of the EU into the very fabric of our society the Lake District has been there as a part of unspoiled Britain for the pleasure of those who like what it has to offer ever since we began to take holidays, around that has grown the authority of the parks management to protect the environment and assist those who choose to visit, but this is not good enough for the EU who demand that the whole thing be politicised so to conform to their own agenda.
That is what happens when you allow the EU to reach into a country beyond our elected parliament and force their will on the people.
Come on, Ken! This is not about the EU witholding funds. It is about the EU being willing to fund efforts to attract people to places where they might otherwise not go. The way you paint it, it sounds as though it would make much more sense for the EU to fund initiatives to encourage hikers to go to the Lake District. (Why not even subsidise their travel while we are at it?) Of course, if the EU did give money to encourage walkers to the Lake District I bet the media would quickly spin it as yet another example of pointless, wasteful EU spending (or Brussels stupidity) of ‘our money’ on encouraging people to do what they already do.
James
No as in all things EU it is about manipulation, the point of this story in the Telegraph is that to qualify for the EU Funding the National park has got to show they are making efforts to meet the arbitrary targets for the ethnic mix, to do so they are going to scrap those activities which have attracted those middle age white people who do want to go, other than that they do not seem to have any plans.
I disagree with any EU funding of this kind, it uses the money we pay to the EU to install a sense that the EU is doing something for Britian, it is not because every pound the British people get back actually costs us £3 and is returned with EU bells attached, the park is going to have change the way it has traditional attracted visitors and show that the EU has donated money to the park, that is part and parcel of the EU raising the profile of the EU for it own ends. Don’t forget this is our money in the first place, if our government wishes to use our taxes to support national parks that is fine, we elect them and if we feel they are wasting our money we can unelected them, the same is not true of the EU.
We have a government we elect, the EU has no place messing about in the regions, the people of the North East have so soundly rejected regional assemblies that were supposed to be the conduit for this kind of EU interference, that they now have no democratic mandate from the people of this country.
Point well made!
James