Local Elections - The Fair Trade Question

[Isa]

If you want to see local artist, Jan Nimmo's, excellent, but shocking, half hour film Bonita: Ugly Bananas on non Faitrade banana growing here is the link http://vimeo.com/19898988

DH you didn't answer my question and I have doubts that you fully understand that the needs of the electorate in this area are paramount to any other interests you may have.

Not sure what Jan's film has to do with local elections unless wee Willie Banana is hoping to stand as a candidate again.

Isa

[Anne Baird]

What about village shops. Do the candidates shop there? Or just the co-op.
For all candidates not just Ann Baird. That is fair trade too.

LOL! Just back from the village shop. I agree that it's fair trade but in my case it's also the source of the most wonderful cakes, meals that are made to measure and the best, yellowest eggs I've ever eaten.

Your point is a good one across the board. Village shops are more than just places to buy food and newspapers. They serve a much broader and more valuable purpose, especially for the elderly or folk with no transport, and they deserve our support. In rural areas facilities like schools, surgeries and shops have much more social importance than they would in more urban areas and should be looked at always in those broad terms. If we lose these facilities it has many more repercussions than face value would suggest.

[D.H]

What about village shops. Do the candidates shop there? Or just the co-op.
For all candidates not just Ann Baird. That is fair trade too.

Yes I use my local village shop. Like Anne says, a very important resource.

[D.H]

DH you didn't answer my question and I have doubts that you fully understand that the needs of the electorate in this area are paramount to any other interests you may have.

Isa, I thought I had. I understood that you were concerned that I would spend all my time on promoting Fairtrade as a Councillor and not on issues such as roads, education, infrastructure, jobs, etc. I had hoped that my answer highlighted that there are already organisations and groups available to do this, they just need to see the Council support them which isn't time consuming.

Please feel free to look at what priorities I am standing on https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vote-for-Deirdre-Henderson/322051374526316 which are very much the priorities that I am hearing from people that I meet.

[Anne Baird]

I understood that you were concerned that I would spend all my time on promoting Fairtrade as a Councillor and not on issues such as roads, education, infrastructure, jobs, etc.

Isa, I'd support Deirdre in this. Supporting Fairtrade wouldn't be something a councillor would be able to do full time to the detriment of other things. You'd just be ensuring it was considered whenever the opportunity arose in the context of your council business and ensuring that the general ethos included due consideration for local produce or contractors too. There are occasions when looking after the big picture has local dividends.

[Isa]

Anne, Deirdrie, I have decided not to vote for either of you.

[Anne Baird]

Anne, Deirdrie, I have decided not to vote for either of you.

Sorry about that Isa, given that's settled I'd be genuinely interested to know what worried you about Fairtrade or my approach to it, particularly since there's a strong local aspect to it.

[yogino1pup]

It is hard to believe how out of touch these hopefuls are with what the local electors want!!!

[Anne Baird]

It is hard to believe how out of touch these hopefuls are with what the local electors want!!!

This was a question about Fair trade - not about transport, employment or social work - and it hasn't been raised as an issue at any door I've knocked.

I'm pretty sure they aren't awfully busy thinking about Fairtrade but the enormous generosity of the South Kintyre people leads me to believe they're always mindful of those who struggle and would happily support a fair trade choice if it made no difference to the fortunes of the area. That our supermarkets stock fairtrade goods is evidence that they already make that kind of choice.

Now how about starting a thread that allows discussion of the things the "local electors want"? Transport comes out tops on the doorstep.