28 February 2011

Westminster council - Caring and compassionate

My thanks go to Skuds for drawing my attention to this little tale.

Accordng to Ekklesia Westminster Council has opened a four week consultation on a new byelaw which will fine people in the Victoria area if they “lie down or sleep in any public place”, “deposit bedding” and distribute free food and drink.

This byelaw will affect rough sleepers and charity workers in the Vitoria area,particularly the area around Westminster Cathedral where charities regularly give food to homeless persons

The consultation period is running until 25 March.

A copy of the proposed byelaw can be sen here. The bye law, if enacted, will make the following illegal in an area around Westminster Cathedral:


  • No person shall lie down and sleep in any public place
  • No person shall at any time deposit any sleeping materials used or intended to be used as bedding in or on any public place
  • No peson shall distribute any free refreshment in or on any public place (sporting events and free samples of food excepted)
  • No person shall knowingly permit any person to distribute any free refreshment in or on any public place
There yopu have it. Nobody is pretending that food runs solves the issue of rough sleeping. It does provide a lifeline though.

Banning rough sleepers and charities that provide food to them will solve absolutely nothing either except to move the problem to another area. From the council's perspective (and to paraphrase Stalin) it's a case of "No homeless, no problem"... at least the problem will not be across Victoria Street from the council HQ.

It's not law yet and hopefully it will be ditched but the proposal hardly sits well with Cameron's Big Society... Then again the council is not exactly known for its compassion (remember Shirley Porter?)

4 comments:

Francis Hunt said...

What!

No beggars and homeless allowed near Westminster Cathedral? Rubbish, I say! Tourists want to see London in all its old historical accuracy, a few ragged scrofulous charcters pleading, "Alms, yer honour," are surely part of the local colour.

Besides, who's going to be there for the queen to throw coins to from her carriage - or maybe, more accurately, King Boris from his bicycle?

James Higham said...

Banning rough sleepers and charities that provide food to them will solve absolutely nothing either except to move the problem to another area.

That's right, so perhaps we do share a world view, Jams - that draconian laws and regulations do not solve society's ills.

jams o donnell said...

Hmm oerhaps some of the famous rookeries could be recreated... as a living re-emnactment of course Francis. Westminster had one of London's worst just by the Abbey.

James I have no problem with regulations per se but this is definitely a bte law which will do h sleeping apart from getting it away for Westminster's HQ James

jams o donnell said...

As for the political message it sends....