Bill

Whatever happens in Clacton today, remember this little anecdote 🙏 Yesterday I ended up in a lay-by with a couple of dozen other people. Most of us had planned to experience the solar eclipse at Newlands Corner, but as most of Surrey seemed to have decided to do the same, the roads were jammed, traffic was barely moving, and we resigned ourselves to the lay-by. What began as a slight disappointment quickly turned into something rather wonderful: a genuine sense of community. Young and old, people from different parts of the country and from different backgrounds, all came together to share in the moment. Colanders came out, along with pinhole cameras, a telescope and solar glasses galore, all being passed around and shared by one and all. There was energy. Excitement. A buzz. All centred around two things hanging in our sky: the Sun and the Moon. For me, that was community. But community isn't a given. It is fragile. It can break and fall apart surprisingly easily. Over the past decade, we have seen genuine grievances and concerns exploited rather than addressed. Instead of bringing people together to try to improve things, too often the response has been to find someone to blame. The reason the country is struggling, we're told, is the EU. The reason you don't have enough, is immigrants. And so began a toxic cycle of division which has continued for years. Following the Brexit referendum, we saw politician after politician discover that division could be a route to power. Meanwhile, since the financial crisis of 2008, we have seen the slow erosion of many of the things that make a society function: assets sold off, public services squeezed and the things we all rely upon increasingly underfunded. It is hardly surprising that frustrations have grown. But I don't believe we are an angry country. I believe we are a frustrated country. And frustration is incredibly easy to exploit. Politicians aren't the only ones responsible. The media has a role too. Our national broadcaster, the BBC, sometimes makes editorial choices that amplify the loudest and most divisive voices, when one of the things it can do so brilliantly is provide clear, impartial information and analysis. That's not me writing off the BBC. Quite the opposite. Anyone who has travelled abroad and watched news channels elsewhere can appreciate just how remarkable and unique the BBC is as an institution. Like our NHS, it is a national treasure, and like the NHS, something we should work to improve rather than simply abandon. Because when something is damaged or broken, the answer doesn't have to be to throw it away. Sometimes, the answer is to repair it. And perhaps even make it more beautiful in the process. The Japanese have a word for this: Kintsugi, the art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer mixed with gold, silver or platinum. There is something rather beautiful in that idea. So much of what is happening in our country can, at times, feel damaged or broken. But we need to find ways to heal. And yesterday, in a lay-by just off the A25, a few dozen strangers reminded me that community is still there. It hasn't disappeared. It just needs nurturing. There was a time when I only posted fun things across my social media. When I started posting political content, I lost a number of clients and partners who simply didn't want to be associated with news or politics. I completely understand that, and I respect their position. And it's a price I was reluctant but willing to pay. Because as individuals, if we continue to pretend that everything in society is perfect, how can we ever begin to address the challenges we face and make things better for everyone? Whatever happens in Clacton today, there is something we need: Community. And this isn't some uniquely political or religious idea. In the Bible, Jesus says, "Blessed are the peacemakers" In the Islamic hadith, Muhammad says that making peace between people is better than fasting, prayer and charity. In the Jewish Mishnah, we are told to "love peace and pursue peace" In the Hindu Bhagavad Gita, the ideal person is described as compassionate and friendly towards all, free from hatred. And so on. Different traditions. Different cultures. Different words. But remarkably similar wisdom. When it feels as though hope is gone, when it feels as though community has been weakened, perhaps we should look for the things that bring us together, however big or small. For me, yesterday, it was a few dozen strangers in a lay-by, passing around solar glasses and sharing a moment beneath the Sun and Moon. I hope, whatever happens today in Clacton, all of us, whoever and wherever we are, find something equally beautiful. In peace. 🙏