On May 13, Rye Town Council met. On the agenda was an item I wanted to comment on from the floor, as a member of the public. The item concerned the earmarking of £6,369.00 pounds of tax payers’ money to purchase fourteen black academic robes to be worn occasionally by town councillors. These are not the mayor’s splendid red robes, nor the town crier’s blue rig, but some rather nondescript gowns. They are not always worn in the chamber and they are rarely seen beyond it.
Whilst I suspect a case could be made for the touristic value of the town crier’s and mayor’s distinctive attire, I think it would be vanishingly unlikely that such a case could be made for councillors’ sombre gowns. Indeed, I’m almost certain you could scour the globe and find not a single tourist that came to Rye to see them and to spend their dollars or euros. Indeed, I had hoped to ask whether a study had been carried out to quantify the value of these robes to Rye’s tourist economy, but I was not permitted to because a procedural point was hastily mustered to prevent me from speaking*. Though I’ve lived in Rye since 2011, I currently reside about 500 metres outside the town boundary. But, rules is rules… Hopefully, Rye News will allow me to make my case here.
The money for the robes was allocated back in January, and at the last meeting I spoke from the floor and suggested the budget be re-opened and these monies be re-allocated to more pressing needs in the town. Reading the May 13 agenda (item 30), I assumed that Monday’s debate was to review the allocation of these funds. I commenced by asking the mayor if this could be confirmed, but didn’t get much further before my enquiries were shut down…
But why make a fuss? Well, it seemed to me then, and it seems to me now, that in a cost of living crisis, £6,369.00 could be better spent on people rather than pageantry. Thankfully, Simon Parsons and many others made this point for me, when they highlighted the lack of public lavatories for the use of visitors during the height of our tourist season. Could the funds earmarked for robes not have been used to keep open the Strand Quay toilets during the summer? Might vital tourist facilities have a more quantifiable impact on the local economy than the dubious value of gowns? I suspect so.
As a brief aside, a suggestion was vaguely made that a local “loo crew” could be assembled to keep clean the toilets on Strand Quay if they could be re-opened. This would save money. I’m happy to be the first volunteer for that duty. I dare say the council, in their wisdom, will grant me dispensation in this case, as strictly, I live outside the town boundary…
These are the other points I had hoped to make to the town council:
Tradition is important. But as the tireless people who run Rye’s two burgeoning food charities might tell you, you can’t eat tradition. Having previously spoken to Rye Foodbank about their vital operation, I would make an educated guess that the £6,369 allocated to robes would run Rye Foodbank for about six months.
Another charity operating weekly in Rye to assist the town council’s parishioners to put food on the table is the Repton Community Trust. The Trust runs the People’s Pantry from The Hub on Rye Hill and from Tilling Green Community Centre on alternating Fridays. Like Rye Foodbank, it combats food insecurity, but works slightly differently. For a donation of £1.50 you can take away £5. worth of goods, to a maximum of £20. This “social supermarket” plays a vital role in an era of pervasive economic hardship, and I’m reliably informed that £6,369 could fund the Rye operation for a whole year. That’s a lot of food security, a lot of well-being, and an awful lot of nourishment for families in our town who face real hardship.
Had I been allowed to speak, I was also going to suggest town councillors cast their minds across the rooftops, down Conduit Hill and across the railway tracks to Rye College. At Rye College around 35% of students are eligible for Pupil Premium, which is government funding aimed at removing learning barriers for disadvantaged children. The national average is 27%, by the way. I wondered how many school uniforms could be subsidised for the cost of fourteen black robes, which do not assist the decision making of the council and likely add nothing to the local economy? It’s now seemingly a moot point, but certainly worthy of serious reflection: what’s more important to Rye’s future? Robes? Or the next generation of Ryers?
So, that’s why I’m making a fuss. I could equally have added that Little Gate Farm is trying to raise £50k for a wheelchair accessible minibus. Or that Rye Bay FC, which does so much for the health and wellbeing of local children, is wondering where it’ll get £2000 for a pair of Under 11 goalposts.
With local authority funds at breaking point, service cuts deep and pervasive, there’s no shortage of organisations needing support, but this money could have been so much better spent. Moreover, a much more perceptive and empathetic conclusion could have been reached in January. What does this Marie Antoinette decision say to people who are already disaffected by politics? Who already feel voting makes no difference to their lives? I’m a reasonably educated and articulate person, and even I cannot get a hearing at the lowest rank of local government.
Is it any wonder that at the town meeting and at the last Rye town council meeting the same question has been asked by the same man about how the council intend to engage all sections of our town in local politics? I’ve suggested holding the next council meeting at Tilling Green for starters, but otherwise, to this day, I’ve heard no adequate answer to that insistent question.
So, I’m all for tradition, and had I had the opportunity, I would have concluded by suggesting the inauguration by Rye town council of a brand new tradition: one that had real significance today; a tradition that made a virtue of the threadbare robes. I would have suggested that they be considered not a stain upon the esteem of our august town council but rather fourteen badges of honour, symbolising something vitally important in any democracy, that the dignity of an institution is not more important than the dignity of those it represents. We should measure Rye’s civic pride by the well-being of its people, not the turn out of its councillors, and in this climate, robes are a very long way down the shopping list.
*Thanks to those Councillors who voted in favour of my request to speak.
Image Credits: Nick Forman , Mike Slavin .
Academic robes would not cost anything like £6,369! The figure (spent over 3 years) would purchase 14 councillor gowns though. Purchasing academic gowns instead was suggested during the discussion last Monday. It was decided to explore the refurbishment of the current gowns. As the name suggests, Council meetings are meetings of councillors which are open to the public. The public has no legal right to speak – however, most councils make provision for this. There was no adjournment for this at last Monday’s meeting because the annual Committee Formation usually comprises standard administrative business – however, on this occasion the opportunity was taken to add other business. It was decided to bring these forward on the agenda and councillors resolved to allow public speaking on each item of interest to the members of the public present. The author got to speak once but a second opportunity was refused. When an opportunity for non-Councillors to speak is offered there is no requirement for them to live within the Parish boundary. It is intended to hold a Council meeting at Tilling Green in the near future – and the Council will be considering further the re-opening of Rother’s closed toilets on 20 May.
Thank you for your clarifications, Richard. I appreciate your advice. I think to say I ‘got to speak’ is stretching it a little bit! I asked for clarification about the aim of the new discussion *prior* to speaking to ensure my contribution would be relevant. I didn’t get an answer, there was then an audible discussion of whether I was eligible to speak, then my intervention was voted down. Anyway, the point has now been made, and I’ll gladly leave it there.
I congratulate the Mayor and Deputy Mayor on their accession and wish them the best in their roles. I appreciate these are challenging times.
Thankyou for this article. You have a echoed my thoughts exactly. It’s quite obscene that in a cost of living crisis that the council would even consider spending this money on robes for the councillors. If we want to appeal to younger people or people who feel like politicians/officials are out of touch with ordinary people who are struggling each day making ends meet then this ridiculous amount of money to buy new robes needs to be stopped immediately
Interesting article Guy. Whatever side is taken on the robes issue you have rightly listed many of the modern-day needs of the people of Rye.
Incidentally aren’t the robles blue rather than black? Perhaps they are so affected by the patina of age that it is hard to tell what they were originally.
Why do we still inflict uniforms on schoolchildren – and young adults? They suppress individuality and are an additional expense for hard-up parents. If the robes go the school uniforms can go too.
As a retired teacher I would like to concur with this sentiment, however the power of peer pressure can impact on ‘the mental health’ of students at a time when social media causes such stress. Add to this the pressure of the wrong brand of trainers or clothing, I know from experience the detrimental effects this can cause. Although an expense, a school uniform is a leveller. Therefore it is up to the School and Governors to design a functional and cost effective uniform.
Well said Guy! It is time that common sense prevailed. Presumably some of our elected town councillors have no idea about the economic problems that some of our residents face.
I’ve just had a look online, and perfectly acceptable academic robes can be bought for between £20 – £30. I’ve also seen sew on badges of the Rye coat of arms for less than £7 each. Who needs more than that? More than £6,000? What are they? Heavy silk? Inexpensive, plain and dignified should be good enough for any elected representative.
I am with Guy Harris, that a lot of thought needs to go into just how the little extra money is spent by the Town Hall and personally £6,000 plus on robes I question , except as suggested for Mayor and Town Cryer.
Someone mentioned outdated school uniforms. When I first arrived in England I argued against them, then my children started school and I could see that they have an equalising effect so pupils could not be bullied for not having the latest trainers or tank top, though I do know other reasons are found for bullying individuals, just one less reason.
As both of my roles in Rye – Town Sergeant and Town Crier – include defending and preserving the town’s traditions, history and Civic Ceremony, you will not be surprised to hear that I disagree with you on this, Guy!
I have written a full reply to your suggestion, which will hopefully appear as an Opinion Piece in next week’s Rye News, however, in the interim, I would just make the following points:
Firstly, it is proposed that the Councillors’ Robes be purchased from the Town Council’s Capital Reserves – funds which are restricted to the purchase of physical assets. These funds cannot be used for revenue items, so if the robes are not purchased, the money will not suddenly become available to spend on relieving hardship or clearing toilets – the money will simply not be spent.
Secondly, the relief of hardship and the maintenance of traditions are not mutually exclusive. You are attempting to reduce the life of our vibrant Town to the needs of our poorest inhabitants. It is our traditions and customs which provide the lifeblood of our community, which bind us together, link us to our past and make our town so special. It is the duty of our council to both relieve hardship AND maintain those traditions which give the town its life.
More to follow in my full article, but, in short – you cannot “eat tradition”, but you can breathe it, and without it our town would be so much the poorer.
A victory Guy for common sense. Thank you.
As a born and bred Ryer, though now living outside the town somewhat further away than you Guy, I have a great affinity for the traditions of my town and take a great interest in its life and times. Many will remember my mother who served for many years on the town council and as Deputy Mayor.
Surely, and I have no reason to doubt Guy’s statistics, there is a fine line between tradition and the future of our youth. Why is Rye above average in the number of students getting extra funding, as a retired teacher and ex scholar of the old Thomas Peacocke, I need to ask “What has happened to education in Rye?”
My mother was always supportive of youth initiatives and I feel sure she would be be questioning the expenses for these gowns and how much better the money allocated might be spent, capital account or otherwise.
What has happened to progressive local government? Are the traditions of LG making some people more equal than others here?
Is there a council representative for education? I would like to meet them to find out how the town is supporting the future education and families of those that are affected.