Let us drink beer, Mr Shakespeare

3:16pm Friday 11th January 2008

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I WAS pleased to discover Wycombe District Council had done a bit of a U-turn over plans to hike up parking charges. The Bucks Free Press' campaign - Let us park, Mrs Clarke' - was a resounding success because it reflected public opinion in a firm but humorous manner.

It also put the spotlight fairly and squarely on the council leader, Lesley Clarke, and not one of her subordinates.

Mrs Clarke has a decent reputation as a long-serving, clued-up councillor, who has deep roots in the local community. She is a strong leader who is well in control of her party.

But with leadership comes responsibility. It would have been easy for the BFP to target the campaign at one of her underlings or even just the corporate body of Wycombe District Council.

"Let motorists be, WDC," could have been an appropriate slogan but it wouldn't have put the focus on the actual decision-makers themselves Happily, WDC agreed to reduce the proposed parking hikes. It still wasn't enough for some motorists, but I reckon it was a pretty fair decision.

Mrs Clarke denied that the BFP campaign made councillors change their minds, and attributed the change of heart instead to general feedback during the consultation period.

Even so, I believe there is a future in similar campaigns and I suggest the BFP does some more, although I'm not certain you will find a rhyming match better than Clarke and park.

The best I could come up with was one for county council leader David Shakespeare and the imminent rise in council tax which will leave us struggling to have cash for personal luxuries.

How about: "Let us drink beer, Mr Shakespeare"?

On second thoughts, I won't give up my day job.