I left a meeting fuming tonight, after hearing a Labour councillor rubbish the aspirations of our youth. The meeting was organised for councillors to hear the views of Wythenshawe Youth, and a selection of our finest told us that they wanted a leisure park built in Wythenshawe.
"Why is it that Stockport, Didsbury and Altrincham have bowling alleys, cinemas and the like, but Wythenshawe doesn't?" Said one.
"We have to spend our money on bus fares to get to these places. If we had it here, maybe we could attract other people to Wythenshawe and they would realise it wasn't that bad." Said another.
I explained that when I raised this very proposal at the Economy Committee last year, which was looking at Wythenshawe Regeneration, a couple of councillors (Labour - but I didn't mention that) branded the idea as "ridiculous". I asked if the proposal had widespread support and they responded that it did.
What bothered me the most, was when I had a discreet chat with a (Labour) councillor afterwards, suggesting that he passed on the sentiments of these young people to his Labour colleagues on the Economy Committee, he told me that he didn't feel it was a "realistic" idea, that the young people should be aiming at smaller gains.
So it's realistic for Trafford, Stockport and South Manchester to have these leisure parks, but not Wythenshawe? Our young people are too ambitious?
This is the problem with Labour - they think Wythenshawe people should lower our ambitions from the rest of the world, that we should set our sights low and be grateful for what we get.
This is probably why when people come up with positive, constructive ideas, instead of listening, they attack back, and dash the hopes and aspirations of those they serve.
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