When I sat down to write this column, I was expecting to talk about what we achieved last year, and the challenges and opportunities coming up in 2026 – a fairly typical piece for a local MP.
But this is not a normal start to the year.
Our community experienced an awful tragedy over Christmas, with the house fire in Brimscombe. This sort of thing can have far reaching effects and an impact on the community that goes well beyond those immediately affected. The way that the community, local groups, charities, Stroud District Council, Brimscombe Mill, the emergency services, and, most of all, all those individuals who have sought to do something to help, have been inspirational. Thank you all for what you have done – and will continue to do.
I think we can learn from how the community has reacted. We are constantly being told that we live in a time of social breakdown, isolation, hatred, blame and division – but that’s not how our community behaves. It seems to me that there is a difference in the way we sometimes think about ourselves/our society, and the reality. The dominant narrative in the media, both from the political left and right, is that of angry blame for the ways things are. Things are the fault of the government, immigration, social media, the influence of the EU or the USA, and so on. We don’t listen, we shout.
But when push came to shove, in Stroud this Christmas, it seems to me that those differences evaporated and we chose humanity and empathy.
If we can hang onto that this year, we will all benefit.
