GSD Say “Government Should Concentrate On The Issues”
Following Monday’s demonstration, the GSD have said “there is a growing disconnect of Government with people on a number of issues”.
A statement from the GSD follows below:
As a democrat the Chief Minister should be less obsessed about who attends public demonstrations or on raising red herrings and more interested in dealing with the real grievances people have.
What was clear from the demonstration on Monday by the Open Your Eyes Group is that there is a growing disconnect of Government with people on a number of issues. The organisers are not spin doctors. They were just concerned citizens who do not like the direction of travel under the Government. There may have been many complaints and banners but the overarching message is that people are not stupid and that they are tired of measures suddenly introduced by the Government that were not in their manifesto but which affect the lives of people, using COVID or the environment as an excuse. Some of these are pure money grabbing measures by the Government that over many years has spent and borrowed like no other. No amount of referring to what happened 10 or 20 years ago can deflect from that.
Taking swipes at members of political parties who may have attended to show solidarity with and talk to those affected by the various issues is peculiar to say the least. Does Mr Picardo not remember the numerous demonstrations he and his GSLP colleagues supported when he was in the Opposition. Are they that disconnected from reality?
The Government should concentrate on solving the issues raised by concerned citizens and not seek to react so defensively to what was, ultimately, a simple act of freedom of expression by all concerned.
