Hogarth on Elections, Jewish Living Exhibition, Traffic Woes and Watermans

Chiswick Riverside councillor Peter Thompson reports back

Cllr Peter Thompson

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June 15, 2024

Election Matters

I recall writing for ChiswickW4.com at the start of the year that this would be the year of elections worldwide. More than 1.5 billion people are expected to head to the polls to vote in over 70 countries in 2024. We have had the London mayoral election, Europe has voted for their representatives for the European parliament and the world’s largest democracy cast their votes a few weeks ago.

I wasn’t expecting a July General Election but we are now halfway through the campaign. The first election I recall was in 1979 and the first one I was actively involved with was the 1997. The world of politics has changed a lot since then.

There has been a decline in trust in government and a decline in voter turnout in elections. Whilst out knocking on doors and delivering leaflets – I am not as quick at the later as I used to be – I was reminded of our very own William Hogarth’s series of paintings, The Humours of an Election.

He wonderfully captures four elements of the election process: the elaborate entertainment of the townsfolk to win their support, the flagrant bribery of the electors, the shenanigans associated with polling day itself, and the ‘chairing’ of the winners through the town. Hogarth savage satire of the immorality of politicians who put their own and party interests before those of the nation still speaks so powerfully to us today.

Hogarth, An Election Entertainment

Jewish Living Experience Chiswick Town Hall

When in November Hounslow Council decided to call off an exhibition about Jewish culture at Hounslow House, citing a “significant heightened risk to personal safety”, we, like the Jewish Board of Deputies, were baffled. The Jewish Living Experience Exhibition has been run by the Board of Deputies for 40 years and includes 15 educational banners and items such as a shofar horn and Jewish bread to teach visitors about communal traditions and festivals. The Council claimed that the current situation in Gaza and the associated increase in hate crimes made it necessary to cancel the event.

At a time of hugely increased antisemitism around the country, it was baffling that Hounslow would choose to cancel an exhibition with the potential to provide context and understanding of Judaism. I am delighted that the exhibition is launching at Chiswick Town Hall on Monday 17th June. It will support the teaching of Judaism in line with all agreed Religious Education and Citizenship curriculums and support community cohesion and interfaith dialogue. I have spent 30 years teaching Religious Education and I strongly believe that the subject has never been more relevant as religious issues are in the news every day. RE gives students valuable insights into the diverse beliefs and opinions held by people today. I am sure that the Jewish Living Experience will give our children a wonderful experience of Jewish life.

Traffic Woes

My normally quiet residential street has been subject to a massive increase in traffic as sewer works on Thames Road resulted in a diversion down Pyrmont and Geraldine Roads. Work on the new Piazza in front of the Grove Park Shops and improving the crossing on Grove Park Bridge necessitated 4-way traffic controls that have resulted in tailbacks on the Bridge and surrounding streets. On top of this, we had emergency works taking place around the Hogarth roundabout which impacted traffic flow around Grove Park.

Amazingly TfL did not inform Hounslow Council or Hounslow Highways of these works and it is indeed possible that TfL was not aware as emergency works don’t need approval from the powers that be. All these works have or are about to be finished so life will return to normal. However am I the only one who sometimes wonders why these sorts of projects take so long? (When will the Cycle Lane along Brentford High Street from Ealing Road to Thames Row and Green Dragon Lane to Kew Bridge junction be finished?) I read recently that the National Highways Authority of India managed to lay 100km of new roads in 100 hours on the Ghaziabad-Aligarh Expressway. Ok, they were able to use 80,000 workers and 200 road rollers which might be beyond Hounslow Highways or TfLs capacity but can’t we get these done a little quicker?

Road works on Thames Road

Waterman’s Arts Centre

Conservative Councillors were shocked when the Hounslow Arts Trust Ltd, the charity that operates Watermans Arts Centre, announced it was closing in mid-April. We tried to raise the matter at Borough Council and several of us have attended public meetings or the demonstration that was held on the day of its closure. Tragically Waterman’s was badly damaged by a fire earlier this month and it has now been occupied by squatters made up of local artists who want to save this vital community space. The council insists that the plan to develop the site into luxury riverside apartments and build a new arts centre on the lower levels of a residential block at the former police station site is still on the cards. All of us working to save Waterman’s complain about a lack of clarity from the London Borough of Hounslow. Everyone who cares about and values the arts deserves better.

Cllr Peter Thompson

peter.thompson@hounslow.gov.uk

07977 395810  

CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLOR SURGERIES

Chiswick: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick Library (the eight Conservative councillors take this surgery in turn).

Gunnersbury: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Gunnersbury Triangle Club, Triangle Way, off The Ridgeway, W3 8LU (at least one of the Chiswick Gunnersbury ward councillors takes this surgery). 

CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLORS and CONTACTS

Chiswick Gunnersbury (was Turnham Green) ward

Cllr Ranjit Gill ranjit.gill@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 702956

Cllr Ron Mushiso ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 702887

Chiswick Homefields ward

Cllr Jack Emsley jack.emsley@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 396017

Cllr Gerald McGregor gerald.mcgregor@hounslow.gov.uk 07866 784821

Cllr John Todd john.todd@hounslow.gov.uk 07866 784651

Chiswick Riverside ward

Cllr Gabriella Giles gabriella.giles@hounslow.gov.uk 07966 270823

Cllr Peter Thompson peter.thompson@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 395810