Broken promises

These are the words of Michael Gove from when he was selling the idea of Brexit to our unsuspecting nation: "Let no one be in any doubt how difficult and damaging a No Deal Brexit would be to British farming...There is No arbitrary deadline which we must meet to secure our future...There will be absolutely no change for five years."

Would you recognise these words as the same man who 'confirmed' last Friday that the UK will NOT be agreeing to an extension to the negotiating period with the EU? Even though we're now dealing with the unforeseen Covid Pandemic? Even though all three devolved nations of the UK, Scotland, Wales and NI have united in asking for it? Even though the UK and EU negotiating teams are nowhere near agreement and the EU are keen to sort Covd19 first?

Could No Deal have been the plan all along? Behind the smooth assurances and slick promises of the Vote Leave campaign? So now we've 'Done Brexit', Johnson has already set us on course for the hardest Brexit possible: we're leaving the Single Market, the Customs Union, there's a border in the Irish Sea; all the things that would never happen, if only we would just tick the Leave box.

Perhaps that was never enough for the the fanatical heads of Vote Leave such as Dominic Cummings, and Brexit ultras who run the country now. Was No Deal the plan all along? To reset the country along the lines of the USA? The land of deregulation, deep inequality and belligerent foreign policies, summed up by a general ethos of 'I'm alright Jack'.

Whatever happens you can be sure that In the coming months, we will face an unprecedented assault on the rights and prosperity of ordinary people. In the hands of Gove and Johnson, directed by Dominic Cummings, the economic crisis and the Brexit process will become tools to deregulate our economy and scrap human rights. It will be nothings like what was promised in the referendum.

Steve Rouse

Wroughton

Fostering Father's Day

As I’m sure you are aware, this Sunday is Father’s Day, a day where we celebrate and give thanks to fathers for all they do. However, for many young people across Wiltshire, Father’s Day can be a harsh reminder that they are not part of a traditional family unit, whether through bereavement, family separation or because they are part of a foster family.

Since the drastic changes imposed by the coronavirus lockdown in March, and because change is one of the greater factors that influence the behaviour of those in care, foster carers have had to reinvent new routines supporting the vulnerable children and young people in their care. From zoom calls to keeping in touch with biological family members to creating new games and activities in the absence of a typical school day, foster carers have worked around the clock over the last three months to ensure those in their care are continuously loved and supported during a time of change.

At Five Rivers Child Care we work tirelessly to provide vulnerable young people with a safe place to call home, placing them with foster families that will nurture and care for them during moments of change. This Father’s Day, we’d like to call on your readers to celebrate and thank those that take on non-traditional parenting roles, those who foster, adopt and care for children and young people.

We’d like to encourage people across Wiltshire to think about those that are in need of a loving home and consider foster care as a potential vocation, particularly those with transferable skills who may be facing job uncertainty as a result of the pandemic. There are so many young people looking for someone to call family and we hope that readers will consider the positive impact they can have on a child’s life. We’d welcome anyone interested in exploring fostering as a career opportunity to get in touch with any questions, on 0117 959 4690.

Hopefully this gives you something to think about this Father’s Day.

Adrian Chappell.

Fostering Service Manager Five Rivers Child Care (South West)