It is not unusual for bodies such as local councils and the European Parliament to receive honoured guests. On several occasions as both a councillor and European parliamentarian I have politely heard what these guests say and then joined the standing ovation. On one occasion there was one guest for whom I thought the honour was inappropriate so I simply stayed away.
Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher from the Birmingham suburb of Solihull is someone that I would happily stand and applaud either in a council chamber or the European Parliament.
There have been wars with which I have profoundly disagreed, such as Iraq. I have serious misgivings about the war in Afghanistan My own grandfather fought in Russia in 1919. However much I disagree with the political basis of those wars I would show respect to those that have fought.
Last year Lance Corporal Croucher was awarded the George Cross. The official citation reads:
"As the team moved silently through the still darkened compound, Lance Corporal Croucher felt a wire go tight against his legs, just below knee height. This was a trip-wire connected to a grenade booby-trap, positioned to kill or maim intruders in the compound. He heard the fly-off lever eject and the grenade, now armed, fell onto the ground immediately beside him.
"Instantly realising what had occurred, Lance Corporal Croucher made a crucial and incredibly rapid assessment of the situation. With extraordinary clarity of thought and remarkable composure, he shouted 'Grenade', then 'Tripwire' in an attempt to warn his comrades to find cover before the grenade exploded. It was clear to him that given the lack of cover in the immediate vicinity, he and the other team members were in extreme danger.
"Due to low light levels, he was unable to determine the type of grenade and therefore had no way of knowing how long the device's fuse would take to function. With his comrades totally exposed and time running out, Lance Corporal Croucher made the decision not to seek cover or protection for himself, but to attempt to shield the other members of his team from the impending explosion.
Sadly my admiration for men and women like Lance Corporal Croucher is not shared by others.
I was sorry to see that when Matthew Croucher visited the City council. two members of the Respect Party who are members of Birmingham City Council chose not to join the standing ovation That is their decision.
Other members of Birmingham City Council, which includes an amazing range of councillors from every ethnic background and creed, stood and expressed their appreciation and admiration for Lance Corporal Croucher.
It was not an "inter faith" communal matter. It was not a question that members of a particular faith group acted in a particular way and a different faith group in another. Matthew Croucher was applauded by councillors who happened to be Sihk, Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, atheists,agnostics and whatever.
Into this rather sad complex and emotional situation steps the "Interfaith Enabler of the Birmingham District of The Methodist Church", the Reverend Ray Gaston. Off his own bat he has written to the local evening paper saying "I for one respect and applaud them for remaining in their seats."
Gaston is entirely within his rights to pen a letter to the local newspaper, even if it demonstrates a profound ignorance of the composition of Birmingham City Council. What he can't do is to purport to represent the position of the Methodist Church on this or any other matter. By signing his letter in his capacity as "intefaith enabler" he clearly compromised the position of us, his employers.
When I put these points to Ray Gaston his response was "signing as Inter faith enabler is not claiming to speak on behalf of the Methodist Church merely showing that I am a person with experience in interfaith relations that are affected by these matters."
I doubt if that is the case. Someone with "experience" would have been much more measured and appreciated the diversity of those who applauded Mathew Croucher and the reasons why they did. Perhaps "experience" would also teach Ray Gaston that not all members of the Methodist Church in Birmingham would want to be associated with his ill chosen intervention.
Please Ray. Remember that you and I are hardly fit to lick the boots of the Mathew Crouchers of this world. Also remember that people like me pay your wages. On the basis of this intervention I would question whether your work is a justiable use of our increasingly scarce district resources.
If you want to support the antics of Respect councillors, do so in your own time and at your own expense.
Meanwhile, please, not in our name.
