Sutton Guardian published a letter of mine this week responding to one residents’ erroneous view that I was in favour of a proliferation of coffee shops across Sutton. The simple answer is that I’m not, but I do like imaginative use of local businesses by individuals and community groups and would like to see this increase to fill the empty shops and give our High Streets a more independent feel. Here’s the letter in full:
Dear Sir
I am grateful to Kevin Gethin for expressing the view that I am a “remarkable man.” I just hope he did not come to that conclusion as hurriedly as some of his others. The many people on the High Street that spoke to Boris and had their photos taken with him would disagree that he was difficult to spot and the people around Trinity Square would attest to the fact that he did in fact peel off to check the tennis score on the big screen [See photo above] placed there by Successful Sutton as part of local businesses’ excellent drive to make our High Street a more inviting place to visit.
Similarly it is a shame that my celebration of a business that perfectly combines community use with good business should be seen as a call for more coffee shops. We have plenty; I would just prefer to see more turn to having a similar ethos to Tazza. Similarly I would like to see a more skilled workforce as I explained to the Conservative Chairman, Grant Shapps MP recently when taking him to see the super work that SCOLA do to bridge the gap between educational qualifications and skills expected by many employers.
Boris spoke to people at some length about the proposed closure of the post office in St Nicholas Centre, the tram, business rates and the incinerator among others. I am sure, had Mr Gethin come over to chat rather than calling from the edge of a crowd, Boris would have explained that Steve O’Connell and I are working with the Mayor to get something in place for people who want to use the bus to get back at night to Sutton from Croydon.
IN ORDER TO ALLOW VISITORS TO YOUR WEBSITE TO GET THE FULL PICTURE A COPY OF MY LETTER THAT YOU RELPIED TO BUT DID NOT ANSWER IS ATTACHED TOGETHER WITH MY REPLY TO YOUR LATEST LETTER. I DON’T KNOW WHTY YOU ARE SCARED OF TALKING TO ME. I HAVE MET YOU SEVERAL TIMES AND I AM NOT ANTI YOU OR YOUR PARTY
Paul Scully is not just remarkable, he is astonishing. I am astonished that this man who regards himself as a serious politician would write to his local newspaper in reply to my letter but fail to answer any of the points that I raised. Mr Scully must think that his vote is in the bag. We can guess that as a Tory he associates with other Tories. Does he do himself any favours by referring to Grant Shapps current Chairman of the Tory party?.
Grant Shapps or formerly Michael Green, used to promote internet based “Get Rich Quick Schemes” such schemes do not come under the heading job creation. Perhaps Grant Shapps had popped into SCOLA so that he could leave a couple of his “Get Rich Quick” manuals in the library. Incidentally if any reader bought a copy of a Shapps/Green’s manual and did not get rich I suggest that you contact Paul Scully. Paul may be able to help get you a Zero hours contracts in one of the Coffee shops that will soon be opening along the High St. I should stress that Mr Scully would not expect a vote in return of his help. Heaven forbid
PPC Paul Scully should tell us just why he failed to ask Boris Johnson to explain why he went to lunch and dinner with a man being investigated by the Metropolitan Police. He could also have raised the matter with Steve O’Connell. Steve sat on the GLA committee that was meant to oversee the Met Police.
If Paul Scully is serious about his candidacy as the prospective MP for Sutton he will act seriously and tell us just what he believes in and answer questions. He tells us that he, Boris and Steve O’Connell are working on a scheme for late night travel between Croydon and Sutton. Boris and O’Connell were on watch when the service was abolished. Boris is produced and paraded round Sutton like a contestant in the X Factor or Celebrity Come Dancing. Boris managed to avoid any serious debate during the last Mayoral election.
Paul Scully is following that lead and to be fair the evasion of debate is not confined to Paul Scully or his party. Paul Scully can debate with me at any time. Rather than do that he did a search against my name with the Linkedin. He did not leave a message. I don’t know what he has to be scared of. I also think that we should be told whether or not there are any businesses in Sutton coffee shops or otherwise that are clients of Paul Scully’s online consultancy the Nudge Factory
Kevin Gethin
St Barnabas Road
Sutton
Dear Editor
Paul Scully is a remarkable man. He managed to persuade Boris Johnson to tear himself away from his busy schedule; work at the Daily Telegraph lunches and dinners with Rupert Murdoch not to mention his day job as mayor of London, so that he could wander around Sutton.We should be grateful that Boris is the mayor. If a Labour or a Lib Dem candidate had won the election then the Tories would have abolished the job and the GLA..
I did not see Boris stop to look at the Tennis score, he was difficult to spot surrounded as he was by members of the local Tory Taliban. The general public did not take much interest, but then it was a warm afternoon.
What is telling is Paul Scully’s view that more coffee shops are just the thing that Sutton needs. That conforms with the modern Tory view; low paid unskilled and insecure jobs as opposed to a high paid and highly skilled workforce.
On the matter of transport Boris was unable to explain why he abolished night bus link between Sutton and Croydon. Moreover, Boris could not explain what the head of the Metropolitan Police was doing lunching and dining with a man who is currently being investigated by the Metropolitan Police. Perhaps it had something to do with the number of police officers that we are losing as a result of cuts.
Perhaps we are seeing the mayor in a new role. Boris of the yard. Personally I think that Boris would make a good PCSO. They look like real cops from a distance but get up close and we see an imitation
Boris told everybody within earshot that he supported an extension of tramlink.When Boris said that he was standing outside a pub called the Cock and Bull. The name of the pub sums up Boris
regards
Kevin Gethin