TIME TO ACT

IWA Chairman, John Fletcher, speaks out on funding cuts

By Keith Langston

THERE are few people including the civil servants and politicians connected with Defra (and by association that body’s invidious BW funding cuts) who know how strongly the public in general and waterways enthusiasts in particular feel about threats to their rightful heritage than national chairman of the Inland Waterways Association, John Fletcher.
Following many years of listening, observing, lobbying and communicating, John has carefully found his way around the so-called corridors of power, often to good effect. During his working life, he was a healthcare professional, and reached the rank of Director of Nursing and Midwifery with the Chorley and South Ribble Health Authority. He has served on countless waterways-orientated committees and advisory bodies and has earned respect across the board for his work, from not only the inland waterways community but also those in authority who are charged with caring for our network.
The Inland Waterways Association do not claim to have attracted all waterway users and supporters as members, but they are a well patronised and highly organised ‘user group’ whose plans and aspirations have only the future well-being of the network at heart. Therefore, given John Fletcher’s vast experience in waterways matters and his standing within the ranks of the industry professionals and politicians, he is ideally placed to help. Not only to fight against ‘the cuts’ but to apply pressure in all the right places in order to get future planned secure funding for our precious waterways.

We put these questions to him:
KL: Realistically is there the slightest chance at this stage of getting the Defra cuts cancelled and the funding reinstated?
JF: There is really no chance at all but it may be that if enough political pressure is applied there may be some payments given to British Waterways (Defra) retrospectively. Gordon Brown (the Chancellor) looks to be building up a war chest prior to his possible accession to the job of Prime Minister, if that becomes so then possible ‘giveaways’ could just include extra funding for Defra, but don’t hold your breath.

KL: Do politicians in general have any idea how the waterways public feel about this threat to the future well-being of ‘their’ inherited system?
JF: It is doubtful that the local MPs at this stage either know or care about those opinions. But they must be made to know, especially those in marginal constituencies. This is a national thing for most areas of the UK have canals, rivers or broads and lakes within them, and furthermore people in their thousands from all over the nation spend holiday and leisure time on the inland waterways.
Write to your MP and try to ensure that more than one of you writes to each MP. They (MPs) may ignore one letter but when they receive three of four, they will begin to take notice. Ask them to question the politicians who are directly concerned (Rt Hon David Milliband MP and Barry Gardiner MP) about the unfair funding cuts to British Waterways and if you can please include some local aspect in your letter. It really will help and by doing so you can make a real difference.

KL: Is more direct action called for and if so what form can you see that taking?
JF: I am IWA Chairman but in no way a dictator and so people can do whatever they see fit to help get things changed, but what we cannot do if we care about our waterways is nothing; you could say that why should the politicians care if they think that we don’t!
I notice that in a recent edition of TPT you asked about the possibility of collecting signatures for a petition, which on the surface looks a good idea. However, in my experience petitions have little effect on the thinking of central government. They have been known to work at local level where officials are naturally physically closer to the electorate, but even then they can have only limited effect. However if local groups wish to originate and deliver a petition to their local MP, say at one of his surgeries, then why not try that tactic; we have little to lose and all to gain.

KL: Will your association be meeting in the immediate future to discuss and formulate tactics for combating the adverse effects of what you have called ‘threats the like of which it (the waterways network) has never seen before’?
JF: Most certainly and those meetings will be ongoing, this campaign has to be a continuing one. It needs to be fully thought out and will only succeed if we carry the whole waterways ‘family’ along with us, in that regard publications like yours can continue to be of enormous help. There is no way that the restoration work carried out on the network thus far can be allowed to decay, because of misguided governmental interference.
I firmly believe that not just the inland waterway users but the whole of the population of the UK will be up in arms if this, our greatest inherited asset is allowed to slide into decline. The politicians should take note, and be very afraid as election time approaches. We may have to give them a few gentle reminders. For instance what a great sight a huge flotilla of boats sailing in protest along the city reaches of the River Thames would make!

In addition to many other important heritage-associated roles John has for many years been first a member and firm supporter of the IWA and then an active officer. Before becoming part of the national scene John earned his spurs as a member of the Manchester Branch, which he subsequently chaired before moving on to become North West Regional Chairman. He was elected to fulfil the role of National Chairman in 2002. In addition, John currently serves as a trustee of the Waterways Trust, a position he has held since 2000.
He has given the Waterways Trust notice that he will not offer himself for re-election in November 2006. John is not looking to shed some of his workload; he is in fact planning to take on more!
As those connected with the waterways community know, his late wife Margaret was the powerhouse behind the complex moves to re-open the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal. In what can rightly be described as his tribute to her memory John recently became the chairman of that society, fulfilling a promise he made to her as she sadly realised that her life was coming to an end.
To illustrate the urgency of the need to mount a protest consider the following. According to the collective opinions of many well-placed persons, the critical dates for changing hearts and minds are December 2006 and January and February 2007. In December, the critical Comprehensive Spending Revue will be held and the funds allocated in that review will then be divided by the recipients (ie Defra) between the agencies under their wings in the early months of the New Year.
Failing to change minds before those crucial times will result in British Waterways missing the funding boat for the next three years. Now that would have catastrophic results!
To find details of how to contact your MP visit the website parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/alcm.cfm or write to them c/o House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.