From Peter Deione, Wootton Bridge:

Re Members of Ryde Town Council voting against an application to fund Aspire Ryde as it is a Christian organisation (CP online 29-01-18).

It may have escaped the notice of some councillors they live in a Christian country.

That country has since time immemorial been a place of refuge for the oppressed and the dispossessed of all nations and all faiths.

Jews came and settled widely in the East End of London and were free to worship now Muslims enjoy that same freedom to practise their faith unmolested today.

Our legal system is broadly Christian based.

There are a number of Christians involved at Aspire who do not feel the need to proselytize those who come seeking help — help, incidentally, the council is unwilling to give even when it can.

The truth of the matter is Aspire Ryde is meeting a need in the community the council has conspicuously failed to meet.

The council would sooner spend money on vainglorious projects for the sake of personal credit than invest in projects meeting the needs of the community.

After all, they are public servants and not our masters. One would have thought that after the floating bridge disaster somebody’s head would roll, but no.

They have really lost the plot. The council members, according to the published accounts, spend more than the amount given to Aspire Ryde on stationery.

When spending on sundries is more important than spending on the community something is wrong.

Another point worth considering,

If Aspire Ryde were a broadly Muslim-based organisation they wouldn’t have the courage to cut funding for fear of being discriminatory — and the bad reaction in the press.

In this day Christians can be discriminated against with absolute impunity.

It’s time Toad and Badger chased the weasles out of the council chamber.