Surplus Wealth in Sidmouth - and worldwide.
Letter in Sidmouth Herald June 2024, after delivering hundreds of election leaflets to wealthy areas.
Sirs,
I have spent a few days walking around Woolbrook and other wealthy areas of
Sidmouth. Whilst the number of truly wild gardens was disappointingly small, I
was stuck by the amount of conspicuous wealth. Many people seem to have no
qualms about spending tens of thousands of pounds on block paving driveways, his
and hers cars that cost upwards of £30,000 each and exquisitely manicured
gardens.
These people probably consider themselves to be pillars of the community. A few
of them may give small amounts to charity or contribute in some small way to
food banks and other 'noble causes'. Some even seem to waste their time trimming
lawn edges with scissors. Others probably renew kitchens, bathrooms, and carpets
when there is no real need to do so. I have known wealthy women in London whose
first action when moving to new £1+ million flats was to replace the £50,000
kitchens. There seems no end to people's wasteful vanity. Can they not think of
anything more useful to do with their surplus wealth? Women in particular surely
buy far too many clothes and shoes!
If we had a more equitable society, then there would be no need for food banks.
And if we devoted vastly more resources to helping people in poorer countries to
improve their prospects, then fewer might choose to risk their lives to cross
the Channel.
We need a far more equitable distribution of wealth - and far less waste of the
Earth's resources.
Dr Stephen J Wozniak
SIDMOUTH