When something trends on social media and it is packed with people from across the country condemning, it leaves a stain. At Bournemouth beach and along the Dorset coastline over the last month or so that stain has become more like an ugly whole body birth mark. In fact given what has happened just down the coast at Lulworth the whole of Dorset has been in the news for the wrong reasons because of the behaviour of locals and non locals alike.
From this
to this
Dorset has been shamed publicly.
The big question is why did the local authorities… not have a plan? Why have they allowed themselves to be ridiculed and embarrassed not just by the local population but nationally and internationally? Why is it that Dorset landmarks have been all over the news in recent times when other parts of the country, including coastal resorts, have managed to escape the criticism?
Local people on social media blame people from outside of the county. In some regards this may be a fair comment apart from the fact that a great many were local people behaving in exactly the same way.
It should also be said that not all of Dorset has behaved this way. Many people have behaved sensibly. The problem is that we are culturally conditioned in the UK to spot the bad not the good. We are all tarnished by the same stereotypes….
This is the Bournemouth East MP’s response. He has been critical of his government in recent times but holds back here.
If we get a Covid-19 spike in Dorset, blaming outsiders will bring the county yet more ridicule. As much as some never want to take responsibility this has become a Dorset problem. We may escape the virus’ impact or we may not but something has gone very wrong and we must decide what comes next. All of us. Or shut up.
Penny Lane
