Cllr. Gavin Ayling

It was good to see so many people there today. With hands attached we stretched right around Southlands and, I am told, the circle around Worthing Hospital was two-deep!

Thank you so much to all those who came! Hopefully the aerial photographs will send a clear message to Whitehall.

It was just a shame that Socialist Party activists came along with their leaflets.

Just a quick reminder — get to Southlands within an hour!

Reminder of what? I hear you say: this.

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You could be forgiven, if you were only to read the blogs and watch the media, if you believed that the conference season is the centre of everyone’s lives.

According to The Spectator, “David Davis did much to repair the damage done by Mr Cameron’s ‘hug a hoodie’ speech”. Believe me, if you ask ten people on the roadside whether they’d heard of the ‘hug a hoodie’ speech five might say yes. If you then asked those five whether they knew what David Davis said they would look at you blankly.

Since 1994 (and probably before) politics has not been about issues. Since the beginning of time people have voted as their Dad did. Or not, just to annoy him. A small group of people — those who are members of political parties or pressure groups; people who listen to Radio 4 for Today and PM every day — will have gained some more understanding of the more refined message that Cameron’s Conservatives peddled at the conference.

But most people? Most people will be getting a sense that Cameron’s nicer than those nasty old Tories. Some people will say he’s a bit wet even. This is absolute genius. Without changing a policy, just the words, Cameron is now hated by the far right (good), feared by the far left (good) and appealing to the majority.

If you live locally or if you have coeliac disease, you’ll be delighted to learn about the new gluten free supermarket that has opened in Shoreham-by-Sea.

In Evershed Way just off of Dolphin Road, Johnsons have a shop stocking many gluten free products. Not only that but for those of you not in the area, they have an online store (with a very reasonable delivery charge).

So support this local business and benefit from a wider range of gluten free foods!