Sally Allen: Politicians! Give us the truth. We can take it

Firstly, I must congratulate Rowcroft for the hugely successful fundraising event ‘Strictly Rowcroft’. 

Very sadly, I couldn’t be there as my husband was just recovering from a heart procedure, but my heart was with you. Having taken part in the first Strictly event, I know how magical and exciting it is, and a wonderful opportunity to raise money for our local hospice. Brilliantly well done to all who took part.

Now the not so inspirational news. I really am very fed-up with people just toeing the party line and never telling the basic and unvarnished truth. The public is given such little respect for their intelligence by the political classes that they don’t think we are worthy of the truth.

I have so much more respect for someone who just tells it as it is – for good or bad – rather than the mind-numbing rubbish that spouts from the mouths of so-called politicians, who are mostly not fit for the jobs they inhabit.

It is why I loathe the party political  process. They all speak with fork tongue and spin whatever they can to blame the former incumbents. It is a cycle of lies and flimflam. Blame anyone except yourself. If this obsession with ‘party’ loyalty was put to one side and the idiots who run the asylum, both national and local, just did what was ‘right’, we would all be in a far better place.

For example, last week, the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer announced he was having ‘in depth discussions’ with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama regarding the development of migrant ‘return hubs’ in Albania for the UK’s migrants. Starmer was humiliated on a grand scale at the meeting in Tirana by his proposal being turned down out-of-hand by the Albanian leader.  

The good news is, I understand there’s an available facility in Rwanda, if that’s really the route he wants to take, already paid for by the British taxpayer! You couldn’t make it up. 

You may remember that Starmer confirmed the Rwanda deportation scheme was “dead and buried” on his first full day as prime minister. However, when in opposition, the Labour leader described the Tory government’s plan to remove asylum seekers in the UK to Rwanda as “unethical, unworkable and will cost a fortune” and that he would end the “gimmick” of deporting migrants arriving in the UK illegally to Rwanda. This is a relevant and huge example of the hypocrisy and dishonesty at play in our political system which seems to focus solely on point scoring.

Whichever way you look at it, we are no further forward in solving what is now a huge human crisis on both sides of the English Channel. I clearly remember my mother’s stories of her life in Torquay during the Second World War and how so much information was withheld from the public by politicians until Churchill decided to come clean about the dire situation our country was in with his ‘Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat’ speech.

As some of you will know, during the Second World War, our seaside underwent a dramatic transformation. Known for its picturesque beaches and popularity as a holiday destination, the town was quickly repurposed as a military stronghold and coastal defence zone as fears of a German invasion loomed.

One of the most striking wartime features of Torquay was the heavy militarisation of its beaches. Once bustling with tourists, the sandy stretches became off-limits to civilians. Barbed wire was strung along the shorelines to deter enemy landings, often in multiple rows stretching for miles.

Concrete tank traps and anti-landing obstacles were embedded in the sands, while gun emplacements and pillboxes were constructed overlooking the sea. These defensive measures were part of a broader strategy to prepare for Operation Sea Lion, the feared Nazi invasion of Britain.

Occasionally, Torquay experienced direct enemy action. One of the most harrowing memories for locals was the machine-gunning of the beaches by German aircraft. My mother was machine-gunned on Meadfoot Beach along with numerous other civilians and military personnel. Many were wounded and some were killed. These low-flying attacks were meant to instil fear and disrupt any military use of the coast. 

Although the town was not a major strategic target like Plymouth or Portsmouth, its location and naval connections made it a secondary point of interest for the Luftwaffe, so bombs did fall on the town, resulting in casualties and damage to civilian areas, including some historic parts of the town.

Much of Torquay’s seafront and harbour were designated as “no-go areas,” especially at night. Access was restricted and patrolled by Home Guard units and regular army forces. Curfews were enforced, and blackouts were strictly observed to prevent enemy aircraft from identifying targets. Streetlights were extinguished and windows covered with blackout curtains.

In preparation for allied operations in Europe, Torquay played a vital role as a staging and training area. The town became a temporary home for both British and American troops.

Camps were established on the outskirts, and hotels were requisitioned for military accommodation. My grandmother, who owned a few hotels in Torquay, had many troops billeted with her. She was astounded by how young some of the Americans were and were not even aware of how to use an indoor toilet. Their first time away from home, and terrified.  

 My mother met my father on Meadfoot Beach in 1940 when he came down from London to say goodbye to some of his relatives just before he left to join the Royal Navy. Necessity and romance meant that they were married within three weeks and then they didn’t meet again for over four years.

We have so much to be thankful for, mostly that war has not touched these shores since then. However, our country responded well to pressure and deprivation, and I think we are all made from sterner stuff than politicians like to believe.

We can handle the truth and need to, as it makes us stronger and more resilient. So please, just tell it as it is; we can take it and will respect you more for it.