Hastings honours Manchester bomb victims

A minute’s silence was held in Hastings on Tuesday as a mark of respect for the victims of Monday night’s bomb attack in Manchester. Nick Terdre reports.

A civic party led by mayor Cllr Judy Rogers walked from the new town hall to Queen’s Square, where a minute’s silence was observed at 3pm.

Among those present were council leader Cllr Nick Perry and Peter Chowney, also Labour’s parliamentary candidate, who said, “The appalling events in Manchester last night are heart breaking. My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives or been injured.

“This senseless and brutal attack has no place in a civilised world, and I am, in line with national politicians, suspending my campaign in Hastings and Rye until further notice.”

Also present was the Liberal Democrat candidate Nick Perry, who said, “I was pleased for us to set aside politics and stand together with other Hastings and Rye citizens as we marked a minute’s silence in Priory Meadow.

“My daughters are of a similar age…My heart goes out to the grieving families. It sounds like the emergency services acted admirably in very difficult circumstances.”

Barbaric attack

In a statement the Home Secretary and Hastings and Rye MP Amber Rudd said, “This was a barbaric attack, deliberately targeting some of the most vulnerable in our society – young people and children out at a pop concert.

“My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and the victims who have been affected, and I know the whole country will share that view.

“…This time it has been a particular attack on the most vulnerable in our society – its intention was to sow fear – its intention is to divide. But it will not succeed.”

“Of course the attack was barbaric and horrific,” the independent anti-corruption candidate Nicholas Wilson told HOT. “However, I cannot see such atrocities in isolation. We have to consider UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the two main sponsors of IS.

“Furthermore, Qatar owns Canary Wharf, HSBC has a large presence in Qatar and HSBC was caught laundering money for Al Qaeda. Until April of this year the chair of the BBC Trust was HSBC director Rona Fairhead and the vice chair, Sir Roger Carr, chairman of BAE Systems.”

Today the death toll from the suicide bombing stood at 22 and the number of injured at 64.

Hustings on Friday

Electoral campaigning has been suspended for a few days following the bombing. It is expected to resume by Friday, when the local chamber of commerce has organised a breakfast hustings at the Kino-Teatr in St Leonards.

Three candidates are expected to be present at the event: Ms Rudd and Mssrs Chowney and Perry. The independent candidate Nicholas Wilson and Ukip’s Michael Phillips appear not to have been invited.

 

This article was amended by Nick Terdre on 25 and 27 May 2017.

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