Dear Ralph

I am perplexed at the choice of whether Britain should adopt the Euro as
its currency. Both sides of the argument have merit; it would certainly
make life easier for the seasoned traveller if we did and economists tell
me that industry and commerce would benefit greatly too. But I can sea
reason on the other side of the fence as well. Being a natural cynic as
well as disbelieving most of what economists and accountants have to say
about anything, I have much sympathy for the passionate arguments made by
the eurosceptics. But at the end of the day I will be happy whatever
happens as the decision whether we join or not will have been made by my
fellow countrymen following a national referendum on the issue. It is only
right and proper for such an issue of national importance to be decided in
such a way. That is democracy at its best (even with all the political
shenanigans that will undoubtedly take place).

The argument you make regarding equality of membership is attractive as I
knew it would be coming from a seasoned realist like yourself. I can
appreciate all that you are trying to do and I admire you for taking such
a reforming attitude (something which our profession has not been blessed
with greatly in the past). But I can also see merit in what Bill and John
have to say regarding the formation of a General Podiatry Council. It
would be a brave step to take but one, ultimately, which I think would
work with certain qualifications which I have specified before. But
neither side of the arguments were the reasoning behind my submission this
last week. It is the fact that the decision has already been made that I
am concerned about.

If the country were to wake up tomorrow and find that overnight the
currency had changed then there would be a major outcry and quite rightly
too. This however, is what has happened in our profession- hence the
reaction you are witnessing just now.

The mailbase and the SCP forum still account for less than 1% of the
podiatric community in this country but I can assure you, at grass roots
level, feelings are running very high over this decision. I spoke with one
of your ASSR’s last week and she advised that 100% of the staff in her NHS
Trust vehemently opposed what the Society had done; much of their anger
because it had been done without their knowledge or consent. That is the
issue that you first need to address although I’m not sure what you can do
about it now.

I am in an awkward position too. I am just about to petition both Houses
of Parliament in Britain with supplementary motions on the HPC legislation
and I was confident they would receive much support.  Now that the Society
has landed its fait accompli, suddenly I am not sure if they will. It
would be easy for Ministers to point out that the biggest professional
body has effectively embraced the legislation. The majority of Ministers
that I know are realists too, but they are also opportunists and they will
be quick to make this point.

As far as Pam Sabine is concerned I am unhappy that she has failed to
protect the profession in her role at the HPC. It would be straightforward
enough to convince the lay persons that grand-parenting has been a sham
and the public would be rightly concerned at its outcome. A prominent
public relations campaign by the Society could have facilitated her task.
That hasn’t happened either.

My gravest concern is what is happening at grass roots. In one way you are
to be congratulated for I have never seen such interest in a podiatric
issue before in all the 24 years I have been around this profession.
You’ve certainly succeeded where I failed, that’s for sure! But maybe not
in the way that you would have liked?

Is there any way you can backtrack on Council’s decision so a referendum
can be initiated?

Thank you so much for continuing with this issue and at a time when most
of our thoughts are on a sad and harrowing event many hundreds of miles
away.

Yours sincerely

Mark Russell

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