Common sense wins with reopening of St Paul's
Common sense looks set to prevail with the reopening of St Paul's Cathedral tomorrow.
It is easy to be cynical about health and safety but it would be naive of the Dean and Chapter, in charge of a tourist attraction visited by thousands each week, to ignore the attached public liability responsibilities.
It is much easier for those looking on to cry, "Ignore the lawyers", let alone the insurers and the myriad appointed experts who invariably have a "worst case scenario" outlook.
The fact remains that it was unavoidable for the Cathedral to close last week but the Dean, Chapter and staff should be commended for working tirelessly since then to find a way of reopening - and indeed the protesters for readily complying.
Yet it is symptomatic of what the scene outside has become that so much attention remains focused upon what represents a "trip and slip" hazard, a flammable substance or a safe tent configuration.
The debate has also been about whether it is capitalist to own an iPad or buy a Starbucks coffee, or whether a protester should take a break at night.
The Church's own role in this has now inevitably come under scrutiny. Calls for the camp to disband peacefully have been deliberately interpreted as taking the side of Mammon, which is simply not the case.
The original purpose of the protests, to shine a light on issues such as corporate greed and executive pay, has been all but extinguished - yet these are issues that the St Paul's Institute has taken to heart and has been engaged in examining.
The time has come to change the setting. Now that St Paul's can function again, albeit on a limited basis, the cathedral wants to help recapture the serious issues.
If the protesters will disband peacefully, I will join the Dean and Chapter in organising a St Paul's Institute debate on the real issues here under the Dome.
We will convene a panel from across the political and business spectrum and will invite the protesters to be represented.
The Dean and I will be available on Sunday morning, outside St Paul's, to listen and engage. Our message will be simple: pack up your tents voluntarily and let us make you heard.
