Merrry Christmas to all residents

As we approach Christmas I would like to take the opportunity to wish all the residents of West Shoebury a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

For me politically, it has been a fantastic year as you the residents gave me a massive endorsement at the local elections in May. I will be forever grateful for the 1,400 plus majority that you gave me.

I was also at 32 the youngest ever councillor to be appointed the cabinet on Southend Borough Council. This has opened my eyes to wider scale issues other than the general day to day ward issues that I have dealt with. The leader has said, rightly, that during these difficult times he will trim his cabinet by one in the next Civic Year. I would like to think that I have done enough to impress him over the past year to continue in the cabinet.

Since I started this blog at the beginning of the year I have tried to give a different angle to workings of the council and tried to break stories that the local media choose to ignore.

Whilst I am looking forward to spending Christmas with my family and my daughter who will understand her first Christmas blogging will be light for the next couple of weeks.

I want to end the year how I started with an unbelieveable story given to me by a young wippersnapper on the Southend Older Peoples Assembley.

From time to time, councillors are asked to contribute articles to their newsletters. In issue 7, Shoeburyness Independent Party councillor wrote a thought provoking piece here on page 2.

After receiving praise for this piece, it would seem that that Cllr Assenheim owes them an apology. In the anonamous communication from an Assembley it appears that Cllr Assenheim has recited an historical piece of BNP propoganda from YouTube. If you look closely at the article and the YouTube clip here Remembering Great Britain, posted on YouTube in March 2009 it is word for word.

It is bad enough plagarising somebody elses work but BNP propoganda? I think at the very least Cllr Assenheim should apologise but also confirm that he isn't a BNP supporter or sympathiser. Shoeburyness would like to know

Truly World Class

I have just been informed that European, World and Commonwealth diving champion has described the new diving facility at Garons Park as awsome. I couldn't agree more. If you haven't had the chance to go I suggest you make it new years resolution.

Let us hope that the Olympic Diving squad will use Garons as it's base!