The Taxi 'Mafia' Row Continues

I have just seen the following statement on the Southend Licensed Taxi Drivers Association facebook page:

This is brief statement from the Southend Licensed Taxi Driver Association (SLTDA) in response to the comments made by Lib Dem councillor Peter Wexham at a meeting of the Full Council on Thursday 11th October 2012:

The SLTDA are aware of Cllr Wexham's comments made at a meeting of Full Council and are shocked and appalled by them. To suggest that when calling for a Taxi in Southend is like dealing with the Mafia, a highly dangerous group of criminals, is nothing more than an outrageous and uncalled for slur.

Whilst we accept things can be said in the heat of the moment, we are disgusted that Cllr Wexham chose not to retract his comments when invited to do so by executive councillor Tony Cox.

We are delighted that Southend Council recognise that travelling by Taxi is an integral part of Southend's transport network and that we are the only mode of transport to operate on a 24/7 basis.

To suggest that the Taxi trade are take, take, take shows incredible stupidity and naiveity on the part of Cllr Wexham, as the proposed High Street Taxi rank that he is so opposed to, was one of the key reasons along with the other programme of measures in the Taxi rank review why Southend achieved Purple Flag status. As a trade we also do a considerable amount of work in the community with the Southend Taxi Drivers Fund for under privelidged children and just recently nearly £3,000 has been raised for Help for Hero's.

What this outburst from Cllr Wexham has shown is the need for Full Council meetings to be streamed live and on demand over the Internet as a wider audience deserve to be able to see the nonsense which some of their elected representatives say and do in their name and we add our full support to introduction of this initiative.

This type of behaviour is unacceptable from an elected representative and former parliamentary candidate. Whilst the residents in Leigh will have the opportunity to pass judgement when Cllr Wexham is next up for re-election, we believe Cllr Wexham's position has become untenable and urge him to do the honourable thing and resign with immediate effect.

In the meantime, we believe that the Lib Dem leader Cllr Graham Longley needs to show real leadership on this issue and remove the whip from Cllr Wexham.

Ouch! Over to you now Graham...