Happy New Year

Whilst this blog has taken a break in December, I would like to wish all readers a Happy New Year and a prosperous 2015.

Southend Homes for Southend Residents?

According to report in today's Echo, this evening, Southend Council were debating the purchase of homes to increase its council housing stock. The planned purchase also included buying homes in neighbouring authorities Castle Point and Rochford as well as in places as far away as Thurrock.

Early on this year, I sat in a debate on the potential impacts of the governments welfare cap when members, who now form the administration, were lining up one by one to criticise London boroughs for buying homes in Southend for their tennents.

By proposing to do the same, this smacks of hypocracy of the highest order should those members who made these comments vote the proposals through. In principle, I believe that trying to increase the social housing stock is a laudable aim considering the chronic housing waiting list that Southend has.

I do however believe in 'Southend homes for Southend residents' and that the purchase of homes should stop at the borough boundary. Should any resident wish to see the outcome of the debate they will be disappointed as it is being held behind closed doors. I do not see why the principle could not be held in public.

If I was a betting man, I suspect that this item is being discussed behind closed doors as the method of payment to purchase these properties will be by borrowing the money and therefore sparing the embarrassment of Cllr Woodley considering his claim at the last full Council meeting that the Council would not fund any new projects from borrowing.

Two Sides Of The Same Coin

Delivered to my inbox this evening was a copy of the latest newsletter from the Burgess Estate Residents Association (BERA).

The newsletter was sent by a bemused BERA member as it would appear that BERA Chairman Ron Woodley is talking to himself. For those readers who are unaware, BERA Chairman Ron Woodley is also an elected councillor and Leader of Southend Council.

Contained in the newsletter was this little gem:

"The Council having been reminded of their Civic responsibility to maintain an attractive street scene, including our parks and open spaces, have responded accordingly."

I wonder when the BERA Chairman reminded the Leader of the Council? Still, the BERA Chairman/Leader of the Council didn't have far to go to remind the culprit for letting things slip in Thorpe Bay as the Portfolio Holder for clenliness in Southend is none other than his Thorpe Bay ward colleague and BERA member Cllr Martin Terry!

No Laughing Matter Cllr Terry

In today's Echo there was an article which claims that the Council may be on the verge of losing funding for seawall improvements at Shoebury Common. It would appear from the grinning Cllr Terry that he seems delighted at the prospect. I'm not sure residents who live on the flood plain at Shoebury Common will share his laughter if, as predicted, Britain is hit by extreme weather and further flooding this winter.

Cllr Moyies Is He Ukip? Oh No He Isn't

Time to get the popcorn ready as the Ukip pantomime is in full swing. Southend Ukip, the party that just keeps on giving...

Enjoying The Perks of Power

Last month, full council decided in a narrow vote to retain the current Cabinet system rather than return to a committee system of local government.

Rather than rehash the merits of cabinet v committee system debate, I think we need to look closer at the actions of one of those who abstained from voting in the debate - the leader of the council Ron Woodley.

At first glance it does seem rather odd that anybody wouldn't vote on a paper which had their name on it. It was also interesting to see the pro cabinet bias.



This is in complete contrast to the comment Cllr Woodley gave to the Echo on the 20th June when he stated:

"We have also asked officers to look at reviewing the cabinet system of decision making and to consider whether we should move back to a committee system in the next municipal year, making the council more open, transparent and honest in its decision making process."

Or the comment he gave to the Local Government Chronicle in an article on Council's returning to Committee System when Cllr Woodley stated:

“The cabinet has been a dictatorship of eight or nine people and I think that is wrong. The right way is to involve as many councillors in decisions as possible.”

His abstention was designed to give the impression that he is a relaxed leader prepared to lead however his disciples saw fit yet what he abstention really says is that since being elevated to the leader of council he quite likes being supreme leader of the dictatorship that he describes.

The Lame Duck Leader

When first looking at the title of this post you could be forgiven in thinking that this would be about Ed Milliband, but the major local political story this week was the revelation in the Southend Echo of the open warfare with the Southend UKIP branch.

I had long suspected this may be the case but now it has spilled over into the public domain. This story was first broken by Conservative blogger James Courtenay.

Although James Moyies is leader of the local UKIP group it does remain to be seen for how much longer. Just last month, we had Cllr Davies, though to be considered an ally of James Moyies, openly criticising him. This is quite impressive as they have only been elected for six months.

It has been interesting looking at the performance of UKIP since May. It has generally been accepted that their attendance has been woeful, We have had Cllr Davies organising a game of Monopoly whilst the Council were discussing the closure of local Care Home.

Cllr Waterworth's big idea was to lobby the Leader of the Council to relax the dress code. Looking at how Cllr Davies was dressed to honour the war dead at the Remembrance Service it seems he has taken Cllr Waterworth's advice as this was straight from the Michael Foot campaign guide!

Still, at least residents will know that when UKIP claim they are fight for local residents what they really mean is that they are fighting each other.

Latest West Shoebury In Touch

One thing in opposition, another in power

Readers of this blog will know that one thing I dislike the most in politics are hypocrites. I have more time for people who are consistently wrong in my eyes but at least have the conviction to stand true to their principles and beliefs.

The latest case of double standards falls to the new Independent Party leader of Southend Council Ron Woodley. Back in December, parts of the town were graced with the Conservative looking leaflet from Ron Woodley on their doormats claiming, as he has done repeatedly, that borrowing under the previous Conservative administration was 'out of control'.

You can imagine my surprise when looking at 6.6 of the Treasury Management report which went to Cabinet recently, in Cllr Woodley's name, which contained the following line:

"The current level of borrowing is also in line with the Council's prudential indicators and is prudent, affordable and sustainable"

As this report covers quarter1 of the current financial year - a period when the Conservatives were in control of the Council, shows the outrageous lengths that Cllr Woodley went to deceive the public on the issue of Council finances.

Trouble At Mill

It would seem all is not well in the Southend UKIP camp. Still smarting from not securing his party's nomination for the Rochford & Southend East seat no doubt, the UKIP Group Leader James Moyies took to the Echo to bizarrely criticise local businesses for securing grants to boost new local jobs and apprenticeships.

Just a few days later, a readers letter appeared from UKIP councillor Lawrence Davies completely disagreeing that grants to businesses are a bad thing. A somewhat thinly veiled attack on Cllr Moyies. With such divisions now public, it is clear why Cllr Moyies didn't secure the nomination. It will be an interesting spectator sport to see if the UKIP divisions grow.

Shoebury Libraries

After the new Independent Party led coalitions first real decision was to axe Cory, the town's refuse collector, their second decision, after all the fanfare of a review, was to, er, agree with the last Conservative administration on library provision in Shoebury.

I am pleased that Shoebury will receive a new library and the elderly and vulnerable will still have access to the mobile library - it is just a shame that thousands of pounds of taxpayers money was spent on a review to come up with the same decision.

What this whole episode has shown is the hot air and lack of moral compass from Shoeburyness Independent Party councillor Anne Chalk. When as a councillor, I had to endure the endless hours of her pointless tripe that she espoused on saying that she would fight to save Friars Library and through her leaflets, how she would be taking this through Council. Anne even managed to find time to write a rare blog post on the issue.

When the Cabinet rubber stamped the decision last month, Anne had the opportunity to ask the Scrutiny Committee to review the decision and ask for Cabinet to have another look. A quick glance at the agenda for Monday's meeting shows that the item isn't even up for debate. So much for Anne taking this through Council.

This decision not to pursuit the matter comes as no surprise as from the correspondence I have seen, she has been slapped down by the leader of the Council on this issue. So much for being an Independent! So everyone, after me, let's sing follow the leader, leader, follow the leader.

The NHS Needs Saving - But From Who?

It never ceases to amaze me that political parties seem to 'own' certain areas of policy. The NHS is one of those areas which will be one of the key issues over the next seven months.

There is no escaping the fact that current opinion polls suggest that the public currently trust Labour the most on the NHS when all recent evidence should suggest the contary. For example, Labour have not one current MP with clinical experience. The Conservatives have Seven - five GP's and two nurses.

The main Labour attack line is 'the NHS is not safe in Tory hands' is often used to try and insinuate that a Conservative government would privatise the NHS, whilst conveniently forgetting that it was the last Labour government that brought private enterprise into the NHS.

To get an idea of what the NHS under a Labour government would be like you only have to look at Wales, where the NHS is a devolved power to the Welsh Assembly - currently under Labour control.

For the last four years they haven't hit an A&E target. Waiting times are up, waiting lists are up and quality is down too.

The last time the urgent cancer care treatment was met in Wales was 2008. There is no cancer drug fund and recent figures suggest that 14,000 Welsh cancer patients seek treatment in England every year because of Labour's NHS cuts. To top it off, the Welsh ambulance service has missed its call-out target since 2012.

Let's not forget the Sir Bruce Keogh report which uncovered failings at 11 hospitals under the last Labour government where thousands of patients needlessly died. Or Mid Staffs, the hospital where up to 1,200 died on filthy wards with patients begging for water and drinking out of vases.

Yet the Labour government operated culture of ‘cover-up’ where targets were more important than people and ministers’ reputations more important than care.

This is sadly, what we will get under Labour. Cuts to our NHS, longer waiting lists and all the problems we saw at Mid Staffs Hospital repeated all over again.

2015 Local Election Candidates Selected

At a recent selection committee, Rochford & Southend East Conservatives have selected the following candidates for the 2015 Local Government elections:

Rochford District Council

Barling & Sutton - Cllr Mike Steptoe

Foulness & Great Wakering - Cllr Colin Seagers

Rochford - Cllr Keith Gordon

Southend Borough Council

Kursaal - Alex Bright (Former Southend Youth Mayor, who if elected, will be the first person to have served on both Southend Youth Council and Southend Borough Council)

Milton - Cllr Jonathan Garston

Shoeburyness - Roger Hadley

Southchurch - Cllr Ann Holland

St Luke's - James Cottis

Thorpe - Jon Bacon (The owner of Ocean Beach restaurant)

West Shoebury - Cllr Derek Jarvis

Victoria - Denis Garne (Former Southend Labour councillor)

Following the selection, James Duddridge MP commented:

"I am delighted that the local Conservative Association have selected a strong team to fight the 2015 local elections.

We are fortunate that not only are we seeking to return some exceptionally experienced councillors, we also have new candidates joining our local team who will work extremely hard for the local community.

I look forward to joining candidates on the campaign trail to return a Conservative Government and Conservative administrations locally in Rochford and Southend".

Och Aye The NO

It was a relief yesterday morning to wake up to the news that I was still British as I knew it and that relatives of mine would not be considered as foreigners in their own land. For me, there was no joy in the result but sheer relief.

Relief in that despite of piss poor NO campaign and the shambles in the way the terms of the referendum were negotiated that the good people of Scotland rejected the break-up of the UK and the anti English bile of the SNP.

The terms of the referendum should never have been as they were. I accept that a referendum was the right thing to do as the SNP government elected to Holyrood stood on a manifesto pledge to give a referendum on independence but as a vote for independence would have had massive implications for the whole of the UK I believe all the UK should have had a vote.

It is absurd that an EU national living in Scotland had a vote but a Scot living in the rest of the UK did not. I believe the referendum question should have been 'Should Scotland remain part of the United Kingdom'. This would have allowed the pro Union cause to campaign for a positive YES vote on all the good aspects of being British.

The only aspect of the subsequent Referendum Act in 2012 for Scottish independence that I agree with was allowing 16 and 17 year olds to vote. From the campaign that I saw it could be argued that this age group were making more informed decisions on the way they would vote than some the adults! I believe it will not be before long when 16 and 17 year olds will be given the vote for all elections.

You can see why David Cameron allowed the referendum all on Alex Salmond terms. He thought it would be a walk in the park and that subsequently Alex Salmond would be finished. OK, Alex Salmond resigned as SNP leader and First Minister yesterday. There were always going to be casualties following the outcome. It there had been a yes vote, let's be clear, it would have been curtains for David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg.

The NO campaign was hopeless. This campaign has been disastrous not only for the PM but Labour too. The NO campaign was run by Labour and funded by the Conservatives. This was dry run of the Labour 2015 election campaign. What was quite revealing as the results were coming through was that it was the Labour heartlands that voted yes to Independence. Glasgow, the UK's third largest City and Labour heartland voted for independence. Yet Alex Salmond's own constituency voted against!

When the opinion polls two weeks ago showed the YES campaign ahead, it sent the three main party leaders into panic as they rushed to Scotland effectively offering the voters a bribe of Devo Max and the retention of the Barnett Formula without asking parliament or the English public who would be funding the bribe.

The disaster for Labour here is that the English Devolution and so called West Lothian question genie is now out of the bottle. If Labour go into the election not supporting these constitutional reforms, I believe it will be electoral suicide.

The Scottish referendum is not the end of the matter, it is merely the end of the beginning. I hope the PM makes good his promise on resolving the West Lothian question. What I do not want to see is the idea of regional governments resurrected. I accept devolution is also asked for when there is distain for the national political class but we do not need another layer of politicians. What we do need is further powers being devolved to local government.

Do As I Say Not As I Do

This week, the local Rotherham Star newspaper ran a story that a local Labour councillor will face internal party disciplinary action after he was caught checking the cricket score of the war of the roses county match between Lancashire and Yorkshire during a debate on the Rotherham sex scandal.

The story was picked up by the website bloggers4UKIP outraged at the actions of Cllr David Barker. We can only therefore assume that UKIP councillors are above this sort of behaviour. Well, not quite. At the last full council meeting before the summer recess, local Labour blogger and my fellow opponent in West Shoebury, Matthew Dent, broke the story that newly elected UKIP councillor for Kursaal Lawrence Davies, was organising a game of Monopoly whilst the council was discussing the closure of care homes - a sensitive local issue.

Unlike Labour who are taking action over Cllr Barker's actions, local UKIP leader James Moyies has done exactly nothing. A bit like what he has done for the residents of West Shoebury since being elected really.

Hate Mail

From time to time councillors are in receipt of some nasty communications from residents. I was not immune from this and in March last year received a pretty vile email suggesting that I should line my family up against a roundabout and let cars skid into them following some bad weather.

This is nothing compared to the unpleasant letter that my colleague Cllr Derek Jarvis received upon his return from holiday. The matter is now in the hands of the Police.

The Somewhat Bizarre

I was recently given a copy of the most bizarre leaflet recently produced by Labour Cllr Judith McMahon in Kursaal.

It was bizarre in the fact that there is no mention of Labour or her fellow ward colleague Anne Jones. When leaflets are published like these from time to time it normally suggests that all is not well and a defection from the party is on the cards.

We have already seen a spat between Shoeburyness Independent Party councillors Anne Chalk and Mike Assenheim, Cllr Terry getting his knickers in a twist because fellow local blogger Julian Ware-Lane tried to hold him to account, UKIP effectively announcing that Labour and the Lib Dems are keeping the seats warm before they jump into bed with their Independent Party bedfellows and now this.

As I suspected, the coalition is somewhat fragile and will require a Herculean effort to hold it together. If this is the appetiser, I can not wait for the main course when more testing decisions have to be made.

Keeping The Seats Warm

Whilst the summer months can be a quiet time on the local political scene, there are sometimes the odd little nugget that pops up.

I always suspected that the Independent Party leadership team of Ron Woodley and Martin Terry were power hungary and would sell their soles to the devil in a bid to get their hands on power in Southend.

Following the electoral maths after the local elections in May, they both dumped UKIP, their coalition partners in Southend, to form an administration with Labour and the Lib Dems in sheer desperation to get power.

Not wishing to upset their plaything in James Moyies, last month they made 'encouraging noises' to ensure UKIP's support for the remainder of the Civic Year. Local Labour leader Ian Gilbert and local Lib Dem leader must be furious knowing they are being used and can do very little about it.

Leadership Material?

Just before the schools broke up for the annual six week summer break, Ofsted, the schools watchdog, published its report on the current state of education at Thorpe Greenways Junior School. The report was not great requiring that the school improves.

An area highlighted by Ofstead was the failure of the governing body to hold the leadership of the school to account. A member of the governing body at Thorpe Greenways is the Independent Party's new leader of the Council Cllr Ron Woodley.

At the last meeting of the Full Council and in a recent press article we have been assured by Cllr Woodley that no expense or resources will be spared on Thorpe Greenways. One has to wonder if these announcements have been made to spare the blushes of Cllr Woodley. Never in my memory have I seen a school given such treatment when given by Ofsted a notice to improve.

Shoebury: The Forgotten Part of Southend

It would seem that under the new administration Shoebury is once again out of sight out and out of mind. When I was first elected in 2006, during that campaign many residents thought that Shoebury was the forgotten part of Southend - the end of the line.

During my time as a councillor I fought hard for Shoebury roads in most need to be resurfaced, pavements to be repaired, verges to be maintained and parking to be safer in our streets.

At the first cabinet of the new rainbow coalition, the annual list of money to be spent on the towns roads and footpaths was published.

Gone is the pledge to resurface Maplin Way and Maplin Way North. Gone is the pledge to make Delaware Crescent a one way street. Gone is the pledge to put a yellow box junction by the bus stop in Caulfield Road near Ness Road and gone is the pledge to harden the verges on Blyth Avenue to allow more room for vehicles to pass. It is worth reminding that this administration is rabidly supported by UKIP in Southend and Shoeburyness.

One item in the capital programme listed below which has gone un-noticed is the commitment to spend £250,000 on the Council's preferred option for flood defences at Shoebury Common in this current financial year. As the new administration has announced that the preferred option is to undergo a review, could this mean that the new administration are planning to still go ahead with the current preferred option?

Or is the quarter of a million pounds earmarked for what would be a costly review when two thirds of the new administration support the current preferred option.

Nine Weeks On, A Decision Is Finally Made

On Monday, the Echo broke the story that after 20 years Cory's will no longer be managing the Council's waste contract after being eliminated in the first round of procurement for the new waste contract to start in 2015. As the former portfolio holder for waste services it is an area which I still take a keen interest.

Since the elections in May I had noticed that around where I live in Shoebury had started to look a little shabby. Whilst standing in the queue to get my morning paper on Sunday, a woman unknown to me, remarked to the cashier that they could tell that Tony Cox is no longer their councillor as West Road was a mess. It was one of those rare occasions where I just kept quiet as I didn't need to say anything.

Before I digress further, under the stewardship of Cory during my time as the portfolio holder a plethora of awards were won for our waste services ranging from the cleanliness of our streets and beaches to our public loos. Recycling rates at 52% were an all time high. The winter gritting service ensured that Southend's roads were passable during the cold months.

I noted that the new portfolio holder Cllr Terry from the Echo article was now a convert to the need for eliminating as much waste from landfill as possible to reduce the £3 Million annual landfill costs despite opposing every measure that I took to do so including removing black sack provision and re-issuing food waste bins to every household.

I noticed that the local blogsphere has questioned the timing of the procurement of the new waste contract after Cllr Mark Flewitt has been a vocal critic at the manner of the announcement and the lack of member involvement in the decision.

To clear up the matter, when I was the portfolio holder the process was instigated as far members and the public were consulted as to what they would like to see in the new waste contract. The public consultation ended on the 10th March.

From that period until the 22nd May, I had not been told or made aware that an advertisment had gone out to companies to bid for the new waste contract or seen the final bid specification document. Therefore, I can only naturally assume that this had commenced under the new administration.

After involving members in the initial process, I had given the commitment that members would be informed of the start of the procurement and would see sight of the bid document before commencing.

I also gave the commitment that I would bring to the Waste Management Working Party the 'scoring' of the bids received before releasing the information to the press. Members would know my commitment to member involvement in waste management from the numerous sessions conducted before the joint waste agreement was signed with Essex.

Do I believe that the decision to not include Cory in the final four bidders of the procurement is the sole work of Cllr Terry? The honest answer is that I am not sure. I say this as the Waste Team headed up by Steve Crowther is one of the if not the best sets of Council Officers that I have come into contact with.

The Echo article also strongly hinted from Cllr Terry's quote that Cory did not progress due to the need to recycle more waste. I still recall Cllr Terry's stunt last year when he brought his pink sack into the Council Chamber to invite me to look at why his pink sack was rejected on collection day, although the offending items of pizza had been carefully removed. Could this run in have ultimately cost Cory the contract?

One Rule For The Rulers

A couple of weeks ago, a judge drew to conclusion a case that I have been keeping a close eye on.

For the past 18 months, the media have been pursuing the naming of two councillors who sit on Bolton Council who had failed to pay their Council Tax two years in a row.

Judge Robin Callender-Smith and two tribunal members ruled that the naming of the Labour and Conservative member would have violated Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights which relates to the private life right to individuals.

In his judgement, Judge Callender-Smith said that releasing the information could potentially cause unnecessary and unjustified damage and distress to the individuals.

I understand and accept the need for privacy of individuals but on this occasion I believe that this is the wrong decision. Every councillor has a duty and responsibility to set a balanced budget which also includes the Council Tax precept level for the authority that they represent.

Is it wrong to expect local law makers to face the same level of public scrutiny as an average member of the public? I mean, many council tax dodgers have been outed in the courts or by councils themselves to show that Council Tax evasion will not be accepted.

I also think that this case has also left a burning question unanswered. Do the public have the right to know about the behaviour of those who hold public office and represent them?

Councillor For Riyadh

It's been a while since my last post, but the enforced break has been due to a family holiday to Cornwall and a dose of the flu at the back end of last week.

Whilst away, I noticed this little gem of an article where a Lib Dem councillor on Fareham Borough Council believes he can effectively represent his residents whilst having a full time job in Saudi Arabia.

This did give me a wry smile as I recall the local blogsphere here in Southend on occasions getting their knickers in a twist when a councillor represents a ward which they do not live in.

Shoebury Common Review

Over the past couple of months, one of the most trumpeted policies of the new rainbow coalition is the decision to review the preferred option for flood defences at Shoebury Common. This despite two thirds of the current administration supporting the preferred option when in opposition.

The responsibility for flood defences now falls to Cllr Terry. During the scrutiny debate, Cllr Terry claimed that the review was to look at all options with a fresh pair of eyes but then announced that it would be highly unlikely that the current preferred option would be recommended from the review.

With such predetermination of the outcome, one has to ask why bother with a costly review when you have seemingly already made up your mind.

Scrutiny Projects

Every year, each of the three scrutiny committees chose an area or topic which they would like to closely scrutinise. These projects lead to recommendations which I have rarely seen them being ignored by cabinet. The Place scrutiny committee chose to look at the issue of Foreshore erosion. An admirable topic chosen despite the warnings given the Corporate Director that specialist technical personnel would need to be brought in at vast expense and the council has no budget for it.

Whilst the funding of the project is an important issue in its own right, it was the seemingly odd behaviour of the West Shoebury UKIP councillor James Moyies. Despite his loathing of anything EU or European, he suggested, to howls of laughter, that the Council should approach the EU to fund the project. Despite seeming to be a strong advocate for the project he then bizarrely voted against the project when it came to a vote.

There is a saying that when in a hole you should stop digging. Cllr Moyies then suggested that we should approach the UKIP MEP's, the largest MEP contingent in the UK, to put pressure on Brussels for funding. This again was greeted with roars of laughter when it was pointed out that UKIP were officially the laziest group of MEP's with the worst attendance record of any party from any member state.

Many a UKIP councillor has sadly been derided for their incompetence once elected. If this is the calibre   that residents of West Shoebury can expect over the next four years then god help us!

For The Love Of CCTV

During a debate on one item, members digressed and the issue of the council's CCTV Vehicles was being spoke about.

We heard the starting admission that the Independent Party leader and new portfolio holder for Transport Cllr Terry that he a big fan of the CCTV Vehicles.

Surely this is a hint of double standards when he and his party famously used this poster during an election campaign.

Campfield Road Taxi Rank - The Scrutiny Debate

This week saw the first scrutiny committee under the rainbow administration, the first real test of the new portfolio holders under interrogation. I will blog further on the Place scrutiny committee in a later post.

An item which will not receive much attention from the cabinet papers will be the taxi rank outside the doctors surgery in Campfield Road. I have to give credit where credit is due and was pleased that Cllr Terry held his nerve and agreed to maintain the status quo despite the plausible nonsense from Cllr Chalk.

I was also interested to hear the contribution from newly elected UKIP West Shoebury councillor James Moyies on this item. James agreed that the rank should be retained but bizarrely chose to vote along with Cllr Chalk to refer the item back to cabinet. This proposal was defeated.

Part of James Moyies contribution was to propose that any unnecessary yellow lines and the disused bus stop in Towerfield Road be converted into formal parking, citing the potential parking stress in the area when the new Morrisons store opens on the corner of Campfield Road and Ness Road.

You may be thinking that you had heard this proposal before? You had, from me, two weeks ago. Under other circumstances I would have put it down as great minds think alike, but sadly, I can not. Avid followers will recall that I exposed a leaked email from James Moyies to UKIP party members where he boasted that he followed my blog to save him time and effort. It would seam that a leopard never changes its spots!

Residents in West Shoebury must be wondering why they have a sheep in wools clothing in UKIP, when they can have the real thing in Conservatives.

Campfield Road Taxi Rank

This week, the new rainbow coalition held its first Cabinet meeting. Whilst most of the cabinet items seemed innocuous, there were still some items of importance which posed more questions than it did answers. I will save blogging on these until after the scrutiny committees have met to discuss these items.

One of the seemingly innocuous items was the petition, organised by Shoeburyness Independent Party councillor Anne Chalk, to remove the taxi rank from outside the Doctors surgery in Campfield Road, Shoeburyness.

Thankfully the decision to retain the rank was taken. I believe this was the correct decision as in the absence of a bus service, the local taxi service is the only mode of public transport available to take passengers to and from the Doctors Surgery.

If the rank had been removed to allow for free for all parking as the petition suggests, would have simply be taken up by staff at the surgery before patients arrived. This would have been the worst of both worlds.

I agree with the decision to create additional parking bays on the disused taxi rank in Avon Way but I do feel a trick has been missed. With the new arrival of the Morrison local store imminent on the corner of Campfield Road and Ness Road, this should have been the occasion to create additional parking spaces in Towerfield Road.

In Towerfield Road, there are swathes of unnecessary yellow lines to facilitate a bus stop for a service that no longer exists. This should be utilised to help combat the inevitable parking stress on this area.

C2C Rail Franchise

It was fantastic news to hear that C2C had won the 15 year franchise for the Shoeburyness to Fenchurch Street line. Finally, common sense had prevailed as C2C has been the franchise that has turned this line from being dubbed the 'misery line' to the best performing line for punctuality.

I know a lot of people have been involved in the lobbying of Government to award the franchise to C2C but I feel a sense of job done as this was a priority of mine and Officers when I held the transport brief.

East Beach Cafe

With the beach now re-opened following the discovery of ordinance, there was further good news that work is due to start on the new restaurant to replace the former East Beach cafe which was destroyed by fire. Having viewed the plans, I am convinced that, once built, East Beach will become the place to visit following the previous investment in the new car park layout and the return of the Beach Huts.

Extended Schools In Shoeburyness To Close

I read with some dismay at the decision of Shoeburyness High School to withdraw funding for the Extended Schools Initiative, which runs schemes not just for the school but for people of all ages in the East of Southend.

The work has been highly valued which resulted in one of the co-ordinators, Karen Stock, receiving an OBE for her work in the role. It was the Extended Schools programme which organised the Shoebury Debates, which led to pupils gaining £40,000 in funding for two new crossings at the Elm Road roundabout.

I had concerns when the headteacher Mark Schofield became a super headteacher, also taking over control of Cecil Jones, that the quality of education at Shoeburyness High School would suffer. The decision to axe Extended Schools compounds my fears.

I was pleased to see Independent Party councillor Mike Assenheim and my former colleague Roger Hadley outside the school condemning the decision. I was rather surprised to see that Shoeburyness Independent Party councillor chose to criticise Mike and Roger for forming an alliance in condemning the decision rather than joining them in the fight.

Is this woman completely and utterly bonkers and finally lost the plot? I would have previously suggested that the decision to criticise was a deep seated loathing of Conservatives but considering she tried to broker a deal with the Conservative Group after the local elections to be a portfolio holder I'm not so sure.

A Lack Of Joined Up Thinking

Today Labour launched their latest policy. I am not referring to their owls for everyone announcement, but the hapless Ed Miliband's announcement that a Labour Government would remove benefits for the jobless youth who refuse to take training courses to gain key skills.

Back in March however, Labour made their first General Election manifesto commitment, the Compulsory Jobs Guarantee, for the young unemployed for the whole of the next Parliament. This poses the question as to why the need for today's policy announcement when you have already pledged to give every young person a job.

It makes you wonder if this was a media stunt to sound tough on Welfare or a lack of joined up thinking with policy made up on the hoof.

The Enforcers

It has taken less than a couple of weeks before we saw the Echo headlines of splits in the rainbow coalition, surpassing the time allocated by even the greatest of sceptics. I thought it may take a couple of months.

What will come as no surprise is that the issue which caused the rift was the flood defences at Shoebury Common. The quality that I like in politicians, whatever the colour of their rosette. is standing true to their beliefs and principles.

Cllr Julian Ware-Lane is one of those breed. It would appear that the Thorpe Independent Party playground bullies, messers Woodley and Terry, have rounded upon Julian because he had the audacity to criticise their blatant disregard for local democracy before the ink has had a chance to dry on the rainbow coalition agreement.

What really did tickle my sides was Cllr Terry claiming that Julian needs to decide whether he is inside or outside the tent. This from the man who claims that the Independent Party were always free to speak out on any issue they liked. Yet the moment a party politician dares criticise him and speak their mind on an issue he goes ballistic in the local press.

It has been noticeable since the elections how quiet the backbench Independent Party members have been. Nicely, whipped into line you could say.

East Beach To Re-open

There was some fantastic news for local residents, traders and visitors to East Beach as the Council have announced that Shoebury East Beach is set to re-open. Here is the joint statement by the Council and the MoD:

Joint statement from the MOD and Southend-on-Sea Borough Council

“During the recent two-day explosive ordnance reconnaissance undertaken by the Royal Navy Southern Diving Group, 130 metallic items were excavated and classified, none were found to be ordnance or ordnance-related items. Two items of ordnance were found on the surface during a separate visual search. These were made safe through a controlled explosion and disposed of by the EOD team.

“Following this work, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) provided the council with an assessment of the work and information to enable it to complete a risk assessment for the area of Shoebury East Beach licensed from MOD. 

“The council will now carry out its risk assessment and produce a programme of mitigation measures that will allow the beach to be re-opened as soon as practicable. Mitigation measures recommended by MOD and agreed by the council will include installation of permanent warning signs, marker buoys to identify the licensed area and additional awareness training of relevant resort and other council staff and contractors.

“To enable the beach to be re-opened quickly, the council will be producing temporary signage ahead of the permanent measures being put in place.  As soon as this signage is ready, the fences will be removed and the beach re-opened.  The council anticipates this work will take place by the end of the week.

“There remains potential for ordnance to be found at East Beach in the future. However, we are content that, following the reconnaissance operation and with the mitigation measures that will be put in place, the risk will be appropriately managed. The public are reminded that surrounding MOD beaches remain out of bounds.”

Cllr Graham Longley, Deputy Leader of the Council said:

“I am delighted that following the meeting yesterday with the MOD, we expect the beach to be re-opened by the end of the week.

“I fully supported the decision that was taken to temporarily close the beach, given the situation at the time, and given that more work needed to be carried out to understand the risk to public safety. It was quite right that a safety first approach was adopted ahead of more information being made available.

“The reconnaissance found no ordnance in the 130 sample areas, and a number of mitigation measures to manage the risk have been identified that we have agreed to that has satisfied us that we can take the decision to re-open the beach.”

The Hat-Trick

In little over a week, we have seen the new rainbow coalition spearheaded by the 'beacon of democracy' Ron Woodley ride roughshod over the local democratic process on three occasions. Congratulations they get to keep the match ball!

This time, the portfolio holder drunk on his own self importance is Cllr Martin Terry. The new supremo for Sea Defences has announced that the sea defences proposal for Shoebury Common have been scraped. It is ironic that Cllr Terry, one of the cheerleaders in claiming that the previous Conservative administration was undemocratic, has single handedly just scrapped a decision. As fellow blogger and member of the new rainbow coalition Cllr Julian Ware-Lane points out, a decision taken by one is even less democratic!

When you read the small print of the article however, the sea defences proposals indeed have not been scrapped, they are merely being reviewed. Those who follow this blog know my views on the sea defences defences. The views of the Independent Party on this issue are muddled to say the least.

When ward councillors were first appraised by officers on the current proposals following the shambolic initial consultation, the new leader of the Council Cllr Ron Woodley, claimed in the meeting that we should stuff the Beach Hut owners and just get on and build it. He then proposed his own flood defences scheme and finally joined a protest against any flood defences at Shoebury Common back in December. It would appear that Cllr Terry now wants to build on the existing sea wall. Does he want Shoebury Common to look like Canvey Island?

It does remain to be seen whether the current proposals will be scrapped. I say this as when both Cllr Woodley and Cllr Terry had the chance to ask Cabinet to re-look at the proposals during the scrutiny debate on this item, they chose not to. Also, their Labour and Lib Dem coalition colleagues supported the current proposals.

It would also be mildly amusing to see the Battle Royal between the vested parties if after the review the original proposals were endorsed. From the whispers I am hearing from corridors of the Civic Centre, lead me to believe that this is the most likely outcome as any new scheme will require additional borrowing which both UKIP and Uncle Ron allegedly disapprove of.

As the article says, there is a very real possibility that the Environment Agency could withdraw funding for improved defences. There is also a widely accepted risk of a 1 in 5 years at certain parts of Shoebury Common and I would not want to be in Cllr Terry's shoes if, god forbid, it floods due to his imposed delay, as the new councillor for Public Protection will have failed in his duty - to protect the public.

Cllr Longley - The Saviour

It would seem from the announcement in today's Echo that the new rainbow administration ploughs on in its undemocratic mannor. Last week, we saw the public announcement of the new administration before Full Council had voted in a leader riding roughshod over the local democratic process.

This week it is the announcement from Cllr Longley that he has instructed officers to 'stop work on the Library proposals'. Now, I may old fashioned, but I believe in adhering to protocols. For a Council decision to be reversed, only Council would have the ability to do so by putting a proposal paper reversing the decision through Cabinet and then being subject to scrutiny. So it would seem on the whim of any portfolio holder in this new administration a decision can be reversed.

Photographed with Cllr Longley was the new Council leader Ron Woodley, the man who supported the Library proposals by voting for them in the past two Conservative budgets. Why the sudden U-Turn?

Any delay in implementing an agreed budget decision will result in cost implications for the authority. Less than a week in, are the new administration preparing to raid the rainy day reserves already? It does however remain to be seen whether the original decision will be reversed.

What this does mean is that the announcement delays, or, puts a nail in the coffin for the new hub library which was planned to be located in West Shoebury for the benefit of all Shoebury residents. Is this what residents voted for on the 22nd May?

Momentum

The Newark by-election win last Thursday for the Conservatives was an important win. It was the first time in 25 years that the Conservatives retained a parliamentary seat in a by-election whilst in power.

This isn't the reason why the by-election victory was important. It was important as it was the first time in a long while that the party showed that it is returning to to the effective campaigning machine that the opposition once feared.

It was also important for momentum. It gives the party momentum leading into the General Election as just a week before, UKIP topped the European poll in Newark.

The win has also given momentum in the opinion polls as a YouGov poll released this evening shows the Labour lead now down to just two percentage points with the Conservatives up 4 and UKIP down three, demonstrating that UKIP support is coming back to the Conservatives.

The YouGov/Sun poll tonight:

CON 35% (+4%)
LAB 37% (=)
LD 8% (+1%)
UKIP 12% (-3%)

Southend Half Marathon

Earlier today, on route to a duck feeding session with Miss Cox at Shoeburyness Park we had a detour to the end of our road to give encouragement to the runners in the Southend Half Marathon.

This cast my mind back some 10 years ago when I tackled the Southend Half Marathon. All the runners will have had their own reasons for tackling the 13.1 mile course and the gruelling heat with vast sums raised for good causes in the process. They were an inspiration, each and every one of  them.

I was shocked to learn this evening that one of the runners died at the finish line after completing the course. My sincere condolences and thoughts this evening are with the friends and family of the inspirational runner.

99 Ness Road

Appearing at the Development & Control Committee is the planning application for a Morrisons local store at 99-101 Ness Road.

This planning application was deferred from the last planning committee due to concerns regarding parking and the busy junction at Campfield Road. I have no particular issue with Morrisons coming to this location. In fact I think most residents will welcome the competition.

Having read the report on this planning application for the committee next week, I can not believe that the planning department believe 11 car parking spaces will resolve all these issues. Whilst the 11 spaces are welcome, I wonder in the longer term if they will be enough.

I say this as during the election campaign, I was talking to the manager of the Sainsburys local in the Garrison who mentioned that they were considering submitting a planning application to increase the number of parking spaces.

The 11 car parking spaces I would accept and agree to but not for the planning department to suggest that no further modifications to an already busy will be needed. I hope the Development & Control Committee take this into consideration when deciding the Morrisons application next week.

The Deed Has Been Done

Unlike the new rainbow coalition, I have decided to wait until the end of Full Council to offer my comments on the new administration.

I know my former colleague Nigel Holdcroft and Labour Milton councillor Julian Ware-Lane have made their feelings known about jumping the gun, but I do find it truly astonishing that Ron Woodley and the rest of the Independent Party had the audacity to continuously claim that the past Conservative administration was 'undemocratic' yet in the Echo yesterday, Ron was paraded as the new leader before Full Council had even elected him.

With the parade in yesterday's Echo, clearly breaking the Bell Principles that he and the Independent Party supposedly sign up to, Ron can no longer claim to be independent of party politics as he will lead a cabinet which includes two. Gone also is the claim to be a 'Conservative at heart' as the two political parties he has jumped into bed with are left wing. These actions now confirm what some have thought for a while that he is nothing more than a phoney with an ego the size of Southend Pier to match.

Whilst the electorate made clear on the 22nd May that they did not wish to see a Conservative administration, with the battering the Lib Dems took, the residents of Southend did not want them in an administration either.

Of the new portfolio holders, the one inspired choice for me is Cllr Anne Jones who will hold the Education portfolio. From my time on the council I always felt that Anne, party politics aside, had the best interests of Southend children at heart.

Will the rainbow coalition last? I have my doubts. It is going to be very different for the Independent, Labour and Lib Dem parties fighting the next local elections in 2015 defending their record as an administration rather than criticising from opposition. I think we are going to be in for some very interesting times.

Meet The Commissioner

This afternoon I managed to catch up with the Channel 4 documentary Meet The Commissioner, which was a fly on the wall documentary focusing on the Independent Kent Police & Crime Commissioner Ann Barnes.

It was truly the most cringe worthy documentary I have ever seen. At times poor Ann reminded me of the Ricky Gervais character David Brent from the Office as Ann Barnes travelled in a van she dubbed 'Ann Force 1', had difficulty explaining an approach to policing priorities called 'the onion' and brought her dogs into the office.

She also failed to write her title correctly on a whiteboard, was filmed painting her 'flaky' nails, compared the force to a tin of paint that she wanted to 'prise' open and rolled up in a Mercedes after saying 'I could have chosen a top of the range Mercedes, but that's not my style.

It was a disaster from start to finish. I think, sadly, it has turned Kent Police by association into something of a laughing stock. Ann Barnes became the most high-profile of the country’s 41 crime tsars a year ago when The Mail on Sunday revealed her £15,000 youth commissioner, Paris Brown, 17, had posted a series of highly offensive comments online.

Paris Brown wrote the messages during the last six months before she was given the role of helping the force ‘stay in touch with young people’. She called homosexuals ‘fags’, immigrants ‘illegals’ and travellers ‘pikeys’, and said she had ‘a thing for older men’, an apparent reference to a teacher at her former school. Mrs Barnes tried to save the teenager's job, but Brown was forced to quit.

This programme was a timely reminder of what residents face when they elect Independents which are elevated into positions of power. Whilst the party political system may not be perfect, candidates are vetted to ensure competence and suitability for the roles.

Do We Have Ourselves To Blame?

Having looked closely at the European election results, I could not help but think in some way that the Conservative Party only has itself to blame for the rise of UKIP. This thought also belonged to professor Tim Bale who this excellent article on the rise of UKIP:

The Conservative Party only has itself to blame for the rise of UKIP – not because it ignored the pet peeves that drive Nigel Farage’s ‘people’s army’ but because, in the electorally-desperate early 2000s, it pushed the populist button itself (‘foreign land’, fuel-protests, Tony Martin, travellers, ‘are you thinking what we’re thinking?’), then suddenly vacated that ‘nasty party’ territory after 2005, only to end up in 2010 making an unrealisable promise to the electorate about reducing immigration to the tens of thousands.

In short, the Conservative Party couldn’t have teed things up more beautifully for UKIP if it had tried. That doesn’t mean, however, that Tories should vote for it.

One thing you’ll often hear from those who have done and say they’ll continue to do so is that UKIP is the party the Conservatives used to (and still ought to) be.  I beg to differ – big time.  If we look at what this government has been doing since 2010, the party that the Conservatives used to be is – surprise, surprise – still the Conservative Party.   Just look at the evidence.

You believe in making the nation’s books balance?  You’ve got a Chancellor in George Osborne who’s pursuing the single most ambitious fiscal consolidation this country has ever seen – and doing it for the most part by cutting spending rather than raising taxes, and by rolling back the welfare state but in such a way as to protect the nation’s senior citizens.

You want to preserve law and order?  Does anyone seriously think it’s at risk with Chris Grayling and Theresa May at the helm?

You believe in traditional rigour and teaching methods in education?  That’s exactly what you’re getting from Michael Gove.  And from David Willetts you’re getting a higher education system where the money follows the student and where the cost is borne by those who benefit most directly – a system that hasn’t, by the way, put people from lower income backgrounds off following their dreams.

You want to preserve the integrity of the UK?  David Cameron knows that he’s not the most popular man in Scotland and leads a party for which independence would be a positive, electorally speaking.  Yet he’s still going into bat for the Union.

You care about Britain’s national sovereignty?  Fewer governments have pursued more opt-outs and said no to more initiatives from Brussels than this one, and no-one else has a chance of delivering an in-out referendum so the country can make up its own mind.

And finally, you want to know that the UK is back in control of its borders but doesn’t cut its nose off to spite its face by denying entry to people who will make a vital contribution to the country’s future?  This government, subject to its international obligations (and, yes, such things should and do matter), has done everything that’s practically possible to balance control and Britain’s long-term economic interests.

Given all this, the only small-c conservative voter who might still be tempted by UKIP is one who believes that the proverbial man (or woman) in the street really does know better than people with experience and expertise, who prefers direct over representative democracy, and who believes in privileging the principles of libertarian non-interference over the government considering matters case-by-case.

Whatever you think of these ideas, no-one could seriously argue that they are conservative.  Indeed, any true Tory should be highly suspicious of a party which privileges ideology over facts, which dismisses the value of knowledge and judgement, which can’t admit the inevitability of historical change, and which defies the common sense on which it continually (but erroneously) claims to have some sort of monopoly.  Parties that do that end up denying climate change, wanting to do away with the NHS,  the minimum wage, and health and safety, and campaigning to bring back grammar schools – none of which are supported either by evidence or, for that matter, by a convincing majority of the public.

No, the essence of conservatism lies not in rejecting but in coming to terms with realities rooted in social change and changing popular preferences, the better to ensure that we preserve what’s worth preserving.  Not for no reason is Edmund Burke a Tory hero: it was he, after all, who warned that ‘a state without the means of some change is without the means of its conservation.’

Conservatism, unlike what’s on offer from UKIP is and always will be a living, breathing governing philosophy rather than a kneejerk, nostalgic response to whatever it is about contemporary life that people don’t like. ‘We’ll stop the world, and help you to get off’, is UKIP’s central message.  To pinch a phrase from a famous Labour politician, Nye Bevan, who spent the last few years of his left battling populists who likewise wanted the impossible and wanted it now: ‘You call that statesmanship?  I call it an emotional spasm.’

The Rainbow Coalition

It would appear from reading the Echo this morning that my predictions on Monday of a rainbow coalition seem to be about to come true. It will be fascinating to see the eventual outcome on the 5th June and who get the coveted cabinet positions.

What I did notice with some amusement from the article, was how it appears UKIP have been sidelined - even by the Independent Party with whom they announced a coalition with in December.

It would seem the leader in waiting and the self confessed 'Conservative at heart' Ron Woodley, would rather do a deal with Labour and the Liberal Democrats and cut adrift his UKIP election buddies to inherit his 'right' to become leader. It will be interesting to see at what cost. Still, it must feel like a happy homecoming for former Lib Dem Brian Ayling and the former Labour candidates Martin Terry and Anne Chalk.

A Banana Republic

Tales of arguments, threats, voter intimidation and chaos when counting ballot papers would lead many to think that these stories were from a despotic country. Unfortunately, this was the picture described by many in the borough of Tower Hamlets in East London.

This is not the first time we have heard similar allegations from Tower Hamlets, but on this occasion, things were so bad that the result of the local elections were not declared until 5 days after the poll. The Electoral Commission is the body which oversea elections in the UK.

Until rules were tightened, we had allegations of postal vote fraud on an industrial scale. We have farce which is Tower Hamlets and also the appalling decision to allow a political party called an Independence From Europe to be registered.

Now lets be clear, I do not have much truck for UKIP, but it was clear at the European Election count on Sunday that there was voter confusion between UKIP and an Independence From Europe. The Electoral Commission was established to avoid voter confusion between political parties when a candidate once famously put themselves on the ballot paper as a Literal Democrat.

Fortunately, both the European and Local Election polls here in Southend were conducted in exemplary fashion. I do however have to question whether the Electoral Commission is now actually fit for purpose.

Safe Zone

Whilst driving into work this morning there was an interesting feature on the London Assembly's plans for the creation of 'Safe Houses' in five pilot areas in London.

The scheme sounded very similar to the Safe Zone Scheme that I launched with the traders in West Road, in which shops displaying the Safe Zone sticker would provide a safe haven for anyone in need whilst shopping. Could it be that that the worlds greatest city was taking the lead from a mere local councillor in Shoebury?

West Road Vandalism

I was often told before I became a councillor that it is the little things that you do which make the greatest difference. Looking back on my time as a councillor these were never truer spoken words.

One of the local things that I took great pleasure in was helping the West Road Community & Traders Association in achieving funding for new planters in the West Road Shopping Area. Many often commented that these help spruce up the area.

I was disappointed to hear that for a second time in as many months the planters have been vandalised with the plants stolen. If anyone has anyone has any information, I urge them to contact the Police as it is a real frustration when the mindless few spoil things for the many.    

Vote UKIP Get Labour?

Vote UKIP get Labour. This was an often used line by the national party during the campaign, but upon reading the Echo today, this appears to be exactly what is happening in Southend.

When a council is in no overall control it is inevitable that the various groups will be having discussions to see if they can form an administration. With five different groups represented on the Council I think it is inevitable that the next administration will comprise of at least three different groups.

The reports seem to suggest that the next administration will comprise of the Independent Party, Labour and the Lib Dems. As I am no longer a member of the Conservative Group, I am writing this from a position without inside knowledge.

With 19 seats, the Conservatives still remain the largest group on the Council. I still take immense pride in that I played my part in taking a Council, judged to be failing, to being Council of the year. This has been achieved whilst having to make millions of pounds in budget savings way before the economic crisis without impacting front line services.

I can understand from a Conservative Group viewpoint that you do not want to see all the hard work be unpicked and want to speak to the other groups for that to continue. The message from Thursday's poll however, is that people want to see a change of administration here in Southend.

With 9 seats Labour will be the king makers. From the scores of messages and emails that I received over the weekend, the realisation is now sinking in that those Conservatives who flirted with UKIP will end up with Labour part of an administration in Southend. This was a thought distant from their minds when ballots were cast.

Southend European Election Results

Late yesterday evening the results were declared for the European Elections. The results for Southend were as follows:

An Independence From Europe 1073 - 3%
BNP 457 - 1%
Christian People's Alliance 375 - 1%
Conservative 11523 - 27%
Eng Dem 704 - 2%
Green 3387 - 8%
Labour 6711 - 16%
Lib Dems 2645 - 6%
No2EU 191 - 1%
UKIP 15967 - 37%

Total votes: 43033

There were also a high number of spoilt ballot papers. 337 in total. The majority of these were blank which fits with the stories that I was receiving at the polling stations where people only wanted to vote in the local elections but had to also be given a European Election ballot paper.

The West Shoebury and Southend Results - My Analysis

Firstly, I want to take the opportunity to thank the residents of West Shoebury for giving me one of the greatest experiences of my life over the past eight years. I also want to thank those residents who still after eight years put their faith in me by putting their cross by the side of my name.

The results for the Conservatives in Southend on Thursday night were a catastrophe. There is no hiding from that. It hasn't gone unnoticed by me that the Conservatives did not win one single ward which make up the Rochford & Southend East Constituency. There certainly is work to do before the General Election.

After much analysing of the data, I am comforted by the fact that I wasn't beaten by UKIP because of the national picture but purely on a single local issue, flood defences, in a very microscopic area. This is what local politics should be.

For those who are not political anoraks, let me take a few moments to explain. West Shoebury is made up of voters from four polling districts and those who vote by post. From the last elections in 2012, the share of the vote was up in three of the five areas and remained exactly the same another.

I am pleased that I fought the election on my principles. I feel that those who are prepared to compromise them for electoral advantage will ultimately be found out in the end. Sometimes the right thing isn't the populist thing.

That said, it was a hard fought campaign and no matter how bitter it was at times my congratulations goes to James Moyies on his victory.

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Nigel Farage's Nick Griffin Moment

Before residents go out to cast their European Election ballot next week, residents will be well advised to watch the the following LBC interview with Nigel Farage on Friday:

The Sun newspaper were pretty damning of Nigel Farage in their leader column yesterday:

Ouch!

East Beach

I like many of the residents in Shoebury want to see East Beach open to the public as soon as possible. When the Council had to take the only sensible option available when live ordnance was found on the beach, my colleague Roger Hadley and I, immediately briefed James Duddridge MP to get pressure applied on the MoD.

To his credit, James immediately tabled four questions to the secretary of state. This beach needs to be open quickly. Local businesses rely upon it. Shoebury residents have been accommodating to the MoD for many, many years. It is time for the MoD to give something back to local residents and make the clearance of the ordnance an immediate priority.

Following pressure from Myself, colleagues, Council officers and James Duddridge, the MoD met eith the Council on Thursday where the following statement was released by the Council's media office:

“Following a constructive meeting yesterday afternoon, we have agreed jointly to accelerate the timescales for the surveying and sampling work that is already underway in the MOD owned area across both East Beach and West Beach. At the request of the Council, the MOD have today agreed to prioritise the assessment of the licensed public area of the beach in recognition of the importance of this beach to residents, visitors and businesses.

“The next steps of the survey require a two-day explosive ordnance reconnaissance led by the Royal Navy.  This is not a clearance operation but will involve the investigation of a number of sample areas identified by the ongoing surveying work. The MOD have already asked for this work to be done as soon as possible and have assured the council that it will take place by early June. Once exact dates have been confirmed, we will make a further public statement.

“In the meantime we have agreed to start work on a joint risk assessment of the area which will be necessary to inform decision making over the re-opening of the beach.  The risk assessment will be informed by the ongoing survey and the investigation works that will be undertaken by the Royal Navy.

“Once the investigation works have taken place, within two weeks the MOD will analyse the results from within the licensed area and a decision will be made by the council about the re-opening of the beach.

“Both organisations recognise the impact of this issue on the community and will continue to work in partnership on this matter.”

This is an issue which I will be keeping a keen eye on.

Tudor Gardens Street Lights

Whilst I have been out and about talking to residents about a number of different issues, One issue which had been raised by a number of residents in Tudor Gardens was the poor state of the road's street light columns.

I agreed to take away these concerns and following discussions with Council officers, I am delighted that officers were in complete agreement and have agreed to replace all the street lighting  columns in Tudor Gardens. It is anticipated that this work will take place within the next few months.

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It Has Been A While

It has been a while since I last blogged, too long for my linking, but I have unfortunately had one or two issues with the blogger platform over the past couple of weeks. Finally, after a little bit of toeing and throwing with Google, I am back up and running.

Just to alley any fears from my Labour opponent, whilst I haven't been able to blog for the past couple of weeks, I have managed to fill the void by delivering 11,000+ pieces of literature and visiting thousands of homes in West Shoebury instead.

I understand from Matthew that he was surprised by my absence at the Shoeburyness hustings. I didn't attend as it was not for West Shoebury but for Shoeburyness ward candidates only. I believe there was some confusion on the hustings. This shouldn't really come as a surprise as anything that comes from Cllr Chalk usually results in a cock-up of seismic proportions!

From Matthew's conversation and the resulting surprise at my Ukip opponents assertion regarding my supposedly low profile, as one resident said to me earlier today, residents have seen more of Halley's Comet than the Ukip candidate in the past couple of years. As I have said previously, I work all the time. The opposition in West Shoebury only work at election time.

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