Love Southend, Hate Litter

Last weekend it was estimated that ten tonnes of litter was removed from our beaches as thousands flocked to Southend to bask in the hot weather in the busiet weekend of the year.

Despite the best efforts of our contractors to consistently empty the 300 plus bins along our seafront there were many visitors who still left rubbish on our beaches. This weekend, along with my colleague Cllr Jarvis, I was delighted to launch the Love Southend, Hate Litter campaign in conjunction with the Southend Echo.

The campaign, which will feature in tomorrow's Echo is designed to encourage visitors to the town to show embrace civic pride in the town. I am the first to recognise that we are fortunate to have a wonderful seafront which many want to come and enjoy. I want to encourage as many as possible to see and visit our wonderful beaches and attractions but also want to encourage people to deposit their rubbish responsibility.

My message is simple, come and enjoy Southend and feel free to deposit your rubbish in one of our 300 plus bins along our seafront or take your rubbish home with you but please consider residents and other visitors who want to see southend a clean, safe and pleasant place.

Have Your Say On Policing Issues

The next Police and Crime Commissioner public meeting discussing crime and policing issues, will take place in Southend-on-Sea on Monday July 15, 2013. 

Time: 17:30 to 19:30, Monday July 15

Location: Lecture Theatre, Central Library, Victoria Avenue, Southend, SS2 6EX

Further details on the Police and Crime Commissioner event in Southend can be found here,

Shoebury Fair

After the launch of the Shop Local Month in West Road it was over to the Shoebury Fair.

Following its absence last year to the appalling weather, the Shoebury Fair returned this year at its new home of the old Hinguar School field blessed this time with one of the hottest days of the year so far.

Containing fun for all the family, there were local groups and clubs promoting the clubs and rasing money for this years chosen charity SHARE.

I know that the committee spend a considerable amount of time organising the event and congratulations are in order for Shoeburyness ward councillors Cllr Roger Hadley and Cllr Mike Assenheim, Marion Livermore from the Shoebury Residents Association and Karen Stock OBE and her team from the extended schools consortium for making the event possible and a huge success.

Shop Local Launch

Yesterday, I was joined by by ward colleague Cllr Derek Jarvis, James Duddridge MP and members of the West Road Community & Traders Association for the launch of the West Road Shop Local Month.

To encourage residents to support our local shops and businesses in West Road, traders displaying the shop local sign will give residents a 5% discount on purchases when they present a voucher from the 6th July - 6th August

Over the past few week, I have delivered 4,000 leaflets to all homes in West Shoebury promoting Shop Local in West Road giving all households two vouchers. If residents have misplaced their voucher, you can download one here.

EU Referendum Moves A Step Closer

Today, MPs in Parliament debated and voted 304 to zero on take the Conservative EU Referendum Bill to the second stage to legislate for an in-out referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU before the end of 2017.

No institution can survive without the people’s support and the EU that will emerge from the Eurozone crisis may look very different from the EU before that crisis. Every country in the EU will have to make potentially fundamental choices about their place in Europe as a result and the future shape of Europe for decades will be determined by those choices.

That is why it is Conservative policy to seek reform so that the EU can become more competitive and flexible for the modern age. We want powers to come back to the countries of the EU and so that national parliaments, the indispensable vessels of democracy, can have a more powerful role and then, as our Bill would do, put the decision in the hands of the British people.

That is why every MP who is a true democrat can and should unite behind the EU Referendum Bill as it progresses through Parliament. It is about letting the people decide.

Shoebury Park Consultation

On Monday the 8th July, a consultation will be launched on future refurbishment of Shoeburyness Park. An online questionnaire will be available to be completed here. The questionnaire will only take a few minutes to complete and give residents the opportunity to have their say and comment on areas like feeling safe which have already been raised by local Shoebury councillors.

Len McCluskey’s Unite union is taking over the Labour Party

A storm is brewing after Labour have referred the selection of its 2015 General Election candidate in Falkirk to the Police. According to an internal Labour report, Unite members were being signed up to the local party without their knowledge in a bid to rig the contest. This row threatens to engulf the party into all out Civil War.

Unite have dominated Labour’s candidate selections.  28 Labour candidates selected so far are linked to Unite. This means over 40 per cent of Labour’s target seats are in the hands of Unite. The Union have also bankrolled Labour to the tune of £8.4 million since Ed Miliband became leader – the biggest single donor to the Party.

A leaked internal Unite report this week also shows that Unite have been ‘supporting’ Unite candidates in 41 Labour PPC selections across the country, including Falkirk.

Not content with trying to takeover the Labour Party from the bottom up, Unite are also trying to take it over from the top. It is worth remembering that Unite contributed £115,000 to his leadership campaign fund and urged all its members to vote for Ed Milliband in the leadership election.

Ever since, Ed Milliband has danced to Unite's tune. In Februay this year, Unite Leader Len McClusky attacked free schools, so did Ed Milliband at Prime Ministers Question Time this week. Len McClusky opposed the Welfare Reform Bill, so did Labour. In 2010 Len McClusky attacked the government's plans to get spending under control, Labour, since 2010, have opposed every measure to get public spending under control. You get the picture.

Ed Milliband knows that to stand a chance in the General Election he can not be seen as a puppet to the unions, yet knows that they are bankrolling the party and has to dance to their tune. What is clear, is that Ed Miliband is a weak leader who could not take the tough decisions needed to cut the deficit, fix the welfare system and turn Britain around.

If he cannot stand up to Len McCluskey, he cannot stand up for hardworking people. If he can not lead his Party, then he certainly can not lead the country.