Southend East's Conservative Team

Today the list of Conservative candidates in Rochford and Southend East has been announced. As usual we will be fielding a full team of Candidates for the local elections in May. I am especially enthused by the dedication and talent of this year’s team.

Each Candidate has been carefully considered by the association and the respective ward committee to ensure they are absolutely right for their ward. I can honestly say each of them deserve to win and I know that such a strong team will put up an incredible fight.

Kursaal Ward

In Kursaal ward we have selected Neil Austin, a proud father of four. Neil has been working tirelessly in Kursaal where he lives. His understanding of the need for regeneration makes him an ideal candidate and obvious choice for Kursaal voters who want to see their area improve. His main competition will be from Labour’s Ms McMahon who was voted out at the last election but managed to get reselected under an all women shortlist.

Thorpe Ward

In Thorpe Peter Melville will be a fresh face, full of enthusiasm and determination. He clearly wants to listen and represent Thorpe residents. I know that he will be running a strong campaign.

St Luke’s Ward

I am seeking re-election in St Luke’s this year, and (without being too immodest!) hope my record of achievement for the ward and passion for Southend will be recognised by residents. As usual I shall run as positive a campaign as possible.

Southchurch  Ward

Cllr Ann Holland is up for re-election in Southchurch. Cllr Holland is currently Mayor and extremely experienced on council, with a particularly sterling reputation for her work with the fire authorities.

Victoria Ward

Ray Davy, known by many for his work at Southend United and the Roots Hall Market, is a stalwart and extremely hard working person, if elected he would bring real hope for Victoria. He would be tenacious in speaking up for residents and in getting improvements for them.

Milton

Cllr Jonathon Garston is standing for re-election. Jonathon is an exceptional ward councillor and thoroughly deserves to get back in.

Shoebury

Verina Weaver is a hard working and experienced Cllr, who will fully represent Shoebury, she has experience of planning and speaking out at Council. She will be a fine replacement for Pat Rayner who is resigning after doing a grand job for Shoebury residents for the last 10 years.

West Shoebury

Cllr Derek Jarvis is also standing for re-election, but in west Shoebury. Derek is a senior councillor and has represented his ward for a long time.

Between us the candidates have well over a lifetime worth of council experience, and have in recent years done a tremendous amount of positive work in the town and for our residents.

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Barely has the last election passed and Labour lowers the tone of debate.

With financial meltdown looming and their membership nose diving it would ordinarily seem uncharitable to intrude on the private grief of the labour leadership election with criticism of their local activists. However, something – perhaps desperation, perhaps inexperience – is affecting local labour party judgement. This is evident in their choice of candidates – dropping the somewhat harder hitting Councillor George in favour of Judith McMahon – the same McMahon who was rightly booted out of Kursaal at the last election after an ineffectual stint on council and poorly organised campaign.

In St Luke’s meanwhile they’ve put in Kursaal resident Anne Jones whose interest and knowledge of the ward is so great that her ‘Labour Rose’ news leaflet failed to mention a single local issue.

Now obviously I’ve no knowledge of the politics or policies that lead to these people being chosen and normally I’d never even comment on this sort of issue. However, only a few months on from the last election it’s clear that it’s smears, not substance, that Labour intend to campaign on. Take for example the ‘Labour Rose’ news leaflet alluded to above and the way in which Southend Labour solicits donations by claiming “not to be funded by property developers or tax exiles”. Can there be any purpose to this other than to imply that local conservatives are funded by such people? Is such a shallow and transparent technique really how they hope to raise money from hard-pressed taxpayers in St Luke’s? They know full well that locally conservatives are funded very transparently, and receive no direct funding from Ashcroft etc. Nationally, while I dare say no party is perfect, Labour is certainly in no position to be throwing stones.

So why are they so happy to try and lower the public’s opinion of politicians? Either they are extremely amateur and content to treat the public as fools, or they are so dismayed by their prospects they have given up trying to be a real political party and are just hoping to blacken the reputation of others out of spite. Perhaps this is why so many of their best candidates have seemingly disappeared from the political scene.

The real pity of this is, however, that to be an effectual administration you need an effectual opposition and Labour are the only party that can fulfil this role. The LibDems blow with the local wind and the ragbag collection of Independents cannot form a joint policy let alone offer joined up opposition. So we need a responsible Labour party that holds us to account based upon policy not whim and political expediency.

What Conservatives Stand For

1. Act now on debt to get the economy moving- Deal with the deficit more quickly than Labour so that mortgage rates stay lower for longer with the Conservatives.

2.Get Britain working by boosting enterprise -Cut corporation tax rates, abolish taxes on the first ten jobs created by new businesses, promote green jobs, and get people off welfare and into work.

3. Make Britain the most family-friendly country in Europe– Freeze council tax and raise the basic state pension, recognise marriage in the tax system and back couples in the benefits system, support young families with extra health visitors, and fight back against crime.

 4. Back the NHS– Increase spending on health every year, and make the NHS work for patients not managers. Freeze council tax and raise the basic state pension, recognise marriage in the tax system and back couples in the benefits system, support young families with extra health visitors, and fight back against crime.

5. Raise standards in schools – Give teachers the power to restore discipline, and create new smaller schools.

6. Change politics -Reduce the number of MPs, cut Whitehall and quangos by a third, and let taxpayers see where their money is being spent.

Residents come first as always with Conservatives

Last Thursday at full Council the Conservative group confirmed that they have not used the ‘whip’ for years and that indeed they no longer have one.  Your Southend-on-Sea  Conservative Cllr is free to vote and to raise questions as they wish and  indeed they do and have done so for years.  Southend Conservatives have regular group meetings where any ward issues or concerns can be raised and discussed and a solution worked through. All the Cabinet papers are also fully discussed and amended if needed, no Cllr is prevented from bringing up any issue or forced to vote against the interests of their ward.

In the 10 years that the Conservatives have formed the Administration in Southend the Central Conservative Party has never once directed them to amend or change anything, they have never told Southend what to do or what view to take. We act together as a local party and we work out our policies together based upon what is best for Southend and Conservtive values.

Residents duped as Independent shows his colours- LibDem

Local Independents are backing the LibDem Candidate.  Mr ‘ I’m a Conservative really’  Woodley  has signed Cllr Longley’s  Parliamentary nomination papers as has Cllr Assenheim.  Seaside news first raised this back in February as a distinct possibility but this proves what we have always said – but the Independents have always denied – that there is a coalition plan between the Independents and Lib Dem / Lab to try and take control of Southend Council.

So what does this mean-

• This proves if Southend people vote Independent, they will actually get Lib Dem / Lab
• This proves Independents are anything but independent   
•  The only way to maintain a Better Southend is to vote Conservative on May

Southend Pier gets the green light

The Pier and Foreshore Working Party today agreed to move forward with plans for the Pier Head.

Based around the award winning scheme the work will be phased and funded by Southend Council. The Conservative lead Council has put £3m, into the capital budget to move the Pier forward. Following the fire the decking has been repaired, the station rebuilt, fire precautions installed and much more as well. Currently the windbreaks are being extended and ongoing repairs are funded.

The new scheme will see the structure strengthened and extended for a new pavillion that will be multi use from Conferences to cultural performances from weddings to childrens parties from classrooms to artist studios officers will now look at how best to use the space which will also include a restuarant and or a cafe. The award winning schemedesigners  have already, as part of the bid submission, done a lot of work and their proposals are feasible to be built, hence the decision to work with the winners.

Chairman John Lamb said it was really important to move the Pier on hence the £3m budget which the Conservative Cabinet had provided as an initial sum.

Cllr Anna Waite said we want something for everyone at the end of the Pier, this will provide a great covered space that can be used for all sorts of things, once this is underway we can look to the next phase so that little by little over the next few years we can provide the town with a Pier to be proud of.

Green Light for City Beach

Southend’s Conservative Administration has been keeping its fingers crossed awaiting confirmation of the funding for City Beach, promised but not signed off weeks ago and at last that confirmation has come.

City Beach extends from the car park opposite the Kursaal to the Pier, it is a fantastic project to smarten up the somewhat tired existing area, it will also see the road altered to provide more pedestrian space, new public areas  includng the new Mariner’s Square with a new fun water feature, very good for when the tides out!  Ultra high  digital lighting columns will replace the old illuminations extending day into evening and a new promenade- Royal Promenade, with improved beach access too.

Work commences early 2010. Work will not interfere with the summer season.

City Beach is the last of 4 projects  planned for a Better Southend, bringing greater prosperity for residents and improved access. Progress Road- junction improvements, Cuckoo Corner- major circulation improvements and landscaping, Victoria  Station- a new junction and public square- Station Square. All will be complete by Spring 2011.