Southend Local Elections – May 2^nd 2024

I confess, that this time round I have taken minimal interest in the forthcoming elections, especially when comparing with recent years. Then yesterday I got sight of the Southend Echo report on the subject that it included who is standing in each of the thirteen wards. My interest was aroused, not least because I know a number of the candidates and I have also been a lifelong political junkie.

I have no axe to grind as to which party should get in power (it looks tight and, if the anti-Tory sentiment we see seeps down from national to local level, Labour may well be back in power). My disillusionment with all the main parties is well known (for reasons given in my recent blogs). Moreover, my record as a pundit is poor so I won’t be making predication and given my record of endorsing candidates often is the kiss of death I will not be doing so this time. Also, while I know candidates standing in most of the wards, I don’t know those in some, so here I will focus on what I do know.

The first thing is to point out there are a number of veterans standing, who are no longer councillors, but back in the day they all served on the Council and imho served well. I am thinking off Judith McMahon, Verina Weaver, Dr. Vel, Allan Crystall and Brian Ayling. I wish them well and, even if as seems likely, they won’t make the comeback they had hoped for that their experience will be sought after by those who do make it.

I was intrigued by the Echo’s quotes of the leaders of the two main parties: Tony Cox and Daniel Cowan. I can’t help thinking Tony’s upbeat comments on Conservative prospects despite their dismal defeats in recent by-elections were as good as it gets. I don’t know Daniel Cowan but a lot of folk who I respect hold him in low esteem. The ousting of two good labourites: Aston Line and Stephen George and disaffected Labour ladies where he played a part I look on with alarm. As for his “local people are sick of the Tories” remarks, I cannot say. All I can say is Labour under Keir Starmer is even worse than Conservative under hapless globalist puppet, Rishi Sunak, who is on the wrong end of all the arguments over things that concern me: Ukraine, Israel, Covid death jabs, free speech, abortion. Having said that, my take is while these may not be the issues that affect people’s voting intentions, people do vote more based on how they see things nationally rather than locally, which is a pity. My vote is always for the person.  There are local Conservatives and Labourites, as well as Greens, Lib Dems and Indies I like, and then there are the new kids on the block parties, namely Heritage and Confelicity.

So let’s start with these two parties I daresay readers know least well. I would like to see Heritage do well because from a national perspective they are the best of an indifferent bunch. But I know nothing about the candidates Heritage have put up and nor do I know their take on local issues. I do know a number of the Confelicity folk and while the notion of trying to make as many people happy as possible is nice, it also strikes me as naïve. Even so, I have read their manifesto (more meaningful than what I’ve seen from the major parties) and they have some good ideas, coupled with idealistic folk who are standing for the right reasons and have yet to be corrupted by the system. Whether they can pull off a surprise e.g. in Kursaal which is up for grabs given their once was Labour lady is now an Independent and has her own following and thus likely to split the vote. As for Greens, going along with the climate emergency scam they are barking up the wrong tree, but I would love to see one of James Vessey-Miller or Tilly Hogrebe (the most intelligent and principled of them all) get in.

The nearest I will get to endorsing a candidate will be for truly Independent Keith Evans, who is looking to regain his Blenheim seat, for when he was the councillor in the past what stood out was him having really made a difference. As for my own ward, St. Lukes, I will be voting (but for who I won’t say and right now can’t say as not having made up my mind) but would be pleased if our unlikely sitting Conservative councillor, Brian Beggs (with his ear stud and social justice acumen), got back in.