A candidate for Stanford West who offers honesty, integrity, common sense and accountability.
“Having lived and raised my family in Stanford-le-Hope over almost the past 20 years I feel that the time has come to put something back into the local community.
“I have been shocked and appalled by the lack of responsibility and accountability by the current administration whose financial recklessness has brought about the biggest local authority debt in the UK.
“Make no mistake, we residents have been lied to, conned and forced to pick up the bill for profligacy beyond belief with botched projects like the A13 widening and the shambolic debacle of Stanford-le-Hope’s rail station redevelopment.
“I feel an independent voice that represents residents, not party politics and personal gain, is required.”
Thurrock is £1.5 billion in debt.
Council tax and council rents have soared.
The time has come for a change
No shame, no contrition
AS a journalist covering Thurrock for almost two decades I have seen, up close and personal, the machinations of our borough council.
When I arrived in Thurrock in January 2004 one of my first tasks, having moved into a B&B on London Road in Stanford while I looked for a new family home, was to attend the local community forum, held at Hassenbrook.
Many of the issues raised that day - most notably local anti-social behaviour in the town centres of Stanford-le-Hope and Corringham - remain the same. ‘Where are our police?’ was the top question of the day. Earlier this year I attended a meeting at Homesteads Village Hall - and the same question was asked of the borough’s police chief - about the sixth or seventh to have taken charge of policing in the borough since I arrived. The problems remain the same, it’s just the faces at the top who move on and they don’t buy into our concerns.
The same can be said of the senior staff of Thurrock Council. Paid unseemly amounts of money, they pop into the borough, then pop off to their homes in the leafy suburbs of Surrey or the like. Of course, that is a generalisation, indeed a perception, and doesn’t relate to the vast majority of ‘ordinary’ council staff. There are many fine and hard-working officers within Thurrock Council. It’s just the leadership and direction that’s been lacking.
And leadership comes not just from the senior officers, but from councillors. In my time I have watched Labour, then Conservatives, Labour again and latterly more Tories argue politics, self-preservation and personal reward.
We are all well aware of the many who have flipped backwards and forwards between parties and shown no loyalty to the electorate that ticked their particular political box.
You have my word. Were you to show your faith in me and elect me on Thursday, 4 May, I will not be switching my colours.
If I am privileged enough and honoured enough to be your choice, I will take an independent viewpoint on every bit of casework and every decision I am called upon to vote on. It will be judged on its merits - and the benefit it brings to residents - not dogma!
Neil Speight has damned local politicians who have refused to apologise or show contrition for their catastrophic errors of judgement.
As a longstanding resident of Stanford-le-Hope, living in the Stanford West ward I must start by thanking the incumbent and outgoing councillor, Conservative Shane Hebb for his work in the local area.
While I have a fundamental difference in opinion over the overarching administration of the council and the fact that Shane was the portfolio holder for finance who championed the disastrous ‘borrow-to-invest’ policy, I must be fair and acknowledge that I know first hand, from my experience as a local journalist, that Shane has done a lot of good work in the ward.
Whenever I have asked him, either as a media representative on behalf of a resident, or as a resident myself asking about a local issue, Shane has always responded and on many occasions taken appropriate action.
But that good cannot mask the bad decisions that Cllr Hebb has made - and for which he has singularly failed to apologise or show contrition. And it must not be forgotten that he was almost always the first to get on the front foot and criticise the media and the opposition - and actually mocked and derided them - repeatedly saying there were no problems with Thurrock’s finances or the borrow-to-invest policy. His hand was firmly on the tiller as the ship crashed onto the rocks. Where was the due diligence? Where was the concern?
He must now surely regret his boast that the Conservatives were ‘fixing the roof in Thurrock while the sun shone’. Well the roof remains very leaky and the sun is certainly not shining on our borough which faces decades of debt, massive cuts in services and the selling off of its assets. All on Shane’s watch and for that, it is time he stood down. Instead he stands again. In my view, it’s shameless. ‘Don’t blame me, it wasn’t my fault’. Sorry Shane, it most definitely was. It was what you got paid for.
As a cabinet portfolio holder he netted more than £20,000 a year – money that was still banked month upon month while the debacle of other key projects on his watch, including the massively overbudget A13 widening and the Stanford rail station debacle, went unexplained. Not to mention the vanity project that is the botched Town Hall - another project cloaked in secrecy because the administration could not control its finances. We have yet to see just how much this folly has actually cost us, but it will be many millions more than the Tories have admitted.
Cllr Hebb has continued to claim the Conservatives are the party of good governance and honesty. We now know both of those claims to be total rubbish.
Now it is time for change and I very much hope I can help facilitate that change if you do me the honour of selecting me to represent this ward.
I care passionately about Thurrock, and East Thurrock in particular.
During the time I have lived here I have served as your elected representative on the governing body of Basildon and Thurrock Hospitals Trust. I believe I did good work representing the borough as part of a cross party team from the borough that included Conservative Amanda Arnold and Labour’s Barbara Rice – plus the indomitable Margaret Jones.
Sadly we were swept aside by the onslaught of centralisation and power-brokering by NHS executives and government, who see the health service as a ‘business’ – not a public service.
Can anyone say our health service in Thurrock is any better now than it was 20 years ago when I came to Thurrock? Quite frankly I think not. Once again politics and dogma (from both Conservative and Labour local and central government leadership) has prevailed over the real needs of the people.
One independent councillor elected for Stanford West isn’t going to put all that right overnight – but I will ensure the people’s voice is heard rather than bend to the whim of a political master.
I have also served as a school governor at two local schools and know first hand the struggles they face as government again dictates that business comes before service. Local governors have been swept aside in favour of academies where it seems making or saving money is more important than education and safeguarding our children.
And I have fully engaged in many aspects of community life including spending 10 memorable years as secretary of East Thurrock United FC, working within our local Scouting network (especially with 2nd Stanford) and I have been a member of local charitable trusts and supported volunteers at such magnificent local landmarks as Coalhouse Fort and the Purfleet Heritage and Military Centre.
My time with the Rotary Club of Mardyke Valley has seen many enjoyable hours working on the Thurrock Cycle Marathon and walking the streets of the borough collecting behind Santa’s Sleigh, including a spell with the sadly now defunct Stanford and Corringham branch.
And I have worked with and chaired the Tilbury Riverside Project and I serve as steward to the local RAF Association.
If elected I intend to put my first-hand knowledge of all those organisations to good use in the council chamber and governance of our amazing borough.
Just recently I have joined the committee of the Orsett Show and hope to help ensure its survival through what are undoubtedly very tough times.
Should I be successful in May’s election, I pledge to remain your independent candidate and I will be pressing all of the following causes on your behalf:
I will work hard to ensure just, equitable and transparent management of the council’s financial affairs – and to ensure we never again have to face a punitive increase like the 9.9 per cent council tax increase unjustifiably imposed on residents. I will fight for criminal prosecutions against those wilfully responsible for the loss of hundred of millions of pounds and to continually challenge and hold officers and decision-making councillors to account.
On your behalf I will attempt to ensure the council is on the front foot and pro-active in tackling litter, vandalism and other environmental crime.
I will work hard to ensure that where housing or industrial development is permitted in the borough it is justifiable and comes complete with infrastructure and adds value to our community – not just raping our green belt or infilling community spaces for developers’ commercial benefit.
I will resist the council’s desire to sell off vital community assets, including Thameside Theatre and to protect the local management of village halls, parks and green spaces
I will challenge academies and schools on their delivery to ensure that our children and young people get the education they deserve. And I will encourage young people to take pride in the borough and be inspired to become active citizens
I undertake to campaign for more GPs in Thurrock and for better, more accessible health services. I will challenge the enormous waste of resources in our local NHS trust and health services
And I will be on the front foot for key local issues, including campaigning to reverse draconian parking restrictions in Stanford-le-Hope town centre that is damaging business.
My door will always be open to all residents and businesses in our ward.
Food for thought as vote nears
It was interesting to see the latest leaflet being bundled through local letterboxes by local Conservatives as they fight for the right to represent you on Thurrock Council.
There’s a huge amount going on in Thurrock – and Stanford-le-Hope in particular where we need strong councillors, who are prepared to put local issues beyond dogma and party politics.
Sadly, the two key election messages we appear to have in our area from the Tories is that we need to ‘Stop the dinghies landing in Dover’ and that above all else, the most desperate issue in Thurrock is stopping Labour’s plans to introduce the ULEZ charge in Thurrock.
Dinghies first. There is a correlation between the arrival of asylum-seeking immigrants landing on the shores of south Kent and Thurrock – but it’s a bit long-winded. The government, at least until it works out how to ship them straight off to Rwanda, has to house and care for those who land on our shores claiming asylum.
Let there be no doubt. Many of them are chancers seeking to exploit the UK’s generosity. Many of them are trafficked here having paid criminals to get them ashore. There needs to be a rigorous system in place to check their veracity and those in genuine need should be afforded the UK’s support. Those who have no legitimate or humanitarian need to be here should be refused entry and sent back.
But this nation has a proud and largely unrivalled reputation for opening its doors to those in need and no far right rabble-rousers should get merit for damning those who genuinely need our help.
The correlation is that some of those who come ashore may well make their way to Thurrock. We may have to give up some housing space to ensure the safety of those who are genuinely in need. And it will cost us all a few pence out of our council tax to cover the cost.
But can you put a price on compassion? I don’t think so. And is the influx of immigrants, illegal or otherwise the burning issue in our borough. I am certain it is not. It’s just a desperate, cheap trick from the Tories to appeal to a lowest common denominator.
And just in case anyone has a decent memory and thinks I am being two-faced, I don’t hide the truth. I got my wrists slapped by the Independent Press Standards Organisation a couple of years ago for daring to reflect local concern about the adverse impact of some immigrants in the borough. https://www.ipso.co.uk/rulings-and-resolution-statements/ruling/?id=12001-20. I genuinely believe I was right to run my story in the way I did but my peers judged otherwise and I accepted their decision.
So that correlation comes back again. It is an issue, but it’s far from top of the list.
And so to ULEZ. Well, for a start, there is no plot to bring ULEZ to Thurrock, Labour or otherwise. That’s just made up by COnservatives who are desperate to deflect attention from their own deficiencies and failings.
There is a plan to extend the boundaries of the existing scheme to the borders of Greater London and, without a shadow of a doubt that will cause hardship and expense to some people in Thurrock. It’s wrong and it needs to be opposed. If I am elected to represent you, I will do everything in my power to let Sadiq Khan know his plan is about as welcome as bull in a china shop.
But I when I was researching the history of the ULEZ expansion, something rather remarkable came to my attention.
Did you know that the expansion of the scheme was a Conservative government demand?
No? And I don’t think Thurrock Tories do either.
In a letter to Sadiq Khan on May 14 2020 from then Transport Minister Grant Shapps, the Tories insisted that expansion of ULEZ was one of the conditions that the mayor and Transport for London had to impose to secure an extraordinary package of funding from the governmemt.
To be precise, this is what the Tories demanded must happen in the wake of Covid.
"The immediate reintroduction of the London Congestion Charge, LEZ and ULEZ and urgently bring forward proposals to widen the scope and levels of these charges."
That little fact seems to have bypassed Thurrock Tories - but then again, Cllr Shane Hebb and his pals managed to bypass the loss of a few hundred millions pounds to dodgy dealers, so maybe there’s no surprise there then!
And just in case Mr Khan didn't get the message that his job was to raise cash from transport across London, he was also directed by government to look for:
Options for revenue maximisation, including fares policy and revenue yield choices.
The potential for raising more non-fare based revenue and commercial income.
--------------
When it comes to casting your vote please ask yourself what the real issues in Stanford are at this point in time.
I can offer a few suggestions for starters:
Oppose the imposition of residents having to buy permits to park outside their own home
Getting all residents’ bins emptied every week
Finishing off the station and making it serviceable with a coffee shop and a decent ticket office.
Supporting businesses in Stanford by curbing anti-social behaviour, improving parking and keeping the place clean
Ensuring that parents with special needs children don't have to pay extra to get them to a school where their needs can be best met
Securing local bus services
Stopping the erosion of our green belt - specifically in the short term by fighting plans for a new housing estate on Butts Lane and opposing the planned super quarry off Butts Lane and Walton’s Hall Road
Resolve Wharf Road's travel issues and ensure enforcement of planning legislation on Stanhope Industrial Estate
Ensuring our library stays open and that our leisure facilities across the borough are protected
These are the issues councillors representing Stanford West should be concentrating on. If you honour me with your vote on 4 May I will do my damndest to represent your interest on matters that will impact on your life, your children’s lives and your grandchildren’s lives.
The borough is in a mess. Can you afford to trust the very people who dropped us in it to sort it out?
