Eight making the decisions (From Echo)

Eight making the decisions

11:48am Tuesday 9th March 2010 in

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Sonia Edwards and Glyn Evans (March 2), are voicing the widespread concerns of Southend citizens and businesses.

We have a council which is so disconnected from the community, that it looks down on us and regards us as unimportant.

The fact that just eight councillors, the portfolio holders, run the council, is ridiculous.

The fact that Anna Waite runs planning and transport, thereby holding two portfolios, is even more ridiculous.

Yet these eight Conservative councillors are making decisions for the whole town, and their decisions are rubberstamped by the ruling Conservative group.

Sonia Edwards has run businesses in this area for many years. She has made a success of them all.

When she talks about council policies which drive customers and businesses away, she’s talking a lot of sense.

Glyn Evans, as Echo Comment rightly points out, is a real “pillar of the community”.

It’s been my privilege to sit at three Turning Tides board meetings, chaired by Mr Evans. He cares passionately about Southend, yet has now resigned all his voluntary posts and is planning to move away. What a loss.

When it comes to the next local election, think carefully about who has done most for us.

I’m voting for my Independent candidate, and I hope lots of others do in their wards. We will only start turning Southend around and improving our town once the ruling elite are voted out of the Civic Centre.

Freddie Dawkins
Co-ordinator, Milton Ward Community Group
Seaforth Road
Westcliff