Dropping leaflets through a letter box rather than an inbox is still an important part of the democratic process. This is what I’m sending the people in my constituency to convey what I want to do on theri behalf.
I met Bayo Alaba at the Surfers against Sewage protest and he was an absolute gentleman. We may have been standing for different parties but he treated me, a disabled person with complete respect and I have nothing but respect for him in return. Standing for different parties makes no difference to that. We stood together on the beach against sewage in our community.
I don’t get angry about much, but the way the representatives of the local conservative party have spoken about him, been caught doing it and then cynically apologising is not acceptible in a civilised society. Coconut is a racist term. It is describing someone as black on the outside and white on the inside. I hate even having to type that. You can see the exchange below between Conservative Cllr Reece Smith and Conservative Parliamentary Candidate Gavin Haran. Just imagine what they say that hasn’t been captured in black and white.
Here he is getting a photo taken with Anna Firth and Ron Woodley at a commemoration of the D-Day landings. I wonder did they leave early after this.
The WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) campaign was started because many women born in the 1950s were unfairly affected by changes to the state pension age. In 1995, the Tory government decided to equalise the state pension age for men and women, raising it from 60 to 66. However, these changes were implemented with little notice, leaving many women with insufficient time to adjust their retirement plans. As a result, these women faced unexpected financial hardship and uncertainty. The WASPI campaign seeks to address this injustice by demanding fair compensation and better communication from the government regarding future pension changes.
WASPI crowdfunded £100,000 to pay for legal action in order to challenge these changes. Justice is not at all ‘open’ in this country. We all have a right to agitate and protest. We can be WASPS and I stand with these women.
Finally, WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) have won their case and should be compensated immediately by the incoming government, following the ombudsman’s recommendations. It only amounts to between about £1,000 and £3,000 each. It’s especially frustrating that The State Pension Age (Compensation) Bill was dropped due to the general election being called when far less important bills were pushed through.
The Liberal Democrats have warned that the Conservative Party’s plans to spend £2.5 billion on National Service would lead to cuts to vital services in Southend.
The Conservatives have said their plans would be paid for by slashing funding for local areas through the Shared Prosperity Fund from 2028-29, which funds projects that boost jobs and living standards, improve public services and build pride in local communities.
This fund has provided £1,338,755 of funding for Southend from 2022 to 2025. Thirteen local projects have been funded, but details have not been published by the council yet.
The Liberal Democrats said it showed the Conservative Party had completely the wrong priorities, and called on the government to reverse their plans to slashed troop numbers by 10,000 instead.
The Conservative Party has already done so much damage to people’s living standards and public services in Southend with all their chaos. Now they want to slash funding for local services to pay for their hare-brained plans for a National Service, which are nothing but a desperate distraction from the government’s record of failure on the NHS and economy.
If the Conservatives were serious about defending Britain’s security, they would reverse their plans to cut the Army by 10,000 troops.
The power finally returns to the people. The 4th of July will come fast. It is an opportunity to change from the Conservative Party in Southend West and Leigh. Maybe it seems like we’ve always had a Tory MP, even back to the Guinness-on-Sea days. Change is gonna come, and good things come to those who wait. Like a good pint of Guinness.
Vote now for things actually getting better. Our future is back in our control.
I’m delighted to introduce myself as your Liberal Democrat candidate for Southend West & Leigh.
When people hear “Liberal Democrat,” I want them to think of hopeful and positive politics. Our party wants to make a society where everyone can live their best life in a free and fair community. We are a collaborative party and will bring success to Southend and the wider South Essex area by working with other progressive parties. Just like we do on the Southend city council in our coalition with Labour and the Independents.
I was born in England and grew up in Ireland. In a way, I’m a returning immigrant with roots here. I live and work in Southend and have done so for almost 10 years. I came here initially for contract work at Southend Borough Council but fell in love with the Thames estuary, the quality of life here and the friendly people. My daughter attended Eastwood Academy where I served as a governor. I set up a residents’ association where we initially lived on San Remo Parade and started the Southend Dog Friendly Beach campaign. I also ran for the local council in West Leigh. Additionally, I’m studying part-time for a Master of Laws (LLM) in Human Rights and Family Law. I work from my home on Victoria Avenue for an asset management company in the City of London as an Information Architect. For fun, I run a book club and a synthesizer club at Anke’s Tea and Coffee Lounge in Westcliff.
If you’ve seen me around, you’ll know I have a disability. It is called PFFD which means I have short legs and walk on crutches. You’ll see me most days flying along the Chalkwell Esplanade on a skateboard with my three small dogs, Georgie, Gizmo and Tinx. My wife and I’s favourite thing to do is sit at the Saltwater Beach Cafe and chat to our friends and neighbours and pat their dogs. Being disabled hasn’t stopped me from living a full life, but it has given me a greater empathy for others. I understand the struggles we face to live well, protect our loved ones, and show kindness and compassion. We need more equality and fairness in our society, not selfishness and greed. Not everything’s value can be measured in pounds and pence.
It may seem impossible to shift from a Conservative MP in Southend, but the Tories are now unrecognisable compared to the party they were a decade ago. They have failed to protect our beautiful estuary, our local economy, our health service and the safety and security of our families. With a new government in July, my focus as your MP will be to challenge the parliamentary decisions that shape our lives. Voters now have a rare opportunity to choose a fresh start to secure our future in Southend West and Leigh. Trust me with your vote and let’s do this together. To follow my campaign, visit http://www.stephencummins.org.uk
Depends who you ask! Americans fighting for Independence would have said it is to be free or die trying. France would have it being about a free-market, Canada Trudeau’s government which grew out of reformists.
So what about here in the UK? We had Tories vs Liberals for in some form hundreds of years. The Conservatives evolved from the traditional long-haired, pro-king Cavaliers and the liberals from the short-haired Roundheads.
It has always been a fight of new vs old, tradition vs modernity, looking forward vs looking back, looking inward of our national border vs looking outward.
When Labour came along, it was another shift: to the idea that the people who work drive society, not the parasitic capitalists. This change made the Liberals almost become extict. The last Liberal government in in England was their landslide victory 1906 against the Tories.
In May 2024, it’s more about how authoritarian a party is and how much for social justice vs freedom they are. A libertarian in America would say no to big government, basically a survival of the fittest approach to society. Socialism and Communism are seen as ways to take away your freedoms.
But there’s freedom to and freedom from. For us all to be really free we need to restrain the worst excesses of Capitalism or we’re back to a world of child labour slavery and a life that is, as Hobbes said ‘nasty, brutish and short’ We give up some freedom to gain more. For example, we’ll stop at a Red traffic light so that motorists generally including us don’t get maimed or killed in a car crash.
The chart here on Political Compass shows we the Lib Dems are balanced on societal freedom vs justice/equality. We’re a bit more to the right on Economic policy, so not against personal wealth but not for everyone giving up everything they have.
The compass is constantly moving though and different everywhere you go in the world though. It is not an exact science.
