For Southend West & Leigh
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
Grrrl Zine Fair started in 2015 as a way to bring together feminist self-publishing through an event. They create events, workshops, and zines and manage a queer and feminist zine library based in Southend at the Old Waterworks. Organiser is Lu Williams, the artist who makes zines and curates the library. Ably assisted by her dog, Poly.
They bring girls, women, transgender, non-binary, and gender-fluid people to the forefront, prioritizing their voices through events, commissioning new artworks, hosting zine and skill-sharing workshops, talks, and occasionally curating exhibitions.
Hand-making a paper magazine to share with like-minded creatives is more like something I did in the 1980’s so it’s good to see this grass-roots cool stuff is still happening.
Many being students I asked them would they vote Liberal Democrat? They said no, they’d rather vote for the Green Party. There’s a lesson there: the young remember and once trust is gone, it is gone forever. Maybe if we can come up with some way to undo our mistake, like debt forgiveness, increasing the threshold when it kicks in or simply paying it instead of the student is the solution.
Education is a right not a product to be sold. Parents like my wife and I have already paid for my daughter’s university education through my taxes. Not to mention other sons and daughters’ educations. That’s how it should be in a liberal democracy.
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.
I attended a SEND hustings on Thursday 25th April 2024 at Highlands Methodist Church in Leigh. There are over 2,000 adults with disabilities living with their families in Southend and this was my chance to meet some of them and listen to their views.
The hustings was arranged by Making Care Fair (MCF), a local campaign led by adults with learning difficulties and Southend Mencap.
The people attending this event said loud and clear is that the council has severely reduced their the level of engagement with them. On top of that, they have not been able to access money they are entitled to because the forms are ridiculously long and difficult to correctly complete. Essential public services like footpaths and busses are not allowing our citizens with mobility issues to get where they need to go.
The Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is intended to be financial support for people with learning disabilities (LD) to live independently, regardless of their savings or income. However, in Southend, when applying for care packages, a financial assessment considers PIP, potentially leaving some with very little money for basic needs.
Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has called for a new national agency for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Recently, the BBC showed that only 1% of children in Essex received an assessment for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) within the 20-week legal limit.
A society is not just an economy. It is a community. There is so much we must do for all the citizens of Southend. Otherwise, what are we as people?
Link to the Southend SEND Strategy 2023 to 2026
