Letters Re: LTC - Leigh-on-Sea

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SIR, please may I through your paper, draw attention to the appalling state of our local bus services?

Letter from: Valerie Morgan, Past Chairman Leigh Town Council.

SIR, I was saddened to learn that many of the seats on the Leigh Town Council for 2023-2027 are to be held as Conservative seats.

Leigh Town Council was established in 1996 as a non political council for the benefit of the people of Leigh.

Councillors could be members of political parties, but work within the council was to be solely for the good of Leigh.

To this day that has worked well and when I, as a councillor, attended meetings of the Essex Association of Local Councils I could see how much discord on political lines there often was within the politicised Town and Parish councils that we didn’t have in Leigh.

It was a pleasure to serve as a Leigh Town Councillor because we all worked for “The Good of Leigh”.

Letter from: Coun Mark Flewitt, Borman Close Leigh.

SIR, it is appalling that some City Councillors are openly berating the democratic process.

Leigh Town Council and all other smaller councils, including parishes, are prone to casual vacancies and apathy in serving on them.

However, my party (Conservative) was more than keen to foster interest in serving, so that, I put my name forward for the Elm Ward and was duly elected with two colleagues because nobody else put their names forward, simple as that.

It is disingenuous of others to argue anything to the contrary, because they failed to.

I will play my full part in Leigh Town Council and will be watching carefully the behaviour of the City Council in its dealings with us.

Letter from: Alan Hart, Leigh Town Councillor and candidate for the new term, Randolph Close, Leigh.

SIR, Leigh Town Council has, since it’s 1996 inception, been free of Party Politics.

Councillors may have had Party membership, but have stood and remained Independent in the context of Leigh Town Council. Whatever their credential in the wider political world, Party labels have been left at the door of the Leigh Council Chamber.

Leigh Town Council is now involved in elections to establish or confirm the position of local Councillors on that body, which takes a close-knit interest in issues affecting residents in our area. Leigh Town Council is something to be proud of.

Last year two existing Councillors declared themselves to be a ‘Conservative Group’ within Leigh Town Council, although how two out of sixteen can represent a ‘group’ stretches the imagination. That ‘group’ continued to show no particular bias, until now.

In the current round of elections a clear and genuine Conservative Group has found it necessary to declare themselves as Conservative Candidates and have already gained a ‘majority’ holding on Leigh Town Council, by warrant of nine uncontested seats.

Sufficient candidates from that Group have been nominated to run the possibility of an entirely Blue Council.

An existing Councillor has declared Tory and states that “We have no intention of closing (Leigh Town Council)”. Such declaration by one Councillor is irrelevant, however the Tory penchant nationally for ‘U-turns’ remains a concern!

Further, a Tory candidate, previously a Southend Councillor who resigned that post, has stated that Leigh independent or non-party members have created a ‘hostile environment’ to Conservatives.

This is patently untrue, Leigh was, is and remains non-party, having no wish for any Party dominance whatsoever! A further implication by this individual is to the effect that Councillors only ‘claim’ independence, it is in fact disingenuous to stampede Party candidates into a neutral Council.

As Totally Independent candidate for re-election, I have always campaigned on a ticket of non-party local administration, something which would avoid any hint of ‘opposition’ within Councils.

We need Parties locally, like we need a hole in the head. Above all else, please use your democratic right to vote on May 4 and don’t forget your photo ID at the Polling Stations.

Letter from: Coun Paul Gilson, Undercliff Gardens, Leigh.

SIR, I am very surprised at some councillors reaction to the Conservatives taking control of Leigh Town Council.

Nine seats were uncontested. It was only Conservative residents of Leigh who were conscious and caring enough about our town to put themselves forward. We (Conservatives) however did and we have candidates in the other wards where voting and democracy will be exercised.

We declared who were are on the council, we did not hide behind being an independent or none political candidate.

Some of the claims I have heard are laughable, the leader of the Lib-Dems on the City council Coun Mulroney becomes non party and another Coun Rory Windass says he is independent and then stands for the Lib-Dems in another City Council ward.

Leigh Town council has been very political for many years, the Conservatives have been open about who they are. Why do so many hide behind untruths, we love Leigh and will endeavour to show that in what we do.

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