National Viewpoint - Leigh-on-Sea

Share this story!

Leigh On Sea News: National Viewpoint – BY Anna Firth, ex Conservative MP for Southend West & Leigh.

National Viewpoint - BY Anna Firth, ex Conservative MP for Southend West & Leigh.

BY Anna Firth, former Conservative MP for Southend West & Leigh.

UNBELIEVABLE’ is the word most people use on realising that the Prime Minister of this Country, a man on £160,000 a year, whose personal wealth is estimated to be £7.7 million, has chosen to take away between £100 and £300 from around ten million pensioners, including over 17,250 pensioners in Leigh and Southend West.

It is extremely disappointing that both of Southend’s new Labour MPs also voted to axe this vital benefit from over 88% of pensioners across the City.

Shockingly, we now know that since 2019 Sir Kier Starmer has happily accepted over £107,000 in free concert tickets, football tickets, glasses, suits and even clothes for his wife! Hard-pressed pensioners in Leigh-on-Sea will not be able to put their heating on this Winter, while Sir Kier Starmer sits in luxury at football matches.

During the election Starmer constantly preached about lead ing a Government of service, who would have imagined that he actually meant self-service? The on-going attempts by Starmer and Reeves to justify such a bad decision based on a made-up £22 billion black-hole of debt that neither the Office of Budget Responsibility nor the Treasury have been able to verify or justify, is as dishonest as it is immoral.

If there really was a £22 billion black-hole in the nation’s finances, how did the Government find £10 billion in public sector pay increases, including paying train drivers, already on £60,000, an additional £10,000 a year?

Standards in public life matter. Our pensioners matter. The Winter Fuel Payment is a crucial lifeline, helping thousands of pensioners in Southend West and Leigh, stay warm and safe when temperatures drop.

Whilst I do not disagree with the principle of means-testing, taking away vital assistance with no notice and no impact assessment is either incompetent, vindictive, or both.

Southend and Leigh has a higher-than-average proportion of older residents who have contributed significantly to our society throughout their lives. It is only fair that we continue to support them in their later years. So, together with a group of wonderful local volunteers, my solution is to do something about it. ‘Eat, Heat and Meet’ is a new, local initiative, backed by local businesses, aimed at providing vulnerable pensioners with an opportunity to enjoy a delicious free meal of fish and chips accompanied by musical entertainment and followed by free ice-cream, tea and coffee. Teaming up with Age Concern, we are also aiming to provide vital, instant advice on how to claim pension credit and stay warm. The first event will take place at Iveagh Hall, Leigh Road, at the end of November.

In the meantime, please also join me in signing the national Age UK petition aimed at forcing the Government to reverse this cruel decision: https://campaigns.ageuk.or g.uk/page/154268/peti tion/2 In other news, two important new law changes that I secured while MP for Southend West & Leigh have now come into force.

Firstly, the Pet Abduction Act will make our pets safer by ensuring the cruel crime of pet theft is now finally formally recognised and that callous pet thieves now face up to 5 years behind bars. Secondly, the total ban on all forms of zombie knives that I campaigned so hard for in Parliament to make our seafront and our young people safer, is now law.

Anyone caught selling, manufacturing, importing, transporting, or in possession of a zombie knife, whether in a shop, at home or any other private place, will now be liable to up to 2 years behind bars.

Most importantly, anyone caught selling knives to under-18’s, including on line, will also risk spending 2 years behind bars.

We all know how devastating these lethal knives can be and we absolutely must get them out of homes, off Amazon and out of specialist retailers, so that they never get onto our streets in the first place.

Last month I also accompanied the wonderful Music Man project to Italy for their world premier of ‘Music is Magic’ in Milan. Performing alongside the incredible Italian group ‘Allegro Moderato’, Music Man represents the very best of Britain, and of Southend.

Led so ably by David Stanley BEM, Music Man is a jewel in Southend’s crown. It is vital we find them a dedicated building so that we can welcome international music groups back to Southend to enjoy our City and witness first-hand all that we have to offer.

Watch this space!

Finally, I am delighted to see that both Southend MPs are committed to continuing the nationally leading water quality meetings that I pioneered in Leigh-on Sea to hold Anglian Water to account.

about author

Editor