onlineFOCUS – News and Stuff For Rochford District since 2003

We had Full Council last night, a fairly straightforward half-hour of deciding who does what for the next year.

First of all Cllr Joan Mockford stepped down as chairman of the council. She has commendably  raised over £11000 for her chosen charities during her year. Joan had prepared some cheques -  £8000 to Southend Hospital (towards cancer research), £1500 to the Mushroom Theatre Company, £1500 for the local talking newspaper for the blind, and £770 to Holy Trinity Church.

Secondly, Cllr Barbara Wilkins, who has been vice-chairman, was elected Chairman. There was some interesting moments during her first moments in the Chairman’s Chair, as she is a petite lady and  needs a cushion! However Barbara is a very popular choice as chairman and we very much wish her well for her year in office. Her chosen charities were , she said, ” small local ones where a small amount of money makes a difference.” They are the local Multiple Sclerosis  society, the South Essex Youth Orchestra and the Ryan Tolley Leukaemia Trust Fund.

And then we elected the new-chairman, who normally becomes chairman one year later. This decision lies completely in the control of the Conservative Group, who vote on this in one of their private group meetings beforehand.  Rather unusually , and to their credit, the Conservatives proposed a Liberal Democrat – June Lumley. Naturally we are delighted by this, and see it as deserved recognition of June’s work on the District Council, the Town Council and especially with local voluntary groups. Responding to the nomination, Chris Black said: ‘The words’ grace’ and intelligence’ come to mind. The nomination was made with grace and intelligence, and I’m sure June will show her usual grace and intelligence in her new civic duties”

June Lumley

May 22nd, 2013 | Category: Conservatives, Council Drama, Good Causes, Liberal Democrats | Leave a comment

Although the Conservatives took a battering last Thursday, they are still in control of Essex County Council. They have just chosen a new leader and deputy leader, to replace their previous leader who stepped down.

The new leader is David Finch, who was previously deputy leader and represents Hedingham. Rather confusingly, according to the County Council, his home address is Blacksmiths Cottage
Borley, Nr Sudbury , Suffolk. But it seems that the village of Borley is indeed just inside the boundaries of Essex.

The new deputy leader is Kevin Bentley, who represents Stanway and Pyefleet and lives on Mersea Island.

May 6th, 2013 | Category: Conservatives, Essex & East | Comments (13)

We are a bit amused by the Conservative leaflet for Rayleigh South, which shows a picture of their candidate with the caption “John is a Familiar Figure”. Because he lives in Chelmsford , so he is hardly a familiar figure here. Totally misleading.

And actually, it’s a bit arrogant as well.
Even people who have lived here for 50 years wouldn’t be so boastful as to claim to be a ‘Familiar figure”!
Who writes their election leaflets?

April 9th, 2013 | Category: Conservatives, Elections | Leave a comment

Good morning Hilton,

We know you sometimes read onlinefocus and have left comments here in the past. However we have seen the leaflet from your candidate in Rayleigh South , John Flack, and it doesn’t give his home address!?

The last address we can find for him on  the web in this news article here  where his address was Stebbing, near Braintree.

Where is his home now?

Best Wishes

Chris Black

April 4th, 2013 | Category: Conservatives, Elections | Leave a comment

There has been another resignation by a Conservative District councillor – this time it is by Peter Webster, who was elected for Whitehouse Ward in Rayleigh. Peter is a former Conservative leader of the Council. Many of us will miss the fierce political debates we’ve had with him. Though the Lib Dems have had many political disagreements with Peter, he has always been good natured towards us personally.

Peter is unable to carry on for personal reasons, and we send Peter and his wife Councillor Mavis Webster our best wishes.

March 15th, 2013 | Category: Conservatives, Rayleigh | Comments (1)

Simon Heffer has written about Essex County Council  today in The Daily Mail:

Tory-controlled Essex County Council decided this week not to sue their disgraced former leader Lord Hanningfield for the £287,000 of ratepayers’ money he spent flying around the world with cronies and dining in style.

This is a rash move. In four and a half months, the council is up for re-election.

I am appalled that Essex Tories have such a cavalier view of financial accountability. Anyone who votes to put them back into office next May is mad.

Did they take this view about Hanningfield because some of them, too, have things on their conscience?

 

Hat-tip: Nick Barlow

December 15th, 2012 | Category: Conservatives, Essex & East | Comments (3)

The BBC reports that the former Tory leader of Essex County spent £286,000 on his council card over 5 years . He was forced to pay back over £30,000:

In publishing logs of his credit card spending, the council confirmed Lord Hanningfield had been able to sign off his own spending.The peer’s card use from 2005 to 2010 lists thousands of transactions, including spending on flights, train journeys, meals and hotel stays which amount to £286,000 in total.

Lord Hanningfield’s spend on the credit card included

• £ 9,396 on flights to the US for himself and a council officer and £4,614 on flights to Shanghai.
• £3,840 for five people to stay at the four-star Norfolk Royale, Bournemouth (length of stay not specified).
• £2.89 at a noodle bar in Mumbai.
• £61.95 on “books for travel”.
• £217.54 Dinner for two in Brussels
• £230 on a day at Goodwood racecourse.
• £1,180 accommodation for three people at Chewton Glen Hotel and Spa in Hampshire (length of stay not specified)
• £467 Dinner for Lord Hanningfield and two other lords at Gordon Ramsey restaurant in London
• £18.99 charger for his phone
• £2,000 on food, travel and accommodation, Labour Party conference
• £540.25 Dinner at 15 in Cornwall (Jamie Oliver restaurant)
• £518.25 The following night, dinner at Seafood restaurant, Padstow (Rick Stein’s restaurant)
• £736 Christmas lunch in Chelmsford for council officers
• £8,051 Flights to CGLF conference for Lord Hanningfield and officer (destination unspecified)
• £23.27 for lunch at Thelma and Louise café in Sydney
• £538.78 House of Lords dinner for borough mayor, LH and two others
• £3.06 drinks claim while on US trip
• £120 Accommodation for chauffeur, King’s Lynn, Norfolk
• £372.40 on Limousine hire
• £905.60 Dinner at Lib Dem Conference
• £107 on drinks for four in Hot Springs, USA
• £544 drinks bill for one month in House of Lords
• £5,274.51 on accommodation in India

And what about other Conservative County Councillors?

An internal audit report published on Thursday by the county council reveals wider concerns about the use of corporate credit cards dating back to 2003.

At one stage there were 12 cards held by senior figures at the Conservative-run council.
The 2008 report said: “Whilst no misuse of council resources has been evidenced, the lack of supporting documentation and detail of card expenditure means that it cannot be said that there is no inappropriate card expenditure.
“There has been much use of corporate cards exceeding the authority’s guidelines for use and travel and subsistence policy.”
The report said in a sample of 31 authorised credit card transaction logs covering a three month period, 25 (80%) included expenditure which was either not in accordance with the council’s guidelines or supported by invoices or receipts.

November 16th, 2012 | Category: Conservatives, Essex & East | Leave a comment

Three Conservatives have put forward a motion for tomorrow night’s meeting of Full Council; it’s from Terry Cutmore, Keith Hudson and Heather Glynn:

‘This Council calls on the Royal Mail to reconsider very carefully the proposals to relocate the delivery offices currently available in Canewdon, Great Wakering and Rochford town.
Whilst noting the need for efficiency, the Council is concerned for the service level available for elderly and disabled residents as well as residents without transport in respect of the collection of non-delivered items and business collections of mail.
We trust that the Royal Mail will make their concluding decisions taking these matters fully into account.’

October 22nd, 2012 | Category: Canewdon & Around, Conservatives, Rochford, Wakering & Foulness | Leave a comment

The “Rochford Life” online magazine has a new interview with Rochford Councillor Gill Lucas-Gill in the aftermath of the local elections. Understandably she’s disappointed with the turnout:

RL: So what do you feel about the elections?
Jill: Well I think the big disappointment of the elections was the turnout; it was awful.

RL: Do you think it is more to do with national politics than it is local politics and that people are basically just tired out with politics, especially in the present economic climate?
Jill: I think people probably are and I appreciate that, unless you are in it like we are, it doesn’t have the effect upon you that perhaps it should do, but I just think that it would be good if everybody came out and voted, but 22.2% is appalling. It’s never high in any election but this was terrible.

You can read the full article here.

May 21st, 2012 | Category: Conservatives, Elections, Rochford | Leave a comment

We’ve recently added links to three Southend blogs in our right sidebar. Rather neatly , there’s one Lib Dem, one Conservative and one Labour. Though we haven’t done this out of any deliberate political balance – they are all worth a look in their own right.

Neil Monnery is a Liberal Democrat in Southend who writes in a thoughtful but frank manner.

Anna Waite is a well-known Conservative and former Borough Councillor who actually lives in Barling.

Ms Jack Monroe is a Labour blogger in Southend who writes in a pretty lively manner. Some of her recent posts are particularly interesting; she is attempting this years Living Below The Line Challenge. As she explains:

I’m a day late with this one, but I thought I’d join in with this years Live Below The Line challenge, whereby participants are challenged to live on £1 a day for food.

Having done this already when I left the Fire Service, I figure that I’m a bit more prepared than most people for how to actually prepare 3 meals a day for less than a pound. So I’ve got 4 days left, £4 to spend, and 12 meals to keep myself going on. I’ll blog my progress here…

One of her meals was carrot, cumin and kidney bean soup for 14p…

May 9th, 2012 | Category: Conservatives, Food and Drink, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, Money Tips, Southend, Web Stuff | Comments (1)

Back in October we pointed out that the Rayleigh and Wickford Constituency did the worst in the whole of the UK for getting lottery funding from the national lottery. We came a pathetic 650th.

The 5 constituencies that have received the most money by October this year were all in London:

1st Poplar and Limehouse £34,450,465
2nd Islington South and Finsbury £15,102,479
3rd Enfield North £10,920,878
4th Cities of London and Westminster £8,020,607
5th Brentford and Isleworth £7,208,555

Rochford and Southend East did pretty well : £1,035,977

But look at the bottom 5:

646th Reigate £18,690
647th Surrey Heath £15,051
648th Kingswood £10,116
649th Gosport £9,792
650th Rayleigh and Wickford £3,488

That’s right. Rayleigh and Wickford constituency came bottom of the whole UK. Even the place that comes 649th got about three times as us. That £3,348 is roughly 5p per person per year.

This must have made dispiriting reading for the constituency MP Mark Francois. But credit where its due, he’s now helping with an event to help local organisations apply for grants. Full details are on the District coucil website

On Friday 13th January 2012, Mark Francois will be opening a Big Lottery Fund hosted briefing event for representatives of organisations including not-for-profit or community groups, schools, and parish/town councils based in Rayleigh, Wickford and the surrounding area who are looking for funding. The briefing, which will be held in Wickford, will also be attended by Big Lottery Fund’s Chief Executive Peter Wanless and representatives from local support organisations including RRAVS
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Representatives from the all of main Lottery distributors Arts Council, Big Lottery Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund and Sport England will be giving an overview of the funding available from their individual organisations in the afternoon, there will be an opportunity to discuss any proposed projects in workshops and/or brief one-to-one sessions with representatives from the lottery distributors. There will also be a workshop focusing on Awards for All. Groups are able to opt for the afternoon session only if they wish.
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Booking only – if you would like to attend this event, please download the booking form. Send the completed booking form to regionevents.ea@biglotteryfund.org.uk as soon as possible. Confirmation of your place, the agenda and further details will be sent nearer the time of the event via email. Please note that places are limited but we will do our best to accommodate as many groups as possible.

December 31st, 2011 | Category: Conservatives, Good Causes | Comments (3)