Ray Prepares To Take The Fight To Island ‘Independents’

IN A STATEMENT issued today, the local Castle Point Conservative Association announced their pleasure at Ray ‘Mr Canvey’ Howard agreeing to stand for re-election as Borough Councillor for the Canvey Island West Ward in next year’s May Council election. At the same time, the Echo was announcing yet another island fight that Ray had successfully concluded – rescuing Winter Gardens’ pre-school budget from Essex County Council.

Ray will lead a strong team of candidates, committed to winning back Conservative seats from the Independent Party. He will be joined by James Parkin in South Ward; Mark Howard in Winter Gardens; Lydia Parkin in East Ward; and Chas Mumford in North Ward.

At the same time the Conservatives will be battling to gain control of Canvey Island Town Council. Candidates already in place include Bill Sharp in Central Ward; Tony Belford in South Ward; and Pat Haunts in North Ward.

The selection process for remaining seats will continue over the coming weeks.

Vera Partridge, Castle Point Conservative Association Chairman, said: ‘We are delighted to have so many applications to stand as Conservative Councillors on Canvey Island.

‘I think that it is an indication of the growing popularity of the party on Canvey after Rebecca’s success during the General Election.’

The Conservatives will face fierce opposition from what has become an entrenched Canvey Island Independent Party (CIIP) after last May’s local elections and the increased public concern over its handling of residents’ Town Council (TC) contributions. Earlier this year, the TC was forced to abandon its plans for a ‘Summer Fun’ package when it became evident that there was not enough money in the pot; but despite having to raid the reserves to support its spending on Canvey Lake and other community assets, which it is now responsible for, the TC still went ahead with its recent Citizenship Awards and island Christmas Lighting at a planned £30,000 cost.

This year the Town Council has been keen to empty its previously healthy reserves and to take on further expensive commitments like Canvey Lake and the Concord Pool to further poison the already corroded chalice for any new administration next May. During its first few years in office, the Town Council hoarded resident funds – only to spend all that money now, in its last year, in a cynical Public Relations campaign designed to attract local resident support.

As with most things CIIP, it is difficult to distinguish between political manoeuvring and just plain incompetence. While the utter confusion of its PR Spokesman and Borough Councillor, Neville Watson, calls upon Tory councillors and his own leader to give-up much of their pitiful allowances for conducting the Borough’s affairs, he is apparently unaware of the £132,909 that his party apparently spent last year in Town Council staff and overhead costs – amounting to some 50% of the TC’s £265,941 precept received from islanders.

This year the Town Council plans to increase that expenditure to £232,250 – around another £100,000; and equivalent to twice the amount of money Neville’s pet Castle Point Social Car Scheme apparently needs to survive. But, under its CIIP leadership, the Town Council has never sought to provide additional services to its needy residents. Instead it has concerned itself only with taking-over costly community assets from Castle Point Borough Council and squandering islander money on their maintenance.

It remains to be seen what possible proposals the Tories can offer to rectify the TC’s precarious financial position, and create a local parish institution of which islanders can be truly proud…