It’s astonishing to think that the elections taking place across Essex next week very nearly never happened. You will know that I have written in these pages several times about the collusion of both Labour and the Tories to cancel elections in Essex – something they attempted not once, but twice!
For a considerable period of time, it looked as though the people of Essex would be denied a vote for a second year running. But after enlisting the help of some very clever legal brains, my party, Reform, challenged the government in the High Court with a judicial review.
Just before that court case was to be heard, the government effectively conceded and made a screeching U-turn. The choice on Thursday 7th May is clear. You can vote for the two parties that colluded to stop you from voting in this election, or you can vote for the party that defended democracy and will fight for your priorities on Essex County Council.
And let’s just lift the lid on the current record of the local Conservatives for just a moment. Council tax has surged by over 22% over the last 5 years and the council is over £478 million pounds in debt. That debt is now costing £18 million per year in interest payments. Meanwhile they wasted £200 million on achieving so-called “Net Zero targets” in their 2022/23 budget.
Reform won 12 councils at the local elections last May and our record in local government since speaks for itself, with £325 million in wasteful spending cut this year and £400 million identified for next year. I am proud to say that because of this, Reform councils have kept council tax rises far lower than bloated Conservative and Labour authorities.
Finally, your local Reform candidates are campaigning against the closure of Clacton Town Hall. If the local government reorganisation planned by Labour and waved ahead by local Tories goes ahead it will mean the end of truly local planning decisions, disaster for the elderly residents that rely on it and would break the links between the electors and the elected even further.
With this and everything else I have put to you today in mind, I would ask you to consider voting for Reform on Thursday 7th May.
