By Rachel Charman 8.15am: Casting my vote at the Thorpe polling station in the scout hut opposite Southchurch park. It’s early but there has already been a reasonable flow of people. It may be early but a BNP supporter has already scribbled “BNP✓” across the wall of the booth. The tradition of putting an...
Read more »
With just one more day left until Britain goes to the polls, Councilbust.com editor Rachel Charman meets Rochford and Southend East Labour candidate Kevin Bonavia.
Read more »
By Rachel Charman Southend Borough Council today released the notice of poll for Rochford and Southend East. In Southend West, competition for David Amess’ former seat is heating up. Mr Amess will run again, against Barry Bolton of the Green Party, Gary Cockrill of UKIP, Tom Flynn of Labour, Terry Phillips of the English...
Read more »
By Rachel Charman Milton Community Partnership’s hustings for the Rochford and Southend East candidates turned out to be a surprisingly entertaining evening. Audience members certainly weren’t shy; several appeared to have been saving up burning questions and delivered them with passion, even venom in some cases. Each candidate in turn shone at one point...
Read more »
By Rachel Charman Former Conservative MP for Rochford and Southend East James Duddridge faced his opponents at a hustings organised by the Milton Community Partnership yesterday evening. The event, held at St Mark’s Church, Southend, drew a large audience and debate was heated. Mr Duddridge and his opponents, Kevin Bonavia (Labour), Graham Longley (Lib...
Read more »
By Rachel Charman Southend’s two Labour party candidates have declared their interests ahead of the General Election in May. In late March, the Government urged people standing for election this year to declare the details of other jobs, property assets and their tax status, in order to promote greater transparency in Westminster. This voluntary...
Read more »
By Rachel Charman Rochford and Southend East Labour Parliamentary candidate Kevin Bonavia has signed a pledge against the repeal of the Hunting Act. The pledge was created by the League Against Cruel Sports and published last week. The document lists politicians and MPs who will not vote to repeal the Hunting Act. The Hunting...
Read more »
By Rachel Charman As the country gears up for local and general elections, which are likely to fall on 6th May, Southend’s Labour Party last night launched a local manifesto entitled ‘Southend Deserves Better’. At an event at the Cliffs Pavilion last night, Cllrs David Norman (Labour group leader), Judith McMarn, Stephen George, Margaret...
Read more »
Ahead of the excitement of the general election, Councilbust.com is creating a series of podcasts featuring interviews with the prospective Parliamentary candidates for Southend’s seats. This week, Councilbust.com editor Rachel Charman interviews Julian Ware-Lane (Castlepoint, Lab), Kevin Bonavia (Rochford and Southend East, Lab), and Peter Welch (Southend West, Lib Dem) to talk political apathy,...
Read more »
Labour prospective Parliamentary candidate Kevin Bonavia has raised concerns over how many children from Southend primary schools reach grammar schools in the area. Mr Bonavia has reacted to figures that emerged from Southend Borough Council’s Children and Lifelong Learning Scrutiny Committee meeting earlier this week. The figures show that 46% of admissions to Southend’s...
Read more »
