Saving democracy and saving Southend’s green belt coincidentally convene at Full Council meeting

Review of The Full Council Meeting: Wednesday, 9th July 2025 at 6:30pm 

Whilst saving Southend’s green belt has become the primary focus for the Confelicity Party and others including Reform, Conservatives, Greens and non-aligned independents, we have also fought to uphold democracy in Southend by petitioning Southend City Council to ensure the 2026 local elections go ahead as scheduled, as opposed to being cancelled on the back of the excuse of Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation.

By coincidence these two issues have become intimately linked as the only way we can stop our green belt from being destroyed is by voting out the local Labour, Lib Dem and Independent Group in 2026 and replace them with councillors who will stand up for our town.

Both issues were on the Full Council agenda, as well as an important vote on restricting some powers of protest. A pertinent topic given the green belt protests that are being lined up over the next year.

Green belt

We had Cllr Cox’s green belt e-petition to stop building 10,000 homes on the green belt land north of Bournes Green Chase, which achieved a record 2,000 plus signatures.  This may not seem a lot, but the council poll is no normal poll - it is in fact a maze of hoops that you’re never quite sure if after the quest of finding where to sign that you’ve actually accomplished the task. I am exaggerating of course, but the point stands!

The wheels are well in motion with the Facebook group: ‘Save Bournes Green Chase Green Belt Land’ (https://m.facebook.com/groups/1233898441457583/wtsid=rdr_0vdnPH4frhzJtAcWzFacebook) and the ‘Save Southend’s Green Belt’ group ‘https://savingsouthendsgreenbelt.co.uk. made up of Southend most stoic and indefatigable residents, so I won’t go into anymore detail here.

E-Petition and motion to uphold 2026 local elections

The e-petition was referred to Cabinet for consideration, as was my e-petition on behalf of the Confelicity Party to urge Southend City Councillors to do everything in their power to ensure the local elections in 2026 go ahead. It was presented by non-aligned independent councillor Stephen Aylen.

I would like to express my gratitude to Cllr Aylen as he is a true independent and did not have to do that.  Had he not, the petition would not have been read out and publicised such as it was.  It must be an eternal frustration that he might get confused for aligning with the so-called ‘Independent Group”, who currently prop up the Labour and Lib Dem coalition. He is fully independent and if those in Belfairs believe in truly independent representation then here is your man.

Having seen the speed and ease with which e-petitions are dismissed at Cabinet I feel certain both will be shot down in flames - particularly by Leader Cowan who loves the sound of his own voice and won’t be able to resist some kind of self-aggrandising, self congratulatory speech while smearing those who genuinely want to see these things happen.

It doesn’t help when Cllr Terry, one of the so-called independent councillors who sits in the the Labour Cabinet alongside Leader Cowan, believed that Green councillor Stuart Allen’s motion asking for democracy to be upheld similar to us, was “apparently on behalf of the Confelicity Party”.

Although Cllr Allen and I have bumped into each other a few times on the previous local election campaign (he enjoyed a landslide in Leigh, whilst I crawled in with a most treasured 80 votes!) and he accepted my request to speak at the recent ‘Save Bournes Green Chase Green Belt Land’ protest, we have never spoken about the 2026 elections. The first I heard about his motion was when I read it in the Echo - to which I was delighted to see.

Maybe he was tarnished with our brush, but the Labour response was underpinned by an aggressive and dismissive tone.

The Conservatives showed their support, with Cllr Buck quite brilliantly edifying the room with part of a speech from past Labour powerhouse Tony Benn MP about upholding democracy, as did Independent Group councillor Ron Woodley who actually seconded the motion. 

As a member of the coalition I have to extend my respect to him. He was also in the news detailing how the administration he is part of has not managed the budget quite as soundly as it has been portrayed. That’s the honesty that residents appreciate.  https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/25231107.southend-council-finances-questioned-councillor/

I was surprised to hear Labour councillor Chris Webster patronisingly say that it was good that residents were taking an interest, but asked why this question was even being asked.

She said “Southend city council has not made any moves to delay the 2026 elections nor has there been any suggestion they might.

“From where I stand there is no threat to the democratic process here in Southend and any change will depend solely on a directive from government.

“It’s important that unnecessary fear or uncertainty is not spread where there is, at present, no basis for it.

“Democracy is at the heart of everything we do and it will be upheld within this amended motion.”

I had a lovely conversation with her at the last election count and she is a very intelligent person with a strong work background, which is why I struggle to understand how she cannot see the contradiction in her argument.  She says she cannot see the threat to democracy and in the next breath acknowledges that it is possible that it will be cancelled by national Government.

Being that the very government who could cancel it is her Labour government, it cannot be difficult to get assurances from their colleagues to 100% guarantee they will go ahead.  Had it been the Tories in power then that might have been a plausible excuse, but not in this instance.

No, anything other than the election going ahead will not be anywhere near acceptable.

But the Labour Leader doubles down.

He is a joy to behold in the council chambers because he never stops spouting ship sinking soundbites.

Before we get to him let’s head to Cllr Dent, another Labour Cabinet member.

He said “whether elections do or do not go ahead is not in the gift of this council but that of the Government.”

He happens to be up for election, and with respect, no one is doing more in his Kursaal ward than Confelicity’s very own Lee Clark. 

Every day he pounds the streets helping residents with damp issues, lighting, pot holes, security, rubbish, and personal issues - and all in his free time. 

He does far more than me or anyone else I know - and there are plenty who do so much.

Matt is unfortunate Lee is going for the same seat as him because for what he is (a career politician) he is a very decent councillor, but Lee grew up in the Kursaal estate and Southend and nothing can compare to his firsthand experience to put things right.

It is highly likely if an election is called Cllr Dent is out. And that without speaking about the major threat of Reform.

If I was a career politician I would never call an election if I wanted to protest my job, money, power and status. The “in the hands of the government” excuse is ready and waiting to be unveiled, they just need to ask Chat gpt for the best way to hoodwink the public.

To be fair, Cllr Dent did express his concern over the 2027 elections as he felt that might confuse the public.  This ill-thought out remark is riddled with condescension and I say it to him so not let democracy capitulate by an unwillingness to communicate matters of procedure correctly.

He also showed concern with the call to duty of elected councillors for just a “solitary year”.  Well, much can happen in a year; for example, voting to destroy the green belt.

Now, let’s get to Leader Cowan.

There seems to be some angst between himself and recent former Labour councillors.  Why they all left him is quite well publicised (https://www.southendconfelicityparty.co.uk/post/cllr-stephen-george-condemns-potential-new-southend-council-leader-daniel-cowan-in-full-council-sho), so I won’t go into detail here. However, he used his platform as leader to castigate those former Labour councillors for remaining on the council after resigning but whom showed their support for retaining the elections in 2026.

He may have a point, but boy was he aggressive making it.

It is quite likely they wouldn’t win their seat if they went up for a bi-election, so in normal circumstances I might agree with him.  Having said that, in the cases that presents themselves I must admit I support their stance to stay and make as much noise as possible!

He would disagree, saying: “if you believe in democracy resign your seat - leave this council because you were not elected under the banner.

“You’re a disgrace to democracy.

“Have a long hard look in the mirror.”

Strong sentiments indeed. No messing with Cllr Cowan.  Do so and you are a “disgrace”. 

The 2026 elections cannot come soon enough, and Cllr Cowan surprisingly agrees:

“We’re not scared of any of you.

“We in the Labour Party relish it.

“We look forward to the opportunity.

“There’s quite a few of you we’re certain we’re gonna pick off next year because we know that the residents of this city support our plans.

“Bring on the elections!”

That’s fighting talk and if his national colleagues weren’t gutting the green belt, sacrificing pensioners wellbeing and wheeling out the most unpopular Prime Minister in history, then I would be sold on his gusto!  As it is, in his uncanny David Brentesque manner, his charge towards oblivion is both foolhardy and not to be believed.

His amendment says it all.

“What there is in this amendment is a sense of pragmatism”.

“So by the time we get to early next year, if the government comes in and they say something different to what we’re saying, we have no power over that.

“We are debating a motion over something we have no power over.

“If the government wants to delay elections the government can delay elections.

“That why we’ve added a simple word “unnecessary delays” (well two) because if something happens that is outside of our control we’re going to look mightily stupid if we’re all sat here going what happened to our elections that we promised everyone”?

I like the term ‘threading the needle’.  I have to do it all the time as complicated and nuanced issues requires surgery like precision to get it just right - and I don’t always manage to get it just right. Cllr Cowan is required, in this case, to thread a very tiny needle, but instead of delicately going about his task, he has decided to just punch a hole in it and see if anyone notices.

Cllr Cowan is basically saying that the elections could still be cancelled and if they are it’s not his fault.

It was always a tricky ask, but he didn’t quite make it. 

He need only have gone along with the motion without amendments and if (more likely when) the elections would be cancelled, actually he would have been in a far stronger position claiming he did do everything in his power to keep them.  The blaming of some unnamed Labour bureaucrat would have been bread and butter.

Silly move to amend the motion and now we know the set up is plain and clear. 

If Labour do not recover in the polls - which is highly unlikely - this election will be cancelled.  With Corbyn’s party on the brink of birth, Starmer’s Labour’s will sink even further.

Dear Southend:

These elections will be cancelled and with it our last chance to save the green belt.

If all this happens I want you to remember that Cllr Cowan was responsible and that we must blacklist him and Labour in our long memories to ensure he and Labour can never be anywhere near power again.

The substantive motion was 41 to 5 and the motion was carried, meaning that the council supports the election going ahead, but recognise the government can cancel it.

Protests under threat

The other very significant motion in this meeting was put forward to include in a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to prohibit political demonstrations and protests within a defined area of Westcliff-on-Sea encompassing

synagogues and Jewish community homes.  This was subsequently amended to include all religious groups.

I think almost all of us are united in wanting to live in peace and no one should be subjected to anything other than that. Not that I have a police background, but there are numerous other mechanisms the police have at their disposal to stop people causing other people fear and unrest - for one thing, they could have deemed the April protest a no-go.

Why they didn’t is most odd. 

It was quite clear why the protest organisers were holding the protest where and when they did. Mine is not a criticism of the police because it is a difficult decision indeed to make balancing the needs of those involved, but it was quite foreseeable what might happen.

Of course those who want to speak out about the Palestine/Israel conflict have a right to do so, and because the stakes are so high it is perfectly understandable why people will act in more extreme measures, but intimating people in Southend I just cannot believe is right because I know none of us would have wished this on ourselves.

Having said all this, I do not agree with this motion.

Cllr Kathy Murphy and Cllr Stuart Allen, as the only two councillors to vote against it, in my opinion were right.

Protests are the fundamental lifeblood of a free society. Yes, the police must guide protestors toward a peaceful march, but let us not start encroaching on our fundamental rights.  Very often an inadvertent precedent can be set and I fear one has just been done.

For instance, if we were to organise a thousand person green belt protest outside Leader Cowan’s home I would deem this unethical. As much as he might be singularly at fault for destroying Southend’s green belt, there are so many other ways we can achieve our goals without harassing individuals in their professional capacity.

If I knew that our next ‘Save Bournes Green Chase Green Belt’ protest on August 9th from 11am to 1pm by the Odeon in Southend High Street would instigate any kind of fear upon any of the Labour-led administration I would pull it.

As it is, I can confidently predict that our speakers and protesters will behave impeccably and make our point loudly, but respectfully, on the road to preventing Labour sell Southend down the river.