Castle Point Candidate slams lack of vision in South Essex 12th Nov 2007

Castle Point parliamentary candidate, Julian Ware-Lane today slammed comments by Cllr Anna Waite, Southend Cabinet Member responsible for transport, who suggested that South Essex councils were against the new bus scheme for the elderly.
For Mrs Waite to suggest that councils in South Essex don't wish to join the national scheme is as good as a commitment to stay in the dark ages. Retirement will bring the freedom to travel anywhere between John O'Groats and Land's End for free, except in South Essex. This sends a clear signal to the rest of the country - South Essex is shut for business and visitors. Southend famously still measures its seafront in furlongs. I fully expect conservative councils and MPs to call for the return of the groat as a form of currency.
It really is time for South Essex leaders to wake up and participate in such schemes. I suspect that behind all of this is some wish to create media stories that deflect attention away from more pressing matters such as Southend Council's inability to balance the books again.
Throughout all this tilting at windmills, the people of South Essex are losing out on real benefits due to petty politicking.