Recent News

We are finally holding local elections, following the cancellation of the May 2020 polls. Although necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic, it did mean that the illegitimate Labour-led alliance was given another year in charge of Basildon Borough Council, to our immense frustration. Following months of heel-dragging on holding virtual meetings online, Labour and their so-called…

His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh has passed away, having “died peacefully” at Windsor at the very grand old age of 99. Indeed, he was just two months shy of his 100th birthday. It has been announced that his military funeral (as opposed to a full State Funeral) will be held (in a necessarily…

I am extremely grateful to Cllr Kevin Bentley, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, for taking the time to speak with me over Zoom at the weekend to hear my concerns about local highways issues. Many of you have been contacting me about the current state of the roads, not just in Billericay but…

I am very pleased and relieved to hear that, after years of patient lobbying of our MPs, and the Home Secretary directly, Priti Patel has confirmed that the Government will now be progressing legislation to introduce a criminal offence of intentional trespass.   Residents will be aware that this is something I have been calling…

Thursday night was Basildon Council’s Budget-setting meeting As is customary, the Conservative Opposition moved a fully-costed Alternative Budget, ably moved, as ever, by my ward colleague, Cllr Stuart Sullivan (Con, Billericay East). Stuart works incredibly diligently in preparing our Alternative Budget, liaising directly with the Council’s Chief Financial Officer (known as the Section 151 Officer)…

This was a year that I shall never forget, for reasons both good and bad. What a bizarre year! Can anyone remember anything like it? I thought it started apocalyptically – with the Australian forest fires – but, now that I look back, the things we thought were bad at the beginning of the year…

The Prime Minister has achieved the impossible Like many a tragic politico, I have spent much of the bank holiday weekend trying to absorb the emerging details of the Anglo-European trade deal, signed just hours after my previous blog, predicting that a deal would not be agreed. That’ll teach me! I jest somewhat. I did…

As time runs out for an Anglo-European trade deal, it is important to recognise that things have changed since the 1970s. Today, Britain is not the ‘Sick Man’ of Europe. The EU is! I avoid commenting too much on national politics on this blog but I was asked about the likelihood of a trade deal…

Council set to decommission 9 local play areas in Billericay Basildon Council has today (Wednesday 16th December) launched a public consultation on a ten-year programme around the future provision of play across the borough. While the strategy being proposed by the current Labour-led Administration includes investment in some of our larger play facilities – including…

Billericay remembers the Mayflower, 400 years on At yesterday’s full meeting of Basildon Council, I was proud to move the following motion. “To be moved by Councillor Schrader – The Council notes that this year marks 400 years since one of the most significant sea journeys in human history – the voyage of the Mayflower…