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James Miller will be standing as Mayor of Essex for the Confelicity Party in 2026, despite opposing the devolution and local government reorganisation plans
Updated: 13 minutes ago
When I and my fellow co-founders brought the Southend Confelicity Party to life, we did so on the basis of locally-led politics for Southend. Although this hasn’t changed, the political structures we thought we’d be working within likely will.
Devolution - the term used to describe the transfer of select powers from central government to local government (in our case, Essex) alongside the election of a Mayor in most scenarios - and ‘local government reorganisation’ (LGR), which considers how local councils are shaped, which in the case of Essex will be the combining of multiple smaller councils forming into three larger ones, will see our original mission that concentrated primarily on Southend, change to a wider brief that will encompass Rochford and Castle Point, as well as the entirety of Essex.
We had always intended to expand eventually, but never like this.
Regarding LGR, there is nothing at all wrong with our neighbours, our main gripe is all of us will be swallowed up by each other. Southend has a population of 180,000 and this proposed new council will be somewhere close to 400,000.
Regarding devolution, a new body called the Mayoral Combined County Authority is where we find our elected Mayor of Essex, where they will be enriched with all manner of powers, responsibilities and money previously held by central government, with the ability to charge a new precept.
Whilst I am always proud to represent my party in any capacity, as I have done so at both local and general elections, I put myself forward for Mayor of Essex on this occasion unsupportive of the position itself.
Thus, this blog is not about the announcement of my candidacy for Mayor of Essex, though I have shoehorned some justification of my abilities to do so, but rather a critique of the Mayoral position and its pitfalls.
Suitability
What I think some people do not understand is that regardless of any system, it is the person and the people who make all the difference as to whether it works or not.
If the broad goal for a government is to create an environment where we are all healthy and happy then good people will figure out what to do to make that happen - regardless of the system.
The expensive experiment that is about to be undertaken due to Southend, Thurrock and Essex Councils miraculously agreeing to put us forward to be considered for the devolution programme, will not necessarily change things for the better regardless of what the political aficionados say.
Whoever was responsible for writing the White Paper on English Devolution entirely missed that people would be involved. Given that the central premise is to establish a Mayor with significant powers I find this all the more concerning.
Not once does the paper talk about the competency, qualifications, political philosophy, moral compass, work history or skills, knowledge and experience of the person who would become Mayor. Instead it talks about all the glory the position itself can bring.
The Paper effectively amounts to a job description, and I dare say there are a few gaps in my CV and I am dead-sure the same will be true of the other candidates.
I am aware there will be council officers who perhaps will be able to fill these gaps, and the Mayor will be able to select their own group of people to assist, but still it is a significant scope.
Mayor Remit
The Government are talking about centralising decisions to the Mayor’s office which will include: transport; economic growth; housing; skills and education; public safety - even going as far as taking the powers of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA); and health, where they will be invited to chair the NHS Integrated Care Partnership.
I wonder how much the other candidates really know about assessing suitable bus routes throughout Essex; how to start a business, run it successfully and grow industries; the needs of residents when considering land for housing development; keeping people safe when combating terrorism; and exactly how to run a hospital or GP surgery.
Yet, the White Paper says that Mayors will receive ‘unprecedented powers’ over all these areas, even going on to say that ‘when residents elect a Mayor, they need to know that key decisions cannot be blocked by a single council’ and ‘a desire for perfect consensus must not get in the way of tough decisions.’ It has the faint ring of local dictatorship dare I say.
They will oversee a vast empire including places with unique demands such as Colchester, Chelmsford, Southend-on-Sea, Basildon, Harlow, Clacton-on-Sea, Canvey Island, Thurrock, Harwich, Maldon, Braintree and Saffron Walden.
I am sure I could pick it up, but are we sure that empowering so much to one person is the right system that will make us all happy and healthy? Especially a person whose CV will likely have little to do with the suitability for the role.
Brief Background
I have spent almost 30 years working to help build a successful family business with all the experience that has taught me. I have a broad set of skills such as leading people, handling finance, public safety, crisis management, and general management skills involving efficiency and productivity.
I believe in basic values such as democracy, respectful freedom of speech, compassion and empathy.
I didn’t have a silver spoon growing up having spent my childhood on social benefits, and I was educated in what was known as one of the worst schools in Essex at the time - Thorpe Bay High School - which did teach me a good dose of humility. I did go to university as a mature student and picked up a few Business Degrees on the way.
I started a local independent political party having been a member of the Labour Party for 15 years, and stood in several elections building a steady interest in the party. One of the reasons I am standing - aside from trying to win - is to put Confelicity on a bigger platform in which people can hear our local message.
Does this all qualify me?
I’m not sure what CV would be suitable, but the wrong person at the right table has the potential for catastrophe - just look at London. Just look at the country for that matter.
We have ‘Rachel from accounts’ running the economy into the ground backed up by a Business Secretary who has never run a business, but is instead a lawyer, not lawyer.
It points to a larger problem in our electoral system, which is not really the point I am trying to make in this context, but in this context introducing a Mayor is not the solution I would choose, albeit I am in it.
Is the Mayor really Empowered?
The way the White Paper has been written lends itself to being accused of simplifying top-down government.
Newly elected Mayors will be delighted to hear they will attend a ‘Council of Nations’ Chaired by the Prime Minister no less. These meetings will be integral in making Mayors ‘fundamental partners to the government in delivering its missions’ whilst at the same time ‘allowing areas to take back control.’
What I cannot quite understand is if Government missions are conceived by Government (as in the Labour Party) then how are Mayors taking back control of their areas if it is being directed to them?
I doubt very much they considered the idea of a local party such as Confelicity putting forward candidates, but I would certainly not be there to be a conduit to implementing Labour Party policy.
Attack on Greenbelt
For example, Labour want to build 1.5 million homes across the country as one of their missions, therefore, Essex will be picking up much of that strain.
I do not want any part of it.
I believe strongly that Essex, and particularly Southend, is so built up already that we barely have any room left.
I say an unequivocal no to building 10,000 homes on Bournes Green Chase, Hadleigh Farmland or any other green or grey belt land for that matter. I dismiss the well trodden excuse that we need more housing because none of the housing ever goes to local people who can never actually afford it. Approved developments that were supposed to incorporate a percentage of affordable housing is never achieved because the developer exploits the loophole that they can adjust the percentage if the financial viability has changed. Hence, they are sold at market value.
I do not begrudge new housing, but I do have a problem with over-populating an area and ripping up our green spaces.
Addressing immigration is the solution and one I would be eager to discuss with the Prime Minister if I ever got a seat at the table! I must say my view is in no relation to the arguments on multiculturalism or infrastructure. We simply have too many people living here and we are destroying our environment.
Why vote for me?
A vote for me is a vote for true local democracy.
Confelicity has a proven track record to put residents front and centre of decision-making and that will continue.
With no connection to the national parties we are not encumbered with anything that does not fit the local agenda.
The greenbelt and over-population are just a couple of issues that I would be arguing and fighting against. Forget the ‘national missions’ of Labour and focus on what matters to Essex - that would be my intention.
While no one knows the outcome of any election, I am fully aware standing for an unknown party with a restricted budget may make my chances a little more difficult than others, however, despite my deep reservations about the Mayoral position, I believe strongly that a locally-minded Mayor may have the best chance to make this system work, and if elected I would do my upmost to preserve Essex as it is while only making changes that are truly necessary and in the interests of the residents.
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