NOT so many years ago, this was a even Labour-Conservative split. In many ways, the two parties sort of lived in harmony with cllr Amanda Arnold and Barry Lawrence joining forces to fight issues such as the Aveley/South Ockendon masterplan.
After that we had a few years of Amanda Arnold/Barry Johnson and Lynn Carr who again did a lot of sterling work.
Of course there was the four years of Labour’s Aaron Kiely which, we have said all we have to say on him.
Cllr Barry Johnson is defending his seat. In 2012, he ran an under the radar campaign that was, we like to think buoyed by his personal relationship and endeavour and the visit of Ed Miliband to Brandon Groves.
Barry Johnson is running a similar campaign focussing on all the local issues as well as advocating fiscal prudence in the council.
He may have a fight on his hands as UKIP are going for a hat-trick.
At the moment they have Jan Baker who won by 414 votes (45%) in 2014 and then Kevin Wheeler, who won by 694 votes (43%).
What cllrs’ Baker and Wheeler get out of being councillors is beyond us. To the best of our memory, cllr Baker has, in two years, not uttered a single word in the council chamber. Cllr Wheeler is also similarly seemingly catatonic.
At the same time, some shine in the ward and not in the chamber and vice versa.
This time, the candidate is Dave Potter. Most Ockendon residents, of a certain age, remember Dave from the mobile disco days of Route 66.
The Labour candidate is Desmond Martins..No, we haven’t either.
Ockendon
Barry Johnson – Conservative
Desmond Martins – Labour
David Potter – UKIP
