It has been a little while since I last wrote a proper update here, so I thought it was worth saying where things stand. The County Council election was disappointing. I would be lying if I said otherwise. I put a huge amount into it because I genuinely believed Brightlingsea and the surrounding villages deserved…
Author: Mat Court
SEND is one of those areas where, the more you look into it, the more you realise how complex it is. And also how serious the issues are. Over the past few months, I’ve been trying to get myself properly up to speed. That’s included: One thing that’s become clear through all of that is…
We’re now one week away from the election. Squeaky bum time, as Sir Alex Ferguson might say. But this isn’t just any election. It’s one of the most important this area has faced in decades. Why? Because local government is about to change. Essex County Council and Tendring District Council, as we know them, are…
One of the questions I’ve been asked quite a lot during this campaign is: Why stand as an independent? It’s a fair question. And before getting into the detail, I thought it might be useful to try something a bit different. Not sure what kind of councillor you want? I’ve put together a quick quiz…
With the local election coming up on Thursday 7th May, I’ve had a few people ask how the voting process works. So here’s a simple guide to make sure you’re all set. If you would rather read something from an official council/government source then here are some links, but these sources are where I got…
If there’s one issue that comes up again and again when I speak to people locally, it’s speeding. Not just as an annoyance. But as something that genuinely makes people feel unsafe. And the reality is, they’re right to be concerned. In 2025, 60 people lost their lives on Essex roads, the highest number in…
Over the last few weeks, I think something has started to build around this campaign. Not in a big, flashy way, but in a steady, genuine way. And a really positive turnout at the drop in session I held, with around 35 people coming along to talk through issues, ideas and what needs to change.…
If there’s one thing that comes up more than anything else when I speak to people across Brightlingsea, Alresford, Great Bentley, Elmstead Market and Thorrington, it’s this: the state of our roads, pavements and infrastructure Potholes. Poor repairs. Unsafe junctions. Speeding traffic. Broken pavements. These are real, everyday issues. They affect people every single day.…
Over the last few weeks, I’ve spoken to a lot of people across Brightlingsea, Alresford, Great Bentley, Elmstead Market, and Thorrington, and one thing has come up again and again: There’s confusion about what this election is actually about. So I thought it would make sense to explain a bit more. On Thursday 7 May,…
One thing I’ve tried to do differently in this campaign is make it easier for people to actually engage with the election. If you’ve had a look around my website, you might have noticed that on most pages there’s a section called “Questions you can ask candidates”. I have put that there because elections shouldn’t…