Thursday, March 01, 2007

A Councillor Who Needs A Holiday (and I don't mean me)

Lord Hanningfield is the most important councillor in Essex - he's the leader of the Conservative Group that runs the County Council. He's now had a an idea. According to the BBC:
Lord Hanningfield, Conservative leader of Essex County Council, has called on the government to allow local bank holidays to celebrate local heroes.
"Helen Mirren is a great ambassador for Essex", he said.
"Ditch the old stereotypes, Dame Helen is the perfect example of the hot bed of talent that we have in Essex."
The 61-year-old actress was born in Leigh-on-Sea and attended school in Southend.
Lord Hanningfield added: "We want to celebrate her tremendous achievement in winning an Oscar.
"To celebrate this achievement I will therefore be asking the government whether they will allow us the power to designate a bank holiday in her honour throughout Essex."
There's a few problems with this idea:
  • Dame Helen really doesn't like Essex. She was quoted as saying that Southend is the "Armpit of England"

  • Having a local bank holiday might be popular with local government workers, but do we really help the prosperity of Essex by closing the banks, schools , factories etc and running the trains, buses, ports etc on a Sunday service- when the rest of the country is working?

  • If you really, really want to celebrate an actress born in Essex who isn't ashamed of the place - what about Amanda Tapping- born in Rochford and star of Stargate?

    Amanda Tapping
  • 1 comment:

    Anonymous said...

    Dr Feelgood (Canvey)
    Busted (well, one third of it)Southend.
    Denise Van Outen - okay, scratch that one...
    Russell Brand (Grays)
    Depeche Mode - Basildon
    Alison Moyet - Basildon

    and many, many more

    Chris expresses his own views on this weblog.


    I write this blog in a private capacity , but just in case I mention any elections here is a Legal Statement for the purposes of complying with electoral law: This website is published and promoted by Ron Oatham, 8 Brixham Close , Rayleigh Essex on behalf of Liberal Democrat Candidates all at 8 Brixham Close.