Clacton, Jaywick and St Osyth deserve better than what we’re seeing in politics right now.

Full statement

We need sensible voices and fair solutions. I won’t sit back.

I care about this area, and it’s time to use my experience and step up.

That’s why I’m standing in the Essex County Council elections on Thursday 7th May for West Clacton & St Osyth.

I’m part of a new generation that believes in a country and a community where everyone has the opportunity to work hard, get on, and succeed by raising expectations, not lowering standards.
Our area has been talked down for too long by people who don’t see its potential. I love this area, and I will back it by listening to your local priorities, fixing the basics, creating opportunities, and building a stronger community. This area has untapped potential, I believe that, and I know many of you do too.
I’ve grown up here. This isn’t just where I live. It’s home. It’s where I run my business today, where I walk my dog on the beach in Point Clear and around St Osyth, where my family built their lives running Dots of Jaywick from the 1930s, where I went to school in Clacton and St Osyth, where I go paddleboarding along the coast, and where my family and I volunteer in our community. I’m ready to work for you and stand up for the issues we face.

Being a County Councillor is about the everyday things that affect our lives, some of which go unseen. Like supporting the most vulnerable in our society through adult social care and children’s services, including SEND support; planning for issues like flooding; improving the roads we drive and the footpaths we walk, the libraries we visit, and the buses we catch. It’s about making sure Essex County Council delivers efficiently and fairly for us.

I run my own business here, working across different industries. I understand how decisions made at every level affect jobs, growth, and opportunity. I’ve grown up in the same classrooms as many of you, and have gone on to hold leadership roles in education policy like VP Education at the University of Essex, working to raise standards and help the next generation succeed. I now serve on the academy council of a local school in Clacton, supporting its amazing work and championing ambition for our young people.

Supporting communities is about listening. I’ve dedicated my time to several health and well-being organisations, including mental health support, and served as a trustee of a large charity, helping to guide strategy. Listening has also made me a strong advocate for things like better transport connectivity in coastal areas. It is vital in tackling isolation and unlocking opportunity.

I’m standing because I believe we deserve an energetic, sensible, fresh local voice for West Clacton and St Osyth. If you want someone who will stand up for our home, fix the basics, create opportunities and get things done, I’d be honoured to have your support.

Joe Holmes
Conservative Candidate for West Clacton & St Osyth