Hi, my name’s James Vessey-Miller, and I’m pleased to be standing for election to Southend City Council for the Green Party.

Full statement

This isn’t my first time standing for the Greens. I’ve been a candidate in every election in Southend since 2018, and for nearly a decade I’ve also been attending council and community meetings, helping residents and local groups get answers on important local issues, and doing my bit as one of the city’s many active citizens.

Some people will know me from that local work. Others might know me from my background in business management, including managing hospitality venues and public events here in Southend. That’s given me a practical understanding of what local businesses need, and of how important our tourism, arts, music, and nightlife are to the life of our city.

I now work in Westminster for the Green Party, and I’m very open about that. I mention it because it’s given me valuable experience and a close view of how politics and public administration work in practice, including in places where Greens are already running councils and getting on with the job. But my roots, my record, and my reputation were built here in Southend long before that, and my focus remains firmly on this city and the people who live here.

My social media also gives a snapshot of that track record, and of the many issues I’ve worked on over the years for residents, local groups, and our wider community, including alongside the Green city councillors we already have here in Southend.

I’m genuinely impressed by the Green candidates we’ve got standing across Southend in these elections. We’ve got a strong group of thoughtful, hardworking people, and I’d be very pleased to see more of them elected. I’m not only asking for support for my own candidacy. I’m also working hard to help get our other Green candidates elected across the city too.

For me, local politics should be about making life better for people here, and looking after the place we all call home. That means decent local services, support for residents and our local economy, cleaner air and water, and protecting the things that make Southend special, from our communities and local businesses to our parks, beaches, wild spaces, culture, and nightlife.

I think it matters that we have councillors who are prepared to graft, who understand how the council works, and who take local people seriously. Having attended council meetings voluntarily for nearly a decade, I believe I’ve shown that I’m willing to turn up, ask difficult questions, listen carefully, and work constructively in the interests of residents.

I also think it matters that candidates have a serious local plan for what they want to do if they’re elected. Not every candidate in these elections can point to that. I can. The Green Party has a detailed local manifesto for Southend, and I’d encourage anyone interested to have a look on our website.

At the end of the day, these elections are about who you trust to help run the local services we all rely on. I’d simply ask people to consider not just what candidates say, but whether they have experience, whether they understand how the council works, and whether they’ve shown a real commitment to the community they want to represent.

You might not agree with me on everything, and that’s fair enough. But I hope people can see that I care deeply about Southend, that I’m open about what I believe, and that I’d work hard to represent residents honestly and conscientiously.

Thank you very much for reading. I’d be really grateful for your support in this election.