Nigel Farage in London with hundreds of farmers today

Luckygirl3

I was brought up in Essex and Devon - I keep quiet about the Essex bit

Why?
Parts of Essex are lovely. Some of DH's ancestors are from there and my research made me revise my views! The village they came from has many listed buildings.

It’s a shame you keep quiet about Essex luckygirl, but I know what you mean. People’s perceptions. As regards ‘my’ corner of Essex, near the border with Suffolk, they couldn’t be more wrong.

Luckygirl3

I was brought up in Essex and Devon - I keep quiet about the Essex bit

I was brought up in NE Essex. Never worn white shoes... (but didn't everyone dance round their handbags?)

Nor did we have ;medallion men'

I still love bits of it though I haven't been back for a few years now.

I was brought up in Essex and Devon - I keep quiet about the Essex bit

LizzieDrip

^”I sometimes feel the need to defend much of Essex, whilst wearing my white shoes and dancing around my handbag!”^

I feel the same way about Yorkshire Cossy, whilst wearing mi flat cap and walking mi whippet

North East Essex was never white shoes and dancing round handbags

they just could not entice skilled, graduate labour that they needed

That's a shame. There are some nice bits of Essex round Clacton that I wouldn't object to living in. Constable country, sailing from Wivenhoe and Brightlingsea or further round the coast. Essex Uni just up the road...

But no really direct train service to London. Clearly too far out in the Styx

I like to defend much of Essex too Cossy. 😊 The general perception of it is so wrong.

”I sometimes feel the need to defend much of Essex, whilst wearing my white shoes and dancing around my handbag!”

I feel the same way about Yorkshire Cossy, whilst wearing mi flat cap and walking mi whippet

Barleyfields

Of course not all Clacton people are unskilled, unemployed or criminals (I worked with someone who lived there who was none of those things) but far too many are and until that’s addressed somehow things won’t improve. Yes, Jaywick too …

I know, my comment was lighthearted and tongue in cheek!

I sometimes feel the need to defend much of Essex, whilst wearing my white shoes and dancing around my handbag!

Barleyfields

It’s a great shame that Farage was elected to serve Clacton, though I’m not surprised that the people there voted for Reform. I don’t know what they thought he would do for them, what he told them, but by now they must realise that nothing’s going to happen any time soon. I don’t know who last represented Clacton, but the town has been in this miserable state for a good many years. It’s a disgraceful state of affairs, but replicated in many other places I’m sure.

Douglas Carswell was MP (C) for many years, then caused a by-election by defecting to UKIP, re-elected, then elected again as an Independent. He was a very decent MP by all accounts.

In 2017 Giles Watling (C) succeeded Carwell who retired.

Both the above were visible and held surgeries.

Then along came Farage…..

Of course not all Clacton people are unskilled, unemployed or criminals (I worked with someone who lived there who was none of those things) but far too many are and until that’s addressed somehow things won’t improve. Yes, Jaywick too …

He is a cynical opportunist, jumping on any bandwagon that he thinks will get him heard and seen. I doubt he has given a thought to farming in his entire life! - but lo and behold here he is trying on some wellies for size. Dreadful man.

Barleyfields

SilverBrook has demonstrated the problems in Clacton. Does anyone have any ideas as to how the lives of the many unskilled, long-term unemployed people with criminal records are to be improved? Perhaps a problem for James Timpson, rather than Farage, to grapple with.

Not all of the residents in Clacton and the remainder of his constituency are unskilled, unemployed criminals.

My dear friend lived in Clacton for many years, she was a nurse and her husband a local GP. When he retired they moved to Frinton, but my children and I spent many a summer day on Clacton beach, with her and her children.

It’s an interesting place (😱), I also had the joy of visiting Clacton Jobcentre, whilst working for the DWP. (along with scary Jaywick!)

It’s a great shame that Farage was elected to serve Clacton, though I’m not surprised that the people there voted for Reform. I don’t know what they thought he would do for them, what he told them, but by now they must realise that nothing’s going to happen any time soon. I don’t know who last represented Clacton, but the town has been in this miserable state for a good many years. It’s a disgraceful state of affairs, but replicated in many other places I’m sure.

It's OK, HPQ, Clacton is not going to be troubled much by their well paid MP.
He's too busy to visit.

Barleyfields

SilverBrook has demonstrated the problems in Clacton. Does anyone have any ideas as to how the lives of the many unskilled, long-term unemployed people with criminal records are to be improved? Perhaps a problem for James Timpson, rather than Farage, to grapple with.

There are just no jobs of merit in the area, no major employers, mainly minimum wage retail and the odd seasonal job in hospitality. A friend's husband was employed by one of the major skilled employers in the area ( now moved away), and they just could not entice skilled, graduate labour that they needed . Yes, you get a lot of house for your money, but with the schools generally in need of improvement at the least, no young families wanted to move there.

Not everyone is a criminal, but many are poor, and IHT is not high on their list of concerns.

There certainly needs to be some sort of intervention, but I don't think Farage is the man, in fact he is the last thing Clacton needs with his views on free at point of use NHS services and such.

David49

“We'd a mortgage because my husband worked 2 years after leaving school at 16, lived with his parents - saved the deposit.”

I suspected that he had completed his apprenticeship. We were far more responsible in those days, 90% of us started work at 15 or 16 yrs, no Uni, no gap year.

My husband is the very definition of responsible. However he'd no apprenticeship, no university, no qualifications at 18. He just worked to a goal.

“We'd a mortgage because my husband worked 2 years after leaving school at 16, lived with his parents - saved the deposit.”

I suspected that he had completed his apprenticeship. We were far more responsible in those days, 90% of us started work at 15 or 16 yrs, no Uni, no gap year.

David49

Norah

Curlywhirly

We got a mortgage in 1976 - we were both 20.

When we married and moved into our home I was 16, my husband was 18. Mortgage until we were 42 and 44 because renovation, Mansard addition.

References and prospects must have been very promising at that age, pretty much impossible these day without a parents guarantee.

We'd a mortgage because my husband worked 2 years after leaving school at 16, lived with his parents - saved the deposit.

Norah

Curlywhirly

We got a mortgage in 1976 - we were both 20.

When we married and moved into our home I was 16, my husband was 18. Mortgage until we were 42 and 44 because renovation, Mansard addition.

References and prospects must have been very promising at that age, pretty much impossible these day without a parents guarantee.

SilverBrook has demonstrated the problems in Clacton. Does anyone have any ideas as to how the lives of the many unskilled, long-term unemployed people with criminal records are to be improved? Perhaps a problem for James Timpson, rather than Farage, to grapple with.

And Freya, do you think that it's good for an MP on £90K to be too busy to visit his constituency ?

Curlywhirly

We got a mortgage in 1976 - we were both 20.

When we married and moved into our home I was 16, my husband was 18. Mortgage until we were 42 and 44 because renovation, Mansard addition.

HousePlantQueen

Clacton is near where I live and I can assure everyone that farming and IHT are not high on the list of concerns. Clacton has pockets of real poverty and the associated issues of poor health and badly performing schools, many pensioners relying only on SRP etc, overburdened GP surgeries. A high percentage of residents are on some kind of benefit. They are not being helped or represented by Farage, the very occasional photo op with a pint in his hand just doesn't cut it.

Exactly. He should stick with the job he’s paid to do and a friend of mine, living in his constituency has seen sight not sound of him since he was elected, though he was most vocal and very visible prior to this. We have our holiday lodge in St Osyth, again in his constituency, we over there around three time a month and heard nothing at all from locals about him.

I suspect one of the reasons Farage avoids his constituency is that people might actually question him on what he is doing about any of the factors highlighted here:

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6603f6bc9741c5001139dc41/Clacton-on-Sea.pdf

Over 95% white population, low skilled, low employment, high crime.

What progress has been made on any of these issues since he won his seat?