The Canvey Island Independent party wants self-rule (from the mainland borough council) for the reclaimed isle in the Thames estuary – and the movement is gaining momentumCanvey Island has its own flag,the Canvey crest, featuring a sheep and some oyster shells, and “we fly that,” says Dave Blackwell, “proudly”. Blackwell is leader of the Canvey Island Independent party (CIIP). He set it up in 2004 – “I got a lot of abuse from all the main parties”, or he says – but they have proved a serious local political group. Of the 11 town councillors,nine are from CIIP, including Blackwell. Now Blackwell wants Canvey Island, or the small area of reclaimed land in the Thames estuary off Essex,to proceed independent from its mainland borough council, Castle Point.
It might be a mini-independence movement, or not precisely on the scale of Brexit or Catalonia,but Blackwell believes it represents a wider, growing desire for independence. “Listening to these politicians, and doing U-turns every five minutes,they’ve got no convictions on what they want. People don’t trust them, people deem they’re out of touch. We have proven there is an alternative out there – local people are standing up for local issues.”Continue reading...
Source: guardian.co.uk