Council Leader of the Year?

It was a pleasant but wholly unexpected surprise to receive a call from an Echo reporter earlier in the week to tell me that I had been shortlisted in the last seven for the prestigious Council Leader of the Year award. I did not know that I had been nominated never mind shortlisted. It is always good to receive external recognition as it does help validate the progress that we believe we are making taking the town forward. This follows our award for Council of the Year and the plethora of other awards we are constantly winning across the organisation. These awards also help raise the profile of Southend. We are a small unitary authority and the town has a certain historical image. We need to communicate the message that we are building on our roots to drive forward investment and regeneration, and publicity of this kind can only help in our ongoing efforts to stimulate further public and private investment. The nomination is further recognition for the efforts of my councillor colleagues and our strong team of officers. It is impossible to succeed as a leader without a strong and focussed team and that is something we certainly enjoy in Southend.