EU leaders may be quaking in their boots over the growing number of independence movements around the continent – but one place they may not have expected to go it alone is Canvey Island in Essex.
Residents of the area – which is cut off from the rest of the county by a system of creeks – say they want to follow the tactics of Catalonia in a bid for freedom.
The Canvey Island Independent Party now has 14 of the island’s 17 seats in Castle Point Borough Council and wants to break away completely from what is being called ‘mainland rule’.
Independence: A political struggle for independence has broken out on Canvey Island, Essex. The area shaded red shows that controlled by Castle Point Borough Council, from which the island wants to break away
Example: A councillor says ‘islanders’ should copy the tactics of people in Catalonia, pictured
Councillor Dave Blackwell said: ‘Canvey people don’t want to be told what to do by the mainland and they don’t want to be part of Castle Point.
‘It is time for us to start a move for proper independence like the Catalonians want and we must begin with a petition. It is simply not fair that there are more councillors sitting on the council from the mainland than from Canvey.
‘We need our own voice to determine our own future even if that means we have to break away.’
He added: ‘I think it will happen as more and more power is eventually handed to town councils but if they had a referendum here like they had in Catalonia about breaking from Spain, I am convinced that 100 per cent of people would vote to leave Castle Point.
‘Islanders don’t want to be told what to do by the mainland and don’t want to be part of Castle Point.
‘We are unhappy at the decisions made for us by people who don’t live here.’
Movement: Councillor Dave Blackwell says people in Canvey are sick of ‘mainland’ rule
Residents have expressed their frustration at decisions about the island in the Thames estuary being made by Castle Point Council and councillors who live on the mainland.
George Whatley said Castle Point council is an historical oddity which doesn’t represent any real community.
Anger: Resident George Whatley says the island is treated as a ‘Cinderella district’
He said: ‘Castle Point Council was born from a shot-gun wedding years ago and has had a controlling Tory majority ever since – but Canvey has had mainly independent councillors.
‘Castle Point Council is run by the Conservatives and they have systematically treated Canvey as the Cinderella district for years.
‘People here are fed up with what historically seems to be unfair planning decisions and a general lack of investment in the infrastructure of the island. Everything favours the mainland districts which are Tory-controlled.
‘Being independent is nothing new – we considered a unilateral declaration of independence in the oil refinery fight in the 1970s and 80s.’
Residents have expressed their frustration at decisions about the island in the Thames estuary being made by Castle Point Council and councillors who live on the mainland.
HQ: Bin collection and planning decisions are currently run from this building ‘on the mainland’ near Benfleet
Canvey Island, population 38,000, is linked to mainland by a single road and until the 20th century it was mainly agricultural. During the first half of the 20th century it became the fastest-growing seaside resort in Britain.
But in the devastating 1953 North Sea floods, 58 people on the low-lying island were killed and the 13,000 residents hastily evacuated.
CATALONIA
Population: 7.5million
Size: 12,000 square miles
Famous sites: Antonio Gaudí’s No.1 Sagrada Familia
Famous residents: Artists Salvador Dali (pictured, below) and Joan Miro. Football manager Pep Guardiola
Football team: Barcelona, five times winners of the Champions League
CANVEY ISLAND
Population: 38, 170
Size: Seven square miles
Famous sites: Fantasy Island amusement park
Famous residents: Caravan park owner Jeff King and 1970s punk band Dr Feelgood (pictured, below)
Football team: Canvey Island FC, got to the FA third round in 2002
