{"licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","attribution":"What's It To Me (whatsittome.org); candidate data Democracy Club CC BY 4.0","generated_at":"2026-11-07T13:19:44.634Z","ballot":{"ballot_paper_id":"local.southend-on-sea.leigh.by.2026-12-10","election_id":"local.southend-on-sea.2026-12-10","level":"local","poll_date":"2026-12-10","area_name":"Southend-on-Sea Borough: Leigh ward","voting_system":"FPTP","by_election_reason":"","candidates_locked":false,"official_sopn_url":null,"democracy_club_url":"http://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/api/next/ballots/local.southend-on-sea.leigh.by.2026-12-10/","retrieved_at":"2026-11-07T12:04:39+00:00","previous_ballot_paper_id":"local.southend-on-sea.leigh.2026-05-07","archived":false,"area_lat":51.542807511795,"area_lng":0.656494744791219,"area_point_note":"Centroid of the ONS 2024 boundary. Statistics near this point describe the area, not any household.","area_gss":"E05002217","winner_count":1,"uncontested":false,"postponed":false,"postponed_note":null,"cancelled":false,"hpi_region":null},"candidates":[{"id":5876,"ballot_paper_id":"local.southend-on-sea.leigh.by.2026-12-10","dc_person_id":37931,"dc_person_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/api/next/people/37931/","name":"Paul Gilson","surname_sort":"gilson","party_ec_id":"PP52","party_name_on_ballot":"Conservative and Unionist Party","party_description_on_ballot":"","homepage_url":null,"wikipedia_url":null,"statement_to_voters_present":false,"previous_candidacies_count":3,"is_incumbent":false,"retrieved_at":"2026-11-05T13:27:31.941858+00:00","statement_to_voters":null,"statement_retrieved_at":null,"parliament_member_id":null,"parliament_match_note":null,"photo_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/media/images/people/37931/1f19c0ff-e8ca-48d2-b1ad-b1e54a0e7cdc.png","photo_copyright":"profile-photo","photo_uploader":"andywilkins24","photo_source":"Uploaded by andywilkins24: Approved from photo moderation queue","withdrawn_at":null,"parties":{"name":"Conservative and Unionist Party","colour_hex":"#0087DC","emblem_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/media/emblems/PP52/7730_Emblem_7730.jpg","official_site_url":"https://www.conservatives.com/","emblem_description":"Emblem 1 Conservatives English logo","parent_party_ec_id":null}},{"id":5877,"ballot_paper_id":"local.southend-on-sea.leigh.by.2026-12-10","dc_person_id":109223,"dc_person_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/api/next/people/109223/","name":"Simon Gittus","surname_sort":"gittus","party_ec_id":"PP63","party_name_on_ballot":"Green Party","party_description_on_ballot":"","homepage_url":null,"wikipedia_url":null,"statement_to_voters_present":true,"previous_candidacies_count":2,"is_incumbent":false,"retrieved_at":"2026-11-05T13:27:31.941858+00:00","statement_to_voters":"Simon Gittus is the Green Party candidate for West Leigh.\n\nSimon lives locally in Leigh-on-Sea and works as a designer, planning and shaping spaces in the retail and leisure sector. For the past year, he has been working closely with residents across West Leigh, alongside local Green councillors, taking up issues and pushing for solutions. He regularly attends Southend City Council meetings, holding decision-makers to account and raising concerns on behalf of the community.\n\nSimon has been a clear voice on protecting our green belt, including Hadleigh Farmland and Bournes Green, improving bus services so they work for residents rather than private companies, and getting long-standing local issues sorted - finally getting the Marine Parade shelter fixed.","statement_retrieved_at":"2026-11-05T13:25:52+00:00","parliament_member_id":null,"parliament_match_note":null,"photo_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/media/images/people/109223/f18fd074-3bec-46b5-9a8f-8146a34ed902.png","photo_copyright":"profile-photo","photo_uploader":"simongittus","photo_source":"Uploaded by simongittus: Approved from photo moderation queue","withdrawn_at":null,"parties":{"name":"Green Party","colour_hex":"#02A95B","emblem_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/media/emblems/PP63/1119_Emblem_1119.jpg","official_site_url":"https://greenparty.org.uk/","emblem_description":"World with petals and Green Party name English","parent_party_ec_id":null}},{"id":5878,"ballot_paper_id":"local.southend-on-sea.leigh.by.2026-12-10","dc_person_id":73344,"dc_person_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/api/next/people/73344/","name":"Lydia Ann Hyde","surname_sort":"hyde","party_ec_id":"PP53","party_name_on_ballot":"Labour Party","party_description_on_ballot":"","homepage_url":"https://www.southendlabour.com/five-point-plan/","wikipedia_url":null,"statement_to_voters_present":true,"previous_candidacies_count":3,"is_incumbent":false,"retrieved_at":"2026-11-05T13:27:31.941858+00:00","statement_to_voters":"It’s been a real privilege to serve my home, St Laurence ward, for the past four years. I’m standing again to keep working hard for residents and making sure your voices are heard.\n\nOver my first term, I’ve focused on getting things done locally—improving roads and footpaths, upgrading our parks and play areas, and tackling issues like air quality and anti-social behaviour. I also helped stop the closure of Kent Elms Library, pushed for action on the sewage works, and brought national attention to the RAAC issues at Kingsdown School.\n\nI’m proud to be a councillor who delivers real results, but there’s always more to do.\n\nIf re-elected, I’ll continue working on practical improvements like resurfacing pavements, expanding play facilities, protecting the X30 bus service, supporting fair parking solutions, investing in allotments, and standing up against unsuitable developments.\n\nA record of action. A vote for results.","statement_retrieved_at":"2026-11-05T13:25:53+00:00","parliament_member_id":null,"parliament_match_note":null,"photo_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/media/images/people/125032/c44e6791-7ce0-4f0c-a86b-6920da555fdf.png","photo_copyright":"copyright-assigned","photo_uploader":"RSELabour","photo_source":"Uploaded by RSELabour: Approved from photo moderation queue","withdrawn_at":null,"parties":{"name":"Labour Party","colour_hex":"#E4003B","emblem_url":"https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/media/emblems/PP53/52_Emblem_52.gif","official_site_url":"https://labour.org.uk/manifesto/","emblem_description":"Rose with the word Labour underneath","parent_party_ec_id":null}}],"claims":[]}