2026 Thurrock Council election

2026 Thurrock Council election

←  2024 7 May 2026 (2026-05-07) Abolished →
All 49 seats to Thurrock Council 25 seats needed for a majority
Leader Lynn Worrall George Coxshall Party Labour Conservative Leader since 28 April 2025 13 March 2025 Leader's seat Grays Town Belhus Last election 27 seats, 52.1% 13 seats, 29.4% Current seats 26 12   Leader Neil Speight [a] Alex Anderson Party Independent Reform Leader's seat Stanford-le-Hope South Stanford East and Corringham Town Last election 9 seats, 15.7% [b] N/A (new party) Current seats 8 [c] 3
Wards of Thurrock Council from the 2025 council election
Incumbent Leader John Kent Labour

The 2026 Thurrock Council election is due to take place on 7 May 2026 to elect members to Thurrock Council in Essex, England. ^[1] 49 seats will be elected. This will be on the same day as other local elections.

Originally scheduled for 2025, the election was brought forward by a year to 2026 after the government intervened in the council after it declared bankruptcy, with a new electoral system installed where all 49 seats to the council would be up for a term of four years. ^[2] In February 2025, elections in the borough were brought back to 2026, ahead of local government reorganisation and devolution. ^[3] The 2026 election was due to be cancelled ahead of local government reorganisation, but in February it was reinstated. ^[4]

Thurrock Council is soon to be abolished under the plans of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill and will be merged with Basildon Council to form a new South West Essex Unitary Authority. ^[5]

Background

The 2026 election will be held under new ward boundaries. ^[6] The council is switching to all-out elections, having previously elected by thirds, as a result of a period of government intervention in the running of the council's finances. ^[7]

At the last election in 2024, the Labour Party led by John Kent won an overall majority with 27 seats. The Conservatives led by Andrew Jefferies won a total of 13 seats, leaving the council administration and entering opposition. Independent politicians won 9 seats, five of whom were aligned with the Non-Political Alliance of Independent Councillors (NPAIC) led by Neil Speight. By July 2024, eight of the nine independents had joined the alliance. Alex Anderson, the unaffiliated independent, joined Reform UK in September 2024, becoming Reform's first councillor in Thurrock. In October 2024, NPAIC councillor John Allen left the NPAIC to sit as an unaffiliated independent, as he was considering standing for Reform UK in the 2025 council election, leaving the NPAIC with seven independents.

In January 2025, Ockendon councillor Ryan Polston of the Labour Party resigned his seat ahead of a career move. ^[8] He was followed in March by fellow ward councillor Andrew Jefferies, the leader of the Conservative group, who resigned for personal reasons. ^[9] Reform UK won both seats at the subsequent by-election in May 2025. ^[10] Ahead of the by-election, Labour leader John Kent resigned from the leadership to make way for his deputy Lynn Worrall ahead of devolution and local government reorganisation negotiations. ^[11] Later that year, NPAIC members Gary Byrne and Ross Byrne left the group to sit as unaffiliated independents, which left the council with 26 Labour members, 12 Conservatives, five NPAIC members, three unaffiliated independents and three Reform UK members. ^[12]

Campaign

The Conservatives & Unionist Party, Labour, and Reform UK managed to fill a full slate of 49 candidates in Thurrock. ^[13]

The Green Party of England and Wales for the first time, has managed to put at least one candidate forward in every ward. ^[14]

Candidates by party

Conservative Party (49/49)

Reform UK (49/49)

Labour Party (49/49)

Green Party (24/49)

Independent (6/49)

Liberal Democrats (2/49)

Results by ward

Aveley

Aveley (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Colin Leslie Adams
	Green	Ollie Beck
	Conservative	Anthony John Coyle
	Labour	Mo Amin Hoque
	Reform	Chris Irvine
	Reform	George Monk
	Labour	Srikanth Panjala
	Conservative	Maureen Carol Pearce
	Reform	Aiden Prince
	Labour	Cathy Sisterson
Turnout

Belhus

Belhus (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Benjamin Agyemang
	Reform	Linda Benson
	Independent	Sophie Louise Corcoran
	Labour	Fahima Danishmal
	Reform	Bogdan Enache
	Conservative	Oluwatoyin Imole-Sontan
	Conservative	Rosalyn Joyce Jenkins
	Reform	Tom Kelly
	Conservative	Shamim Miah
	Labour	Lalitha Panjala
	Green	Geraldine Jane Roche
Turnout

Chadwell St Mary

Chadwell St Mary (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Abbie Akinbohun
	Labour	Ngozi Christa Alike
	Labour	Daniel Chukwu
	Reform	Jack Thomas Wilfred Fuller
	Reform	Matt Lake
	Reform	James William Mackintosh
	Conservative	Elizabeth Onibokun
	Conservative	Melissa Perry
	Labour	Jo Potter
	Green	Yogesh Jagdish Taylor
Turnout

Chafford Hundred East

Chafford Hundred East (2)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Green	Jessica Bartlett-Hyde
	Conservative	Adam Carter
	Reform	Peggy Davies
	Reform	Stephen Davies
	Conservative	Peter David Eates
	Labour	Julie Eke-Lawrence
	Labour	Vikki Hartstean
Turnout

Chafford Hundred West

Chafford Hundred West (2)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Green	Caitlin Elizabeth Fallows
	Reform	Oscar Ellis
	Conservative	Wilmer Luna
	Reform	Jason Mitchell
	Conservative	Tunde Ojetola
	Labour	Susan Shinnick
	Labour	Gary Watson
Turnout

Corringham & Fobbing

Corringham & Fobbing (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Holly Eleanor Bennett
	Labour	John Cecil
	Reform	Ian Croom
	Conservative	Sam Flatt
	Labour	Kamlesh Rani Kumar
	Labour	Anita Nuss
	Green	Gbenga Olajugbagbe
	Reform	Sara Lisa Poyntz
	Conservative	Shane Ralph
	Conservative	Jimmy Thandi
Turnout

East Tilbury, Linford & West Tilbury

East Tilbury, Linford & West Tilbury (2)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Jon Bowler
	Labour	Adam Breese
	Reform	Michelle Louise Burton
	Labour	Alastair Michael Craft
	Green	Sandra Anne Elliott
	Reform	Kevin Eric Lawrence
	Conservative	Lesley Maney
	Conservative	Alan Reilly
Turnout

Grays Riverside

Grays Riverside (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Funmi Ademilua
	Green	Chloe Anderson
	Reform	Darren Dennis
	Green	Kimberley Zoe Dennis
	Reform	Catalin-Daniel Farcas
	Labour	Tony Fish
	Labour	Mark Wayne Hurrell
	Conservative	Claudia Luna
	Green	Paul Ryan Parfitt
	Conservative	Rakhi Rashmi
	Reform	Joe Soper
	Conservative	Adeleke Abidemi Taiwo
Turnout

Grays Town

Grays Town (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Okon Antai
	Reform	Milena Bingley
	Green	Zoe Anne Duran
	Labour	Lynda Hilary Heath
	Liberal Democrats	Simon Lancaster
	Conservative	Gurkiran Kaur Maan
	Labour	Cici Manwa
	Conservative	Harold Ogunfemi
	Reform	Michael Kevin Shakespeare
	Green	Howard James Simmons
	Reform	Marc Stanley
	Labour	Lynn Worrall
Turnout

Little Thurrock Blackshots

Little Thurrock Blackshots (2)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Abidemi Agidee-Adekunle
	Labour	Mike Fletcher
	Green	Laura Perrett
	Reform	Steven Pester
	Conservative	Joglur Rahman
	Conservative	Lizzie Rigby
	Reform	Robert Percy Willoughby
Turnout

Little Thurrock Rectory

Little Thurrock Rectory (2)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Marcel Abaneke
	Reform	Marion Cherry
	Labour	Sanjit Das
	Independent	Jay Hayers
	Conservative	Allen Mayes
	Conservative	David Morgan
	Reform	Eddie Stringer
	Green	Davina Ann Wager
Turnout

Ockendon

Ockendon (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Alan Benson
	Reform	Russ Cherry
	Conservative	Leo Roderick Dredge
	Green	Rory Hildick
	Conservative	Sue Johnson
	Independent	Kameel Mohammed
	Labour	Jayden O'Brien
	Labour	Peter Singh
	Conservative	Graham Snell
	Labour	Prince Samuel Tico Ogbomoh
	Reform	Jay Daniel Varley
Turnout

Orsett, Horndon & Bulphan

Orsett, Horndon & Bulphan (2)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Bill Cook
	Conservative	David Day
	Labour	Carlos Diaz
	Green	Daniel David Fallows
	Conservative	Barry William Johnson
	Labour	Martin Christopher Kerin
	Independent	Jack Speight
	Reform	Steve Taylor
Turnout

Purfleet-on-Thames

Purfleet-on-Thames (2)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Green	David John Beesley
	Conservative	Angela Bolesworth
	Labour	Aaron James Green
	Reform	Michelle Louise Heal
	Conservative	Cornell Olive Heiser
	Reform	Danny Reynolds
	Labour	Lee Watson
Turnout

Stanford-le-Hope South

Stanford-le-Hope South (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Alex Anderson
	Green	Michelle Brownscombe-Adu
	Conservative	Andrea Ekong
	Labour	Suraj Lohia
	Labour	Teresa O'Keeffe
	Conservative	Bunmi Ojetola
	Reform	James Richard Poyntz
	Labour	Phil Smith
	Independent	Neil Speight
	Reform	Mark Turner
	Conservative	Mitchell Uncle
	Green	Steven James Woolrich
Turnout

Stifford

Stifford (2)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Richard Audubon Bingley
	Labour	Mark Anthony Hooper
	Conservative	Alex Howell
	Reform	Bill Mumford
	Green	Kevin Rankin
	Conservative	Joy Redsell
	Labour	Sam Thomas
Turnout

The Homesteads & Stanford-le-Hope North

The Homesteads & Stanford-le-Hope North (3)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Esther Ajilore
	Green	Eric Alfred Bevan
	Independent	Gary James Byrne
	Conservative	Gary Collins
	Labour	Mark Bland Kimpton
	Reform	Pam McCabe
	Reform	Joanne Lisa Quirk
	Reform	James Peter Scarsbrook
	Conservative	Hanna Uwakwe-Mangse
	Labour	Gena Lynn White
	Labour	Brian Whiten
Turnout

Tilbury Riverside

Tilbury Riverside (2)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Green	Emmanuel Andrews
	Labour	Christina Dallyn
	Reform	David Hollenbach
	Labour	Mina Begum Hoque
	Conservative	Michelle Macadangdang
	Conservative	Dennis Maney
	Reform	Harley Pyman-Brickwood
Turnout

Tilbury St Chads

Tilbury St Chads (2)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Clare Baldwin
	Reform	Shirley Bartlett
	Labour	Steve Liddiard
	Conservative	Devante Likando
	Conservative	Ben Maney
	Green	Alfie Jay Rees
	Reform	Bailey Terry Scott
Turnout

West Thurrock & South Stifford

West Thurrock & South Stifford (2)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Qaisar Abbas
	Labour	Shalini Bhatt
	Reform	Vincent Ronald Hamish Bye
	Green	Chris Gilbody
	Labour	Ron Green
	Reform	John Pearson
	Conservative	Elena Pelin
Turnout

Notes

1. Leader and spokesman of the Non-Political Alliance of Independent Councillors, which represents the majority of independent councillors on the council.
2. Including five members of the Non-Political Alliance of Independent Councillors and four unaffiliated independents.
3. Including seven members of the Non-Political Alliance of Independent Councillors and one unaffiliated independent.

References

1. "Election timetable in England". Electoral Commission. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
2. Sexton, Christine (19 December 2024). "Reform councillor is critical of plans to cancel May elections". Thurrock Nub News. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
3. Weakley, Kirsty (5 February 2025). "Nine polls cancelled as devo priority programme unveiled". Local Government Chronicle. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
4. "Government abandons plans to delay 30 council elections". BBC News. 16 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
5. "Essex councils to be replaced with five unitaries, says Reed". BBC News. 2026-03-25. Retrieved 2026-04-11.
6. "Next stage of consultation for council wards launched". Thurrock Council. 9 July 2024.
7. "Government order all out elections in Thurrock in 2025". 5 October 2023.
8. "Labour councillor resigns, borough looks set for intriguing by-election". Thurrock Nub News. 9 January 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
9. "By-election in Ockendon will have two posts up for grabs after top Tory's resignation". Thurrock Nub News. 3 March 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
10. Dexter, Aimee (2 May 2025). "Reform UK wins three seats in Essex by-elections". BBC News. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
11. "Lynn Worrall takes helm of council's Labour group". Thurrock Nub News. 28 April 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
12. "Current councillors". Thurrock Council. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
13. "Statement of Persons Nominated 2026 | Local elections 2026 | Thurrock Council". www.thurrock.gov.uk. Retrieved 2026-04-11.
14. Reporter, Nub News (2026-04-10). "Candidates announced as election battle begins in earnest in Thurrrock. Old faces disappear but there are some familiar (and controversial) returnees". Thurrock Nub News. Retrieved 2026-04-11.

See also

• Thurrock Council elections