Thurrock Council is the local authority for the unitary authority of Thurrock in Essex, England. Until 1 April 1998 it was a non-metropolitan district. One third of the council is elected each year, followed by one year without an election. Since the unitary authority was first elected in 1997, the council has consisted of 49 councillors elected from 20 wards.[1]
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Since 1974 political control of the council has been held by the following parties:[2][3]
Non-metropolitan district
Party in control | Years | |
---|---|---|
Labour | 1974–1979 | |
No overall control | 1979–1982 | |
Labour | 1982–1998 |
Unitary authority
Year | Control | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
1998 | Labour | ||
2004 | Conservative | ||
2007 | No overall control | Conservative-led administration | |
2010 | No overall control | Labour-led administration | |
2012 | Labour | ||
2014 | No overall control | Labour-led administration | |
2016 | No overall control | Conservative-led administration |
The leaders of the council since 1989 have been:[4]
Councillor | Party | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jimmy Aberdein[5] | Labour | 1989 | 1995 | |
Andy Smith[6][7] | Labour | 1995 | 30 Jun 2004 | |
Anne Cheale | Conservative | 30 Jun 2004 | 24 May 2006 | |
Terry Hipsey | Conservative | 24 May 2006 | 25 Mar 2009 | |
Garry Hague | Conservative | 25 Mar 2009 | 19 May 2010 | |
John Kent | Labour | 19 May 2010 | 25 May 2016 | |
Rob Gledhill[8] | Conservative | 25 May 2016 | 2 Sep 2022 | |
Mark Coxshall | Conservative | 13 Oct 2022 |
The role of mayor is largely ceremonical in Thurrock, and is usually held by a different councillor each year. The mayors since 1982 have included:
Councillor | Party | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bob Wood[9][10] | Labour | 1982 | 1983 | |
Sid Josling[11] | Labour | 1984 | 1985 | |
Arthur Clarke[12] | Labour | 1985 | 1986 | |
George Watts[13] | Labour | 1988 | 1989 | |
John Dunn[14] | Labour | 1989 | 1990 | |
Ken Evans[15] | Labour | 1990 | 1991 | |
Kitty Price[16] | Labour | 1991 | 1992 | |
Pat Rice[17] | Labour | 1993 | 1994 | |
Barry Palmer[18] | Labour | 1994 | 1995 | |
Reg Lee[19] | Labour | 1995 | 1996 | |
Sid Josling[11] | Labour | 1996 | 1997 | |
Arthur Bennett[20] | Labour | 1997 | 1998 | |
Albert Vandersteen[21] | Labour | 1998 | 1999 | |
Carl Morris[22][23] | Labour | 1999 | 2000 | |
Julian Norris[24][25] | Labour | 2000 | 2001 | |
Barrie Lawrence[24][23] | Labour | 2001 | 2002 | |
Gordon Barton[26][23] | Labour | 2002 | 2003 | |
Gerard Rice[17][27] | Labour | 2003 | 2004 | |
Ian Harrison[28][29] | Conservative | 2004 | 2005 | |
Colin Churchman[26][30] | Conservative | 2005 | 2006 | |
Joy Redsell[31][32] | Conservative | 2006 | 2007 | |
Diane Revell[33] | Conservative | 2007 | 2008 | |
John Everett[34] | Conservative | 2008 | 2009 | |
Maureen Pearce[35] | Conservative | 2009 | 2010 | |
Anne Cheale[36] | Thurrock Concerned Conservative | 2010 | 2011 | |
Yash Gupta[37][38] | Labour | 2011 | 2013 | |
Tony Fish[39] | Labour | 2013 | 2014 | |
Steve Liddiard[40] | Labour | 2014 | 2015 | |
Sue Gray[41][42] | Labour | 2015 | 2016 | |
Cathy Kent[43][44] | Labour | 2016 | 2017 | |
Tunde Ojetola[45] | Conservative | 2017 | 2018 | |
Barbara Rice[46] | Labour | 2018 | 2019 | |
Terry Piccolo[47] | Conservative | 2019 | 2021 | |
Sue Shinnick[48][49] | Labour | 2021 | 2022 | |
James Halden[50] | Conservative | 2022 | 2023 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | George Watts | 578 | 56.9 | -1.8 | |
Conservative | Pauline Campbell | 304 | 30.0 | -11.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | Tracey Ashdown | 133 | 13.1 | +13.1 | |
Majority | 274 | 26.9 | |||
Turnout | 1,015 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Rosemary McMahon | 269 | 52.5 | -11.5 | |
Conservative | Kazimierz Rytter | 154 | 30.1 | -3.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | John Livermore | 89 | 17.4 | +8.1 | |
Majority | 115 | 22.4 | |||
Turnout | 512 | 8.0 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Everett | 490 | 46.9 | -0.4 | |
Labour | Denise Cooper | 419 | 40.1 | -12.5 | |
Independent | James Mallon | 71 | 6.8 | +6.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | David Coward | 64 | 6.1 | +6.1 | |
Majority | 71 | 6.8 | |||
Turnout | 1,044 | 17.4 | |||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Neil Pearce | 454 | 64.8 | +25.7 | |
Green | Dean Hall | 247 | 35.2 | +31.9 | |
Majority | 207 | 29.6 | |||
Turnout | 701 | 12.5 | |||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | John Purkiss | 623 | 67.6 | +67.6 | |
Labour | David Gooding | 139 | 15.1 | -49.6 | |
Conservative | Robert Barnes | 135 | 14.6 | -20.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | David Coward | 25 | 2.7 | +2.7 | |
Majority | 484 | 52.5 | |||
Turnout | 922 | 21.4 | |||
Independent gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Colin Churchman | 803 | 58.7 | +19.5 | |
Labour | Wahidur Rahman | 451 | 32.9 | -0.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | John Lathan | 85 | 6.2 | -17.7 | |
Green | Dean Hall | 31 | 2.3 | -1.0 | |
Majority | 351 | 25.8 | |||
Turnout | 1,370 | 24.0 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Benjamin Maney | 362 | 45.4 | -16.7 | |
Labour | Eunice Southam | 274 | 34.3 | +6.1 | |
Independent | Geoffrey Slocock | 117 | 14.7 | +14.7 | |
Liberal Democrats | Mark Meechan | 45 | 5.7 | -4.0 | |
Majority | 88 | 11.1 | |||
Turnout | 798 | 20.8 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Kenneth Barrett | 358 | 72.9 | -9.3 | |
Liberal Democrats | David Coward | 70 | 14.3 | +14.3 | |
Conservative | Jean Watts | 63 | 12.9 | -4.9 | |
Majority | 288 | 58.6 | |||
Turnout | 491 | 13.0 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Terence Hipsey | 511 | 40.3 | -7.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | James Thompson | 428 | 33.8 | +33.8 | |
Labour | Julian Norris | 329 | 25.9 | -26.6 | |
Majority | 83 | 6.5 | |||
Turnout | 1,268 | 29.4 | |||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
BNP | Nicholas Geri | 552 | 38.2 | +38.2 | |
Conservative | Nicholas Edwards | 382 | 26.4 | -3.3 | |
Labour | Remia Sear | 374 | 25.9 | -25.2 | |
Liberal Democrats | John Livermore | 137 | 9.5 | -9.7 | |
Majority | 170 | 11.8 | |||
Turnout | 1,445 | 22.0 | |||
BNP gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Val Morris-Cook | 575 | 42.4 | +1.8 | |
Conservative | Sharon Ponder | 348 | 25.7 | -7.2 | |
BNP | Emma Colgate | 340 | 25.1 | -1.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | John Livermore | 92 | 6.8 | +6.8 | |
Majority | 227 | 16.7 | |||
Turnout | 1,355 | 20.0 | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Salvatore Benson | 661 | 42.2 | -1.1 | |
Conservative | Pauline Tolson | 534 | 34.1 | -22.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Paul Riley | 220 | 14.1 | +14.1 | |
BNP | John Cotter | 150 | 9.6 | +9.6 | |
Majority | 127 | 8.1 | |||
Turnout | 1,565 | 23.2 | |||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |
The resignation of Kevin Wheeler (Thurrock Independent, elected UKIP) on 12 Feb 2018 triggered a by-election in South Ockendon on 22 March 2018, which the Conservatives won on a coin toss.[67]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Andrew Jefferies | 696 | 36.1 | ||
Labour | Les Strange | 696 | 36.1 | ||
Thurrock Independent | Jack Duffin | 531 | 28.8 | ||
Majority | 0 | ||||
Turnout | |||||
Conservative gain from UKIP | Swing |
All 17 of UKIP's Thurrock councillors left the party on 27 January 2018.[68] They now sit as the Thurrock Independents group.