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]

Political control

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

Leadership

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

Mayors

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:

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (May 2022)
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

Council elections

Non-metropolitan district elections

Unitary authority elections

Changes between elections

By-elections

Stifford By-Election 23 July 1998[57]
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
Grays By-Election 20 January 2000[58]
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
Homesteads By-Election 20 January 2000[59]
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
Aveley By-Election 25 May 2000[60]
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
East Tilbury By-Election 25 January 2001[61]
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
Aveley By-Election 6 September 2001[60]
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
Little Thurrock Blackshotts By-Election 6 September 2001[62]
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
Tilbury Riverside By-Election 25 July 2002[63]
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
Stanford Le Hope East By-Election 29 May 2003[64]
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
Grays Riverside By-Election 4 September 2003[65]
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
Grays Riverside By-Election 1 December 2005[66]
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
The Homesteads By-Election 1 December 2005[66]
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]

South Ockendon 22 March 2018 [64]
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

Changes in affiliation

All 17 of UKIP's Thurrock councillors left the party on 27 January 2018.[68] They now sit as the Thurrock Independents group.

References

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External links

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