# 2018 Thurrock Council election

The 2018 Thurrock Council elections took place on 3 May 2018 to elect members of Thurrock Council in England. Councillors in 16 out of the 20 electoral wards were to be up for election. The council remained under no overall control, with a minority Conservative administration running the council.
On 26 January 2018, all sitting UKIP councillors resigned from the party and formed a new opposition group called Thurrock Independents.
On 13 March 2018, Basildon UKIP announced that they had taken over responsibility for the 6 East Thurrock wards and are now called UKIP Basildon and Thurrock Branch.
Before the elections, there was a by-election held in Ockendon which resulted in a Conservative gain after a tie and drawing of lots.

## Council Composition

Going into the election, the composition of the council was:
| 19 | 16 | 14 |
| Conservative | Thurrock Independent | Labour |
After the election, the composition of the council was:
| 20 | 12 | 17 |
| Conservative | Thurrock Independent | Labour |

## Election Results

Comparisons for the purpose of determining a gain, hold or loss of a seat, and for all percentage changes, is to the last time these specific seats were up for election in 2014.
Thurrock Local Election Result 2018 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 9 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 56.3 | 41.9 | 12,381 | +5.7 |
| Conservative | 6 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 37.5 | 33.7 | 9,972 | +12.1 |
| Thurrock Ind. | 1 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 6.2 | 21.2 | 6,282 | N/A |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 0 | 2.9 | 846 | -36.1 |
| Democrats and Veterans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 94 | N/A |

## Ward Candidates

All percentage changes are versus 2014, the last time the comparable set of wards were fought. Holds / Gains are given against control of ward going in to the 2018 elections.

### Aveley & Uplands

Aveley & Uplands :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Tim Aker | 1,037 | 43.2 | 2.3† |
| | Conservative | David Van Day | 653 | 27.2 | 6.0 |
| | Labour | Rafal Zak | 570 | 23.7 | 0.5 |
| | UKIP | Peter Curtis | 141 | 5.9 | 48.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 384 | 16.0 | 14.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,401 | | |
| | Thurrock Ind. hold | Thurrock Ind. hold | Swing | 1.9 | |
† Percentage change calculated from the 2014 Aveley & Uplands by-election at which Aker was elected (as a UKIP candidate). He subsequently defected from the UKIP group on Thurrock council and formed Thurrock Independents, although he still sits as a UKIP MEP.

### Belhus

Belhus :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mike Fletcher | 828 | 43.7 | 9.4 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Chris Baker* | 667 | 35.2 | 16.4† |
| | Conservative | Georgette Polley | 399 | 21.1 | 5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 161 | 8.5 | |
| | Labour gain from Thurrock Ind. | Labour gain from Thurrock Ind. | Swing | | |
No UKIP candidate as previously (-49.6%).
† change calculated from the 2014 election when Baker was originally elected (as a UKIP candidate).

### Chadwell St Mary

Chadwell St Mary 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Barbara Rice (incumbent) | 1,383 | 67 | +23 |
| | Conservative | Paul Armold | 402 | 20 | +5 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Paul Stevens | 264 | 13 | +13 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 981 | 47 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +9 | |
Note no UKIP as previously (-39%), no Lib Dem as previously (-2%)

### Grays Riverside

Grays Riverside 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Martin Kerin (incumbent) | 1,063 | 56 | +14 |
| | Conservative | Wendy Herd | 488 | 26 | +7 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Shane McDonagh | 343 | 18 | +18 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 575 | 30 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Note no UKIP candidate as previously (-34%)

### Grays Thurrock

Grays Thurrock 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Lynn Worrall | 1,124 | 55 | +13 |
| | Conservative | Evelina Vulpe | 559 | 27 | +9 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Gillian Wardrop | 362 | 18 | +18 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 565 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Note no UKIP candidate as previously (-36%)

### Little Thurrock Blackshots

Little Thurrock Blackshots 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ben Maney | 1,073 | 59 | +18 |
| | Labour | Jacqueline Dobson | 471 | 26 | +10 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Oliver Smith | 284 | 16 | +16 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 602 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Note no UKIP candidate as previously (-39%)

### Little Thurrock Rectory

Little Thurrock Rectory 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Gledhill | 842 | 55 | +15 |
| | Labour | Lawson Akhigbe | 486 | 32 | +7 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Jay Hayers | 200 | 13 | +13 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 356 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Note no UKIP candidate as previously (-32%)

### Ockendon

Ockendon 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sue Shinnick | 864 | 38 | +17 |
| | Conservative | Romanus Nwakuna | 740 | 33 | +2 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Jan Baker (incumbent) | 663 | 29 | +29 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 124 | | |
| | Labour gain from Thurrock Ind. | Labour gain from Thurrock Ind. | Swing | | |
Note no UKIP as previously (-46%)

### Orsett

Orsett 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Barry Johnson | 1,091 | 65 | +17 |
| | Labour | Vince Offord | 290 | 17 | +4 |
| | UKIP | Adrian Short | 206 | 12 | −24 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | James Mower | 81 | 5 | +5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 801 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### South Chafford

South Chafford 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Abbie Akinbohun | 685 | 48 | +21 |
| | Conservative | Tunde Ojetola | 647 | 45 | +1 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Torren Snell | 105 | 7 | +7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 38 | 3 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Note no UKIP as previously (-26%)

### Stanford East & Corringham Town

Stanford East & Corringham Town 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alex Anderson | 810 | 38 | +5 |
| | Labour | George Elcock | 636 | 30 | +3 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Roy Jones (incumbent) | 565 | 26 | +26 |
| | UKIP | Michael Keal | 132 | 6 | −35 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 174 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Thurrock Ind. | Conservative gain from Thurrock Ind. | Swing | | |

### Stifford Clays

Stifford Clays 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Rigby | 804 | 44 | +18 |
| | Labour | Lee Watson | 668 | 36 | +1 |
| | UKIP | Stephen Andrews | 195 | 11 | −27 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Graham Snell | 177 | 10 | +10 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 136 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Thurrock Ind. | Conservative gain from Thurrock Ind. | Swing | | |

### The Homesteads

The Homesteads 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Halden (incumbent) | 1,233 | 49 | +6 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Gary Byrne | 575 | 23 | +10.5 |
| | Labour | Daniel Friday Chukwu | 532 | 21 | +2 |
| | UKIP | Peter Prendegast | 172 | 7 | −31 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 658 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
    a. Gary Byrne stood as an independent in the 2016 election for the same seat, achieving 12.5% of the vote. The change in this table is calculated from this result, though he is now a candidate for the Thurrock Independents.

### Tilbury Riverside & Thurrock Park

Tilbury St Chads 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bukky Okunade (incumbent) | 563 | 45 | +7 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Allen Mayes | 528 | 42 | +42 |
| | Conservative | Elaine Parker | 159 | 13 | −7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 35 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Note no UKIP candidate as previously (-36%)

### Tilbury St Chads

Tilbury St Chads 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Steve Liddiard (incumbent) | 558 | 58 | +14 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Paul Martin | 240 | 25 | +25 |
| | Conservative | Steve Minett | 169 | 17 | +4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 318 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Note no UKIP candidate as previously (-42%)

### West Thurrock & South Stifford

West Thurrock & South Stifford 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Qaisar Abbas | 1,058 | 57 | +10 |
| | Conservative | George Coxshall | 505 | 27 | +12 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Michael Wager | 191 | 10 | +10 |
| | Democrats and Veterans | Christopher Boosey | 94 | 5 | +5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 553 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Note no UKIP candidate as previously (-34%)