# 2023 Thurrock Council election

The 2023 Thurrock Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect a third of the members of Thurrock Council in Essex, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England.
The Conservatives narrowly retained their majority on the council at the election, but lost three seats compared to the position immediately before the election. The election was held in the context of the council having declared effective bankruptcy with debts of about £1.5 billion and a government-appointed commissioner having been installed to oversee the council's financial management. The Conservative leader of the council, Mark Coxshall, and the cabinet member for finance, Shane Hebb, were two of the three who lost their seats. At the subsequent annual council meeting on 24 May 2023, Andrew Jefferies was appointed the new leader.

## Summary
### Election result

2023 Thurrock Council election :
| Party | Party | This election | This election | This election | Full council | Full council | Full council | This election | This election | This election |
| Party | Party | Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| | Conservative | 4 | 2 | 25.0 | 22 | 26 | 53.1 | 8,490 | 32.4 | –15.7 |
| | Labour | 9 | 5 | 56.3 | 10 | 19 | 38.8 | 11,833 | 45.1 | –3.0 |
| | Independent | 2 | 1 | 12.5 | 1 | 3 | 6.1 | 2,633 | 10.0 | +7.8 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | 1 | 4 | 6.3 | 0 | 1 | 2.0 | 2,706 | 10.3 | +8.6 |
| | Reform UK | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 436 | 1.7 | N/A |
| | UKIP | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 79 | 0.3 | N/A |
| | Green | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 64 | 0.2 | N/A |

## Ward results

The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Thurrock Council following the close of nomination on 5 April 2023.
Seat changes are relative to the 2019 election and do not take into account any interim by-elections or defections. Vote share changes are relative to the last time the seat was up for election.

### Aveley & Uplands

Aveley & Uplands :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jacqui Maney | 928 | 52.7 | +3.3 |
| | Labour | Cathy Sisterson | 834 | 47.3 | –3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 96 | 5.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,777 | 23.6 | +0.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,519 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 3.3 | |

### Belhus

Belhus :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mark Hurrell | 765 | 48.5 | –0.3 |
| | Conservative | Abbie Akinbohun | 433 | 27.5 | –23.7 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Chris Baker* | 299 | 19.0 | N/A |
| | UKIP | Michael Keal | 79 | 5.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 332 | 21.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,579 | 21.9 | –1.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,210 | | |
| | Labour gain from Thurrock Ind. | Labour gain from Thurrock Ind. | Swing | 11.7 | |

### Chadwell St. Mary

Chadwell St. Mary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Daniel Chukwu* | 1,256 | 73.1 | +13.3 |
| | Conservative | Sophie Corcoran | 462 | 26.9 | –13.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 794 | 46.2 | +26.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,741 | 23.8 | –2.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,317 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 13.3 | |

### Chafford & North Stifford

Chafford & North Stifford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Vikki Hartstean | 741 | 49.1 | +18.2 |
| | Conservative | Mark Coxshall* | 639 | 42.3 | –26.8 |
| | Reform UK | Sue Truman | 129 | 8.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 102 | 6.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,514 | 27.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,581 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 22.5 | |

### Corringham & Fobbing

Corringham & Fobbing :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Deborah Arnold | 555 | 39.0 | –31.3 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | John Fox | 545 | 38.3 | N/A |
| | Labour | Ngozi Alike | 324 | 22.8 | –6.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10 | 0.7 | –39.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,427 | 32.5 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,391 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### East Tilbury

East Tilbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Fraser Massey* | 980 | 74.9 | N/A |
| | Labour | Alastair Craft | 245 | 18.7 | +2.0 |
| | Conservative | Daryl Palmer | 83 | 6.3 | –36.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 735 | 56.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,317 | 25.2 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,222 | | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Grays Riverside

Grays Riverside :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Valerie Morris-Cook | 1,191 | 75.5 | +3.6 |
| | Conservative | Emily Folorunsho | 386 | 24.5 | –3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 805 | 51.0 | +7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,590 | 19.4 | –6.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,206 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 3.6 | |

### Grays Thurrock

Grays Thurrock :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Catherine Kent* | 1,151 | 68.6 | +0.5 |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Alo | 343 | 20.5 | –11.4 |
| | Reform UK | Roy Grayson | 183 | 10.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 808 | 48.1 | +11.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,691 | 25.5 | –0.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,644 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 6.0 | |

### Little Thurrock Rectory

Little Thurrock Rectory :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tom Kelly* | 580 | 39.7 | –16.0 |
| | Labour | Enayet Sarwar | 550 | 37.6 | –6.7 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Russell Cherry | 332 | 22.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 30 | 2.1 | –9.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,467 | 32.3 | +1.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,539 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 4.7 | |

### Ockendon

Ockendon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Jefferies* | 1,014 | 48.3 | –5.5 |
| | Labour | Gary Watson | 839 | 39.9 | –6.3 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Ross Byrne | 248 | 11.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 175 | 8.4 | +0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,110 | 25.3 | +1.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,333 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 0.6 | |

### Stanford East & Corringham Town

Stanford East & Corringham Town :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Cecil | 667 | 37.2 | +7.7 |
| | Conservative | Shane Ralph* | 568 | 31.7 | –14.7 |
| | Independent | Roy Jones | 559 | 31.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 99 | 5.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,806 | 28.6 | +0.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,317 | | |
| | Labour gain from Thurrock Ind. | Labour gain from Thurrock Ind. | Swing | 11.2 | |

### Stanford-le-Hope West

Stanford-le-Hope West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Neil Speight | 643 | 38.1 | N/A |
| | Labour | Philip Smith | 532 | 31.6 | +9.6 |
| | Conservative | Shane Hebb* | 511 | 30.3 | –20.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 111 | 6.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,691 | 30.5 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,537 | | |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |

### Stifford Clays

Stifford Clays :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mark Hooper | 610 | 40.9 | –6.1 |
| | Conservative | Gavin Holland | 476 | 31.9 | –21.1 |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Jennifer Smith* | 340 | 22.8 | N/A |
| | Green | Jack Beauchamp-Stansfield | 64 | 4.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 134 | 9.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,498 | 29.9 | +1.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,006 | | |
| | Labour gain from Thurrock Ind. | Labour gain from Thurrock Ind. | Swing | 7.5 | |

### The Homesteads

The Homesteads :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Thurrock Ind. | Gary Byrne* | 942 | 42.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Shamim Miah | 603 | 27.2 | –38.7 |
| | Labour | Tony Benson | 544 | 24.6 | –9.5 |
| | Reform UK | Bill Poskitt | 124 | 5.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 339 | 15.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,229 | 35.0 | +1.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,376 | | |
| | Thurrock Ind. hold | Thurrock Ind. hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Tilbury Riverside & Thurrock Park

Tilbury Riverside & Thurrock Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Cici Manwa | 486 | 45.0 | +11.0 |
| | Independent | Craig Austin | 451 | 41.7 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Allen Mayes* | 144 | 13.3 | –9.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 35 | 3.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,083 | 22.4 | –4.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,826 | | |
| | Labour gain from Thurrock Ind. | Labour gain from Thurrock Ind. | Swing | N/A | |

### West Thurrock & South Stifford

West Thurrock & South Stifford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Aaron Green | 1,098 | 58.9 | +12.6 |
| | Conservative | Tunde Ojetola | 765 | 41.1 | –12.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 333 | 17.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,892 | 21.2 | –3.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,908 | | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | 12.6 | |

## Changes 2023–2024

Sue Sammons, elected as a Conservative, left the party in July 2023 to sit as an independent.
The Thurrock Independents disbanded in July 2023, with their one remaining councillor, Gary Byrne, then becoming an independent.