Election Name: | 2023 Thurrock Council election[1] |
Country: | Essex |
Type: | parliamentary |
Previous Election: | 2022 Thurrock Council election |
Previous Year: | 2022 |
Next Election: | 2024 Thurrock Council election |
Next Year: | 2024 |
Seats For Election: | 16 out of 49 seats to Thurrock Council |
Majority Seats: | 25 |
Image1: | Mark Coxshall, Thurrock Councillor for Chafford and North Stifford.jpg |
Leader1: | Mark Coxshall |
Party1: | Conservative Party (UK) |
Last Election1: | 30 seats, 48.3% |
Leaders Seat1: | Chafford & North Stifford (lost re-election) |
Seats Before1: | 29 |
Seats1: | 4 |
Seats After1: | 26 |
Seat Change1: | 2 |
Popular Vote1: | 8,490 |
Percentage1: | 32.4% |
Swing1: | 15.7% |
Leader2: | John Kent |
Party2: | Labour Party (UK) |
Leaders Seat2: | Grays Thurrock |
Last Election2: | 14 seats, 47.9% |
Seats Before2: | 14 |
Seats2: | 9 |
Seats After2: | 19 |
Seat Change2: | 5 |
Popular Vote2: | 11,833 |
Percentage2: | 45.1% |
Swing2: | 3.0% |
Leader4: | N/A |
Party4: | Independent politician |
Leaders Seat4: | N/A |
Last Election4: | 1 seat, 2.2% |
Seats Before4: | 3 |
Seats4: | 2 |
Seats After4: | 3 |
Seat Change4: | 1 |
Popular Vote4: | 2,633 |
Percentage4: | 10.0% |
Swing4: | 7.8% |
Image5: | Gary Byrne, Thurrock Councillor for The Homesteads.jpg |
Leader5: | Gary Byrne |
Party5: | Thurrock Independents |
Leaders Seat5: | The Homesteads |
Last Election5: | 3 seats, 1.7% |
Seats Before5: | 3 |
Seats5: | 1 |
Seats After5: | 1 |
Seat Change5: | 4 |
Popular Vote5: | 2,706 |
Percentage5: | 10.3% |
Swing5: | 8.6% |
Leader | |
Posttitle: | Leader after election |
Before Election: | Mark Coxshall |
Before Party: | Conservative Party (UK) |
After Election: | Andrew Jefferies |
After Party: | Conservative Party (UK) |
The 2023 Thurrock Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect a third of the members of Thurrock Council in Essex, England.[2] 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.[3] [4] At the subsequent annual council meeting on 24 May 2023, Andrew Jefferies was appointed the new leader.[5]
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.[6]
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.
Sue Sammons, elected as a Conservative, left the party in July 2023 to sit as an independent.[7]
The Thurrock Independents disbanded in July 2023, with their one remaining councillor, Gary Byrne, then becoming an independent.[8]