Elections are upon us.
It's Local Elections time and that means my annual Runners & Riders blog
Basildon Council currently has 42 councillors elected across 16 wards, but these have been reduced to 14 wards following the recent Boundary Review. The overall number of councillors remains at 42.
The Council usually holds elections three out of every four years, electing a third of the seats each time. But, as a consequence of the boundary changes, this year all 42 seats are up at once, as the Council is being completely reconstituted. This is what is known colloquially as an 'All-In/All-Out' election.
There is an added importance to this year's election, as 2025 is what we call our 'fallow year'. It is the year in the 4-year electoral cycle in which Basildon does not hold elections, as there are Essex County Council elections next year. This means whichever party takes control of Basildon Council in the 'All-In/All-Out' this year will retain control for at least two years, until the next round of triennial borough elections resume in 2026.
These will be the first elections fought on the new ward boundaries. The Local Government Boundary Commission finished their review of our warding arrangements and, from this year, there will only be 14 wards - with Crouch and Wickford Castledon merged and Vange abolished, as well as some alterations to the boundaries of other ward, as I outlined in my recent blog. The total number of councillors will remain at 42 and all wards will elect three councillors each, meaning there will no longer be the anomaly of some wards not having elections.
The Conservatives have now been in control of Basildon Council for 3 years. At present, the Council consists of 24 Conservatives, 10 Labour, 5 'Independents' (in reality a faction led by Cllr. Kerry Smith) and one remaining Wickford Independent. There are also currently two 'casual vacancies', one arising from the resignation in December of my former ward colleague, David Dadds (Con, Billericay East) and the other the sad death of my friend and the former Mayor, Luke Mackenzie (Con, Pitsea South-East), who passed away tragically in March following a short illness. So, currently, the Conservative Administration enjoys a working majority of eight.
The magic number for an overall majority is 22 seats – this is the minimum number needed to command an overall majority and form an administration.
Obviously, the national backdrop is less than auspicious for us Tories but, overall, I think we have been a good administration. We have delivered a lot of new facilities across the Borough and put a lot of work into improving our estates and investing in infrastructure that had long been neglected. We withdrew the deeply flawed Local Plan and have put our money where our mouth is in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour through our Community Safety Wardens. We delivered a balanced council budget, which is no mean feat in the current climate, when so many local authorities are going to the wall or having to resort to massive tax hikes. One issue that does loom large, of course, is the dreaded bins, having introduced the biggest reform of waste collection services in over 20 years. It would be fair to say that these changes have not gone entirely to plan! But they were necessary and we remain committed to listening to residents' feedback and getting a system that works effectively.
For the first time to my knowledge, Basildon Conservatives are not fielding a full slate of candidates across the Borough in every seat - something we have prided ourselves on being the only party in Basildon consistently so to do. At 38 candidates, we are still by far the largest contingent. None of the other parties are fielding a full slate either and this is probably a sobering reflection of the times and the difficulty all parties experience in finding people willing to put themselves up for election. With it being an All-In/All-Out, it simply proved impossible to find enough willing volunteers for all 42 vacancies. Labour have concentrated their fire, fielding only one candidate in each ward across Billericay and Wickford and in Kerry Smith's fief in Westley Heights. This pact with the Smithites has doubtless arisen due to the return of his old Labour ally Gavin Callaghan.
The return of Mr. Callaghan has transpired insidiously and with very little fanfare. He is standing in St. Martin's - the Town Centre ward - which certainly shows a certain chutzpah. A bit like a murderer returning to the scene of the crime. It is only 3 years ago that Mr. Callaghan dramatically lost control of the Council in a disastrous set of local elections, which saw several senior Labour councillors, including the sitting mayor, lose their seats. This rout was occasioned by Mr. Callaghan's hubristic leadership, which saw him attempt to simultaneously flood the Town Centre with tower blocks, whilst riding roughshod over the people of Laindon over their Community Centre and abusing them on social media for daring to question him. This created a 'perfect storm', which ultimately swept him out of power. Although he was narrowly re-elected in Pitsea North-West, within a month he resigned, triggering an expensive by-election. He even had the nerve to write to his residents in Pitsea, essentially telling them that the gig of representing them did not pay enough and he was going to swan off and make his millions.
Things clearly have not panned out for him. I hear he was unsuccessful in his bid to be selected as the Labour parliamentary candidate for Sunderland, so he has come skulking back to Basildon. He has performed a quick 'boardroom coup' in the local CLP (Constituency Labour Party) and taken it over. Back in February, the Basildon Labour Group ousted their then leader, Cllr. Terry Webb (Lab, Lee Chapel North), who had been attempting to prepare a fully-costed Alternative Budget. Sources tell me that when he presented it to his group, they demanded a commitment to reinstate weekly bin collections. When he told them he had gone through the figures and it was financially impossible, they sacked him. His Callaghanite puppet predecessor, Cllr. Maryam Yaqub (Lab, St. Martin's), was reinstated and they have consequently gone into these elections pledging to restore weekly collections, even though they all know it cannot be done. This has Mr. Callaghan's tentacles all over it. I imagine the removal of Councillor Webb will have looked rather like the scene in Game of Thrones when Qyburn dispenses with Grand Maester Pycelle. "Before we can usher in the new, the old must be put to rest." Then he sets a bunch of children to stabbing him to death. [You'll get it if you've seen it.]
In addition to being sacked as Group Leader, Councillor Webb has been shunted out of his safe Lee Chapel North seat and is being forced to seek re-election in the more marginal Laindon Park. His former ward colleague and key ally, Cllr. Susanna Caira-Neeson (n/a, Lee Chapel North), who refused to play along, has been kicked out the Party altogether and had the whip removed just over a fortnight ago. She now sits as a non-aligned member and is not standing in these elections. I have it on good authority that Cllr. David Kirkman (Lab, Fryerns) has also been deselected.
This is a shame because Labour councillors like Terry, Susanna and David are broadly decent folk, whom I disagree with but who play with a straight bat and whom I can broadly trust to engage in fair dealings. They have been thrown over so that the likes of Mr. Callaghan and Aidan McGurran (Callaghan's former enforcer, who lost his Vange seat in 2021) can come back - people who would shank you in the back just for the fun of it! Much of the toxicity of Basildon politics was drained when the likes of Messrs. Callaghan and McGurran lost their seats in 2021. It was like lancing a boil. Our polity will be the poorer if their ilk are allowed to return.
Elsewhere, the Liberals are putting up a crop of 20 candidates across the Borough, with at least one Liberal in every ward but, like Labour, they are focusing their efforts (in their case, on Billericay). We have a bumper crop of Greens this year, contesting 9 of the 14 wards. Kerry Smith is fighting alongside at least 7 so-called 'Independent' candidates (aligned to him) and there are a smattering of other minor parties and independents dotted about. Surprisingly, given their polling nationally, there is only one single Reform UK candidate standing in Wickford North.
Parties standing / No. of candidates
The Conservative Party x38
The Labour Party x26
The Liberal Democrats x20
The Green Party x12
The Independent Group (Smithites) x8
The Wickford Independents x5
The Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition x5
The British Democrats x1
Reform UK x1
Independents (non-Smith) x2
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New Ward Boundaries
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Here are the runners and riders locally: Incumbents are marked with an ‘*’
BILLERICAY EAST
- BARNES, Andy (Conservative)
- BRENNAN, Andrew (Green)
- BUNYAN, Sally (Labour)
- CLARK, Laura (Liberal Democrat)
- GOSHAWK, Stewart (Green)
- MORDECAI, Martyn (Conservative)
- SCHRADER, Andrew (Conservative)*
- SMITH, Peter (Liberal Democrat)
- TATMAN, Andy (Green)
The boundaries of Billericay East are unchanged. I am proud to be seeking re-election for the fourth time since residents did me the great honour of electing me in 2013. I have now served 11 years as a councillor. I have been on the Planning Committee, on and off, for 7 years and it has been a particular pleasure to serve on the frontbench as Cabinet Member for Housing & Estate Renewal over the past 3 years. This election is tinged with sadness, as my former ward colleagues, David Dadds and Stuart Sullivan, have both stood down. They were elected in the last All-In/All-Out, back in 2002, so achieved more than 40 years of service between them. I am, however, proud to be standing alongside Andy Barnes and Martyn Mordecai, both of whom live in the ward and bring a wealth of experience. Andy has been a borough councillor before and Martyn is currently a town councillor. The Greens are also fielding three candidates. This is Andrew Brennan's second election, having contested Billericay West last year (he came last). Stewart Goshawk previously fought Burstead as a Liberal but switched to the Greens last year. This is Andy Tatman's first election. The Liberals are only fielding two candidates. This is Laura Clark's fourth election, her third in Billericay East. She was until recently a town councillor. Peter Smith is standing here for the first time, having twice previously stood for the Liberals in Vange. Sally Bunyan is standing here as the lone Labour candidate. Her husband, Peter, stood here the last two years running and has just been elected to the Town Council. He is, oddly, standing in Wickford. Mrs Bunyan previously stood in Billericay West in 2022.
Certainly, anyone in Billericay East who wants to elect an Andrew or an Andy is well-served!
I am defending a 67% share of the vote and a majority of 1,458 from when I was last re-elected in 2022.
BILLERICAY WEST
- BUTLER, Scion (Green)
- BUTTON, Brian (Labour)
- HEDLEY, Anthony (Conservative)*
- LANCASTER, Peter (Liberal Democrat)
- LAWRENCE, Daniel (Conservative)*
- MAY, Chris (Liberal Democrat)
- NICKLIN, Tim (Liberal Democrat)
- TURNER, Philip (Conservative)*
The boundaries of Billericay West also remain unchanged. My colleagues Tony Hedley, Phil Turner and Danny Lawrence are seeking re-election in Billericay West for the 7th, 6th and 4th times respectively. Tony has represented the seat for 24 years, since 2000, Phil since 2001 and Danny since 2012, so between them they are extremely experienced local councillors. Tony is currently Cabinet Member for Business Engagement, Skills & Procurement Oversight, Phil is a former Leader of the Council, and Danny is currently Chairman of the Licensing Committee and a 3-time former Deputy Mayor of Basildon. The Liberals, who previously did well here, are also fielding three candidates. Peter Lancaster is standing here for the first time, having twice stood unsuccessfully in Pitsea South-East. Chris May is a sitting town councillor, who came second here last year. Tim Nicklin is a Langdon Hills resident, who stood here previously in 2022. Scion Butler and Brian Button are first-time candidates for the Green and Labour parties respectively, about whom I consequently know nothing.
Danny is defending a 51% vote share (maj. 461) from last year, Tony got 57% in 2022 (maj. 676) and Phil got 50% in 2021 (maj. 198).
BURSTEAD
- BAGGOTT, Andrew (Conservative)*
- BANKS, Leslie (Labour)
- BLAKE, Kevin (Conservative)*
- CHRAIBI, Idriss (Green)
- DAFFIN, Chris (Liberal Democrat)
- FRYD, Andy (Liberal)
- McGARRY, Daniel (Green)
- MOORE, Richard (Conservative)*
Burstead has expanded southwards to include the Steepleview area, which previously fell under the old Crouch Ward. My colleagues Kevin Blake, Richard Moore and Andy Baggott are seeking re-election in Burstead for the 7th, 5th and 3rd times respectively. Kevin has represented the seat since the last All-In/All-Out in 2002. Richard was first elected in 2004 and Andy in 2014. Kevin is currently Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Environment, Carbon Reduction & Waste Enforcement, Richard is Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Infrastructure & Planning Enforcement, while Andy is currently Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Public Order & Safer Communities. The Tories are the only party fielding a full slate here, with the Greens and Liberals fielding two candidates each and Labour only one. Idriss Chraibi and Daniel McGarry are first-time candidates for the Greens, whereas this is Chris Daffin's third election in Burstead for the Liberals. Andy Fryd is standing for the first time, likewise Les Banks for Labour. Interesting fact - Les is my best friend's dad! (He's a lovely guy.)
Kevin is defending a 61% vote share from last year (maj. 1,041), Andy got 66% in 2022 (maj. 1,261) and Richard got 76% in 2021 (maj. 1,997).
CASTLEDON & CROUCH
- ALLEN, Stuart (Conservative)*
- BATEMAN, Christopher (British Democrat)
- GUERNEY, Gillian (Green)
- HOAD, Nicola (Liberal Democrat)
- MOTT, Stewart (Liberal Democrat)
- MYERS, Alex (Conservative)*
- SARGENT, Terri (Conservative)*
- STANBROOK, Angela (Labour)
- WOODS, Michael (Liberal Democrat)
Castledon & Crouch is a newly created ward, formed mostly from a combination of the old Crouch and Wickford Castledon wards. Steepleview was moved from Crouch into Burstead and a small area of Wickford Castledon around Bromfords moved into Wickford Park. The remainder has merged to form this new ward. The two former sitting councillors for the old Crouch Ward, my colleagues Stuart Allen and Terri Sargent, are seeking re-election here, each for the 6th time, both having represented Crouch since the last All-In/All-Out in 2002. Alex Myers, meanwhile, has represented Wickford Castledon since 2022 and is hoping to be re-elected to the new ward. The Liberals are also fielding a full slate. Stewart Mott had fought the old Castledon ward for the past two years, whereas Nicola Hoad fought Wickford North for the last three. Michael Woods, on the other hand, is a veteran, fighting his seventh election for the Liberals in Wickford but this is his first election in 14 years. He last stood in Wickford Park in 2010. The Greens and Labour are fielding one candidate each. Gillian Guerney is a first-time candidate, whereas Angela Stanbrook previously fought Laindon Park in 2021. Cris Bateman is the Borough's sole British Democrat candidate and is a Noak Bridge parish councillor. This is his fifth election, having stood in Laindon Park last year, when he came sixth out of seven candidates.
There were no elections in Crouch last year but Terri was re-elected in 2022 with a whopping 76% of the vote (maj. 903). That same year, Alex was elected for the first time in Wickford Castledon with 52% (maj. 572). Stuart is nominally defending a 72% vote share in Crouch in 2021 (maj. 1,116).
FRYERNS
- ANSELL, Andrew (Labour)
- BROWN, Adele (Labour)*
- DAVIES, Allan (Labour)*
- DAWODU, Ola (Conservative)
- DONNE, Eleanor (Trade Unionist & Socialist)
- HOWARD, Vivien (Liberal Democrat)
The Fryerns boundaries remain unchanged. Labour councillors Allan Davies and Adele Brown are seeking re-election for the 5th and 3rd times respectively. Councillor Davies is currently the longest-serving Labour member on the Council, having represented Fryerns since 2007 (but was originally elected to Pitsea North-West in 2002, at the last All-In/All-Out). Councillor Brown, meanwhile, has represented Fryerns since 2012. She has defied persistent rumours that she was standing down this year, having previously resigned her Essex County Council seat due largely to her persistent non-attendance. She has, likewise, been an infrequent attendee at Basildon Council since Labour lost power in 2021 and many of us felt like maybe her heart has not been in it anymore but possibly the return of Gavin Callaghan - to whom she is inexplicably devoted - has revived her enthusiam. As I said in my opening, Cllr. David Kirkman is 'standing down' (been deselected) and former Pitsea South-East councillor Andy Ansell is standing here. He was a casualty of the 2021 Labour defeat and was a slavishly loyal Callaghanite. We took an early decision in the selection process that, given this is an 'All-In/All-Out' and 'split-votes' mean there is a potential to pick up seats in unsual places, where we might not usually expect to win, we were not going to field 'paper candidates'. This is a common practice but can occasionally lead to people getting elected who were not really prepared to serve. Consequently, all our candidates are in it to win it. This did mean, however, that it was even more difficult than usual to find people willing to stand and, in the case of Fryerns, our only volunteer was Ola Dawodu, a local family man, who works in project management and wants to see improvements to the area. The only other candidates are perennial Liberal candidate Viv Howard, who is fighting her 17th election (her fifth in Fryerns), and first-time candidate Eleanor Donne, standing for the Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition.
Councillor Davies is defending a 64% vote share last year (maj. 660) and Councillor Brown a 41% share from 2021 (maj. 188), when she retained this Basildon seat despite her notorious role as Chair of Planning in approving the huge high-rise tower blocks for the Town Centre.
LAINDON PARK
- COJOCARU, Iurie (Independent)
- GASCOYNE, Samuel (Conservative)
- HENRY, Jeff (Conservative)*
- JOSEPH, Victoria (Labour)*
- McCARTHY, Eugene (Green)
- McCARTHY, Stephen (Liberal Democrat)
- MURRAY, David (Trade Unionist & Socialist)
- POWER, Jessica (Labour)
- WEBB, Terry (Labour)
- WINGFIELD, Kevin (Conservative)*
Laindon Park boundaries also remain unchanged. In what is usually a hotly-contested seat, one might have thought the ballot papers for Laindon Park would need to be printed on scrolls this year but, as it happens, at just 10 candidates, this is a fairly straightforward two-horse race between the Tories and Labour. Our two incumbent councillors, Jeff Henry and Kevin Wingfield, are seeking re-election. Jeff has represented the seat since 2018, having been resoundingly re-elected in 2022. He was joined by Kevin in 2021. Jeff is currently Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing, Leisure, Arts & Culture, while Kevin is Chairman of the Overview & Scrutiny Commission. Both have worked tirelessly on behalf of Laindon. Seeking to join them is Sam Gascoyne, who has been a councillor for Pitsea North-West since 2022 but is now moving to Laindon. He is currently Chairman of the Place Scrutiny Committee and is a hardworking and effective councillor. The third Laindon Park seat is currently held by Labour's Victoria Joseph, who narrowly won the seat last year. Her two running mates are former Labour leader Cllr. Terry Webb, who, as I explained in my opening, has been deselected in his safe Lee Chapel North seat (which he had represented since winning a by-election in 2021 and was re-elected to only last year) and is being forced to seek re-election here, and first-time candidate Jessica Power. She is actually well-known to me, as when I was Chairman of Economic Development & Growth in 2018/19, she was one of my officers! For what it's worth, I really liked her and thought she was one of the most impressive officers I worked with and I was gutted when she left the Council to go work on the Lower Thames Crossing. Obviously, I hope she doesn't win but I wish her well. Father/son duo Steve and Eugene McCarthy are providing an awesome Basildon politics footnote by once again standing in the same ward but for different parties. This is Steve's fourth election here and Eugene's second. Finally, Iurie Cojocaru is standing here as a Smith-backed 'Independent', having contested Pitsea South-East last year. Perennial militant leftist Dave Murray is standing again for the Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition in what is his eighth election. This is his second go at Laindon Park, having last stood here in 2022 (he stood in Vange last year).
Councillor Joseph is defending a 35% vote share last year (a slender majority of just 25), while Jeff is defending 52% in 2022 (maj. 360) and Kevin 55% in 2021 (maj. 780). These figures are, I think, a testament to how quickly people forget. In 2021, Kevin was elected on the back of the Conservatives saving Laindon Community Centre. By 2023, all was forgiven and residents let Labour back in. Short memories. I hope the people of Laindon remember how hard Kevin and Jeff have worked for them and how little Labour have delivered in the ward over the years.
LANGDON HILLS
- ALLEN, Chris (Conservative)
- BROWN, Walter (Independent)*
- EDEMAKHIOTA, Stanley (Conservative)
- GRANT, Elizabeth (Green)
- GREEN, Hazel (Independent)
- NICE, Stephen (Liberal)
- ROBBINS, Valerie (Independent)*
- SANDHU, Sandeep (Conservative)
- SHARPE, Dean (Labour)
- X, None Of The Above (n/a)*
The Langdon Hills Ward has been expanded and now includes Dry Street and Lee Chapel South, which previously came under Nethermayne. Both seats are part of Cllr. Kerry Smith's nexus of influence. The old Langdon Hills seat had traditionally been a safe Conservative seat but has, over the past few years, progressively been ensnared in Councillor Smith's insidious expansionism. He controlled both seats in the old 2-member ward and the incumbent Smithites, Cllrs. Val Robbins and Walter Brown, are both seeking re-election. Councillor Robbins has represented the seat since 2021 and Councillor Brown since 2022. Looking to join them is Cllr. Hazel Green, currently a Smithite councillor for Nethermayne. Councillor Green was originally elected for UKIP in Laindon Park in 2016 and was, for a time, the last remaining 'Kipper on the Council until she defected to the Smithites in 2018 and ultimately sought re-election in Councillor Smith's 'pocket ward' of Nethermayne (despite living in Laindon). She is now moving to Langdon Hills, presumably because it is nominally closer to where she lives. Not that it matters. All the Smithites are basically glorified sock puppets. Councillor Smith runs them like crude animatronics. Seeking to make a comeback is former Tory Langdon Hills councillor Chris Allen, who briefly represented the seat in 2021/22, having won it in a by-election only to lose it to the cult of Smith the following year. It was a shame because in that brief time Chris had worked the ward like a Trojan, racking up an incredible amount of casework. Joining him as his Conservative 'running mates' in Langdon Hills are Stanley Edemakhiota and Sandeep Sandu. Both are experienced activists and campaigners. Stan stood for us in Nethermayne last year and Sandeep has also previously contested Nethermayne twice. They would make a formiddable team representing the new enlarged Langdon Hills. Liz Grant is standing again for the Greens after a long hiatus, having last stood here in 2016. This will be her sixth election (fourth in Langdon Hills). Labour's Dean Sharpe is a first-time candidate, while the Liberals' Steve Nice has, by contrast, fought fourteen elections across four different wards. This is his first election in Langdon Hills. He contested Nethermayne last year. Langdon Hills also sees the return of None Of The Above X (better known as former boxer Terry Marsh), who has not fought an election in a couple of years but who changed his name by Deed Poll and generally stands in protest at there not being an abstention option on the ballot.
LEE CHAPEL NORTH
- CHANDLER, Mike (Liberal Democrat)
- HARRISON, Alex (Labour)*
- McDONALD, Elaine (Trade Unionist & Socialist)
- McGEORGE, Melissa (Labour)
- McGURRAN, Aidan (Labour)
- SHUKLA, Deepak (Conservative)
- WINGFIELD, Joanna (Conservative)
The boundaries of Lee Chapel North remain unchanged but it's 'all-change' as far as the Labour councillors are concerned. The former sitting Labour councillor, Susanna Caira-Neeson, has been ousted from the party and Cllr. Terry Webb was removed as Group Leader and is being forced to stand for re-election in the more marginal neighbouring seat of Laindon Park. The only incumbent to survive the Callaghanite cull of the Corbynistas is Cllr. Alex Harrison, who has represented the seat since 2021. He works for Gavin Callaghan's private political consultancy firm* and is about as loyal a lapdog as they come. His two 'running mates' are Cllr. Melissa McGeorge, whose Vange seat (which she has represented since 2015) is being abolished in the boundary changes, and former councillor Aidan McGurran, who lost his own seat in Vange in 2021. If Councillor Harrison is a poodle, Mr. McGurran is a rottweiler - a former editor of the Daily Mirror and a ruthless political operator. He is slavishly loyal to Mr. Callaghan, the two having both originally been elected to the Council in Pitsea back in 2012, after which they instituted a reign of terror and toxicity in Basildon politics. Mel McGeorge, to be fair, is a nice lady as it goes, but I suspect she survives in the internecine world of Basildon Labour by largely keeping her head down, her eyes and ears closed, and never saying boo to a goose. She had been Deputy Leader under Councillor Webb but seems to have accepted being quietly sidelined by her soon-to-be ward colleague, Councillor Harrison, when Councillor Webb was overthrown in February. I am delighted that local resident, Deepak Shukla, is standing here again for the Conservatives, as he has three times previously. He is joined by lifelong Lee Chapel North resident Joanna Wingfield (sister of Laindon Park councillor Kevin Wingfield), who is fighting her first ever election. The Liberals' Mike Chandler is standing here for the fourth time. Elaine McDonald was a Corbynite Labour councillor for Lee Chapel North from 2018 to 2022, when she too was drummed out of the party. She is now standing here for the Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition.
Councillor Harrison is defending a 39% share of the vote from 2021 (maj. just 45), which is the closest we have come to winning the seat since 1992! Councillor Webb got 60% last year (maj. 486).
*[Edit: In the interests of fairness and accuracy, Councillor Harrison has pointed out to me that he no longer works for Beartas Policy Ltd. but now works as an Organiser for 'Labour First', which as far as I can acertain is a sort of Blairite counterrevolutionary movement in opposition to the influence of the 'hard-left', e.g. Momentum and followers of Jeremy Corbyn. Apparently this is a full-time job! Far more relatable, I'm sure you all agree.]
NETHERMAYNE
- BLAKE, Ann (Conservative)
- CHAMBERS, Lewis (Liberal Democrat)
- LARKIN, Mo (Independent)*
- MARTIN, Dave (Conservative)
- MOYET, Yanik (Labour)
- MURPHY, Eddie (Independent)
- SMITH, Kerry (Independent)*
- ULUHAN, Maz (Conservative)
The Nethermayne boundaries have shifted, losing Dry Street and Lee Chapel South to Langdon Hills but gaining the southern half of the old Vange Ward. Nethermayne was, for many years, a Lib-Dem stronghold and the personal family fiefdom of the Williams family but Cllr. Kerry Smith won it for UKIP in 2014 and, despite being thrown out of UKIP the following year, has gone on over the course of the decade to burrow his way into both this ward and the neighbouring ward of Langdon Hills like Japanese Knotweed. This will be his third re-election fight in Nethermayne and on both previous occasions he was returned with stonking majorities. Also seeking re-election is Mo Larkin, who has been, by turns, a Liberal, Labour and, until 2022, a Tory. Councillor Larkin was a Tory Pitsea councillor and the first Mayor of Basildon until standing down in 2015. She returned to the Council in a by-election in 2022, standing in Nethermayne on Councillor Smith's behalf, and was re-elected last year with a hefty majority. The other incumbent Smithite, Cllr. Hazel Green, has switched seats to the newly enlarged Langdon Hills ward, so the new Smithite candidate in Nethermayne is a gentleman named Eddie Murphy (presumably not the Hollywood film star of Beverley Hills Cop fame!). This is his first election. Standing here for the Conservatives is experienced former councillor, Ann Blake, who previously represented Pitsea South-East between 2002 and 2012. She is joined by first-time candidates Dave Martin and Maz Uluhan. Yanik Moyet and Lewis Chambers are also first-time candidates, for Labour and the Liberals respectively.
Councillor Larkin is defending a 66% vote share from last year (maj. 1,110), while Councillor Smith was last re-elected in 2022 with 70% (maj. 1,544).
PITSEA NORTH-WEST
- BAKER, Michael (Labour)
- BURKE TERSON, Stuart (Conservative)*
- CALLAGHAN, Emma (Labour)
- COTTRELL, Mark (Conservative)
- HOWARD, Martin (Liberal Democrat)
- HUGGINS, Jack (Trade Unionist & Socialist)
- REID, Pat (Labour)*
- SMITH, Lewis (Conservative)
The boundaries of Pitsea North-West are unchanged. Labour's Cllr. Pat Reid is defending the seat, which she won in 2019 and to which she was re-elected last year. Councillor Reid is notable for having previously been a perennial paper candidate - having stood in no less than 16 elections, mostly in Billericay East - before being elected in Pitsea North-West. She has gone to be a broadly respected Labour councillor. Stuart Terson (seeking re-election under his full legal surname, Burke Terson) won the seat for the Tories in the 2021 by-election occasioned by the sudden resignation of former Labour leader Gavin Callaghan, barely a month after he had been re-elected. Stuart has gone on to work tirelessly across the ward, very diligently, and this was reflected in the election of fellow Tory Sam Gascoyne in 2022 (Sam has decided to stand for election this time in Laindon Park). Joining Councillor Reid as her 'running mates' are Michael Baker and Emma Callaghan (wife of the infamous Gavin). Mr. Baker previously fought Pitsea South-East in 2022 and Nethermayne the year before that. This is Mrs Callaghan's first election. Joining Stuart are Mark Cottrell, who stood here last year, and Lewis Smith, who previously stood in Vange. Mark and Lewis are hardworking campaigners and, together with Stuart, would make an excellent team for Pitsea North-West. Liberal Martin Howard is back again, breaking all records, having stood in more elections (unsuccessfully) than any other candidate in Basildon history. This is his 21st election since 1973 and his 16th go at Pitsea North-West. Jack Huggins is a first-time candidate for the Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition.
Councillor Reid is defending a 49% vote share from last year (maj. 197), while Stuart is defending 57% (maj. 364) from the 2021 by-election.
PITSEA SOUTH-EAST
- ADESHILE, Yetunde (Conservative)
- CANHAM, Gary (Conservative)*
- HARRISON, Linda (Independent)
- HILLEARD, Christopher (Labour)
- PALMER, Gillian (Labour)
- RIMMER, Craig (Conservative)*
- SPOWART, Steven (Liberal Democrat)
- WESTWICK, Ben (Labour)
- WILLIS, Steven (Green)
Pitsea South-East is largely unchanged in the Boundary Review, part from a small sliver of Nethermayne that was moved into the ward. My colleagues Craig Rimmer and Gary Canham are both seeking re-election, which they have represented since 2018 and 2021 respectively (Craig was re-elected last year). Craig is currently Cabinet Member for Economic Stimulus & Tourism, while Gary is Chairman of the Audit & Risk Committee. Very sadly, Mayor Luke Mackenzie, who had also represented the seat since 2018 and was re-elected in 2022, tragically passed away last month following a short but valiant battle with cancer. His Deputy Mayor, Cllr. Yetunde Adeshile, has been selected to fight the seat in his stead. Yetunde has represented Vange since 2021 but the seat has been abolished in the Boundary Review. She has served two terms as Deputy Mayor under the late Mayor Mackenzie and all three would make a great team for Pitsea South-East. Craig, Luke and Gary have worked tirelessly for Pitsea over the last few years, delivering the new Pitsea Swimming Pool at Eversley and now in the process of bringing a new state-of-the-art Community Diagnostic Centre to the town. The Labour candidates are perhaps most notable for being complete unknowns. Christopher Hilleard and Ben Westwick are both first-time candidates, whilst Gillian Palmer has fought three previous elections in three different wards, all in Billericay and Wickford. Similarly, Linda Harrison, Steven Spowart and Steven Willis are all first-time candidates, the latter two for the Liberals and Greens respectively. Mrs Harrison is a blatantly mischievous addition. She is the wife of Wickford Indpendents leader David Harrison and a Wickford resident and town councillor. Why would she stand as an Independent in Pitsea, I hear you ask. Her agent is one Kerry Smith. As I understand it, Councillor Smith prevailed upon his erstwhile coalition ally to put his wife up in Pitsea basically to wind up Craig, whom he cordially loathes.
Craig is defending a 41% vote share from last year (maj. 19), while Gary is defending his 47% from 2021 (maj. 67).
ST. MARTIN’S
- ADEMUYIWA, Davida (Conservative)*
- BREEDON, Simon (Independent)
- BUXTON, Andrew (Trade Unionist & Socialist)
- CALLAGHAN, Gavin (Labour)
- FERGUSON, Jack (Labour)
- JENKINS, Philip (Liberal Democrat)
- MATTHEWMAN, Ellie (Green)
- ROY, Deepak (Conservative)
- YAQUB, Maryam (Labour)*
St. Martin's has been expanded from a small 2-member ward to include the northern half of the old Vange Ward and become a 3-member ward. This contest will be noteworthy for having, as candidates, three former Basildon Labour leaders (one the current leader and another, I'm pretty sure, will be leader again after May, if he gets in). Cllr. Maryam Yaqub has held the seat for Labour since 2019, being re-elected last year. She was previously Labour Group Leader from 2022, when Jack Ferguson lost his Pitsea North-West seat, until she was replaced by Cllr. Terry Webb (Lab, Lee Chapel North) last year. She resumed her position in February, when Councillor Webb was ousted. Her Tory ward colleague is the indefatigable Davida Ademuyiwa, who won the seat in 2021 as the first Conservative ever to represent the ward. Davida has gone on to serve St. Martin's tirelessly over the past three years, being highly visible in the ward and racking up casework stats that previous (and current) Labour councillors can barely touch. Her running mate in this election is local resident Deepak Roy, a successful local businessman and community volunteer. By contrast, standing alongside Councillor Yaqub are Gavin Callaghan and Jack Ferguson, neither of whom live in the ward and are standing here because they think it will resume being a safe Labour seat. I hope and trust that the people of St. Martin's will not have forgotten what Messrs. Callaghan and Ferguson, and Councillor Yaqub, sought to inflict on their Town Centre. Mr. Callaghan's boundless arrogance made him believe he could push through a morass of twenty-plus storey tower blocks and get away with it because seats like St. Martin's were so ludicrously safe for Labour, people would just roll over and have their tummies tickled. They showed him who was boss in 2021 by turfing out the sitting Labour mayor and kicking him out of office. Within a matter of weeks after losing power, Mr. Callaghan stomped his little feet and resigned from the Council altogether to go forge a new political career as a Labour MP up north. That has not panned out, so now he's slinking back to Basildon and thinks St. Martin's will be a nice little perch. Please send him packing again, St. Martin's! Jack's a decent sort. I wouldn't be devastated if he won the third seat. Simon Breedon is a former UKIP candidate turned Independent, fighting his fourth election in four different wards. Former Corbynite Labour councillor for St. Martin's, Andrew Buxton, is fighting his second election here for the Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition, following his expulsion from Labour. Another former Lib-Dem councillor, Phil Jenkins (who briefly represented Nethermayne in 2010/11) is standing in St. Martin's for the fourth time. Finally, Ellie Matthewman is standing for the Greens as a first-time candidate.
Councillor Yaqub is defending a 52% vote share from last year (maj. 306), while Davida is defending the 40% she secured in 2021 (maj. 22).
WICKFORD NORTH
- ALDRIDGE, David (Wickford Independent)
- BROCKMAN, Eunice (Wickford Independent)*
- COLLINS, Dave (Reform UK)
- HAMMOND, Trevor (Wickford Independent)
- HOLLIMAN, Peter (Conservative)*
- MANTERFIELD, Karen (Liberal Democrat)
- MORRIS, Carole (Conservative)*
- MORRIS, Don (Conservative)
- NEMETH, Joe (Labour)
- WRIGHT, Penny (Green)
The Wickford North boundaries remain unchanged. Veteran Tory councillor Carole Morris - the 'Mother of the Council' - who has held her seat for 24 years, since 2000, is standing for re-election along with her ward colleague, Peter Holliman, who has held the seat since 2014. This will be Carole's seventh re-election battle in Wickford North and Peter's third. Carole is the long-serving Chairman of the Planning Committee, while Peter is currently Chairman of the Prosperity Scrutiny Committee. The third seat is presently held by the last of the Wickford Independents, Cllr. Eunice Brockman, who was first elected in 2019 and won re-election last year. The third seat will be contested for the Tories by 'The Duke of Wickford' himself, Cllr. Don Morris. Don is Carole's husband and has served on Basildon Council with only brief gaps on and off since 1990. He originally represented the old Wickford South Ward until 1994 and then again 1999-2002, when he was elected to the new Wickford Park Ward. He represented Wickford Park until losing his seat in 2014. He returned to the Council in Wickford Castledon the following year and has been re-elected there twice since. His current seat is being abolished, so he is seeking re-election in Wickford North. This earns Don another little footnote in the anals of Basildon politics, as if successfully elected here, it will mean Don has the unique distinction of having represented every Wickford ward that has ever existed on Basildon Council. It goes without saying, this would be a very experienced team of councillors indeed. Councillor Brockman's two 'running mates' for the Wickford Independents (or 'Windies', as I call them) are David Aldridge and Trevor Hammond. The former is a first-time candidate but the latter is a Shotgate parish councillor, who has stood in two previous Wickford borough elections. Dave Collins is the Borough's lone Reform UK candidate, having stood here last year. Karen Manterfield is standing here for the Liberals, having previously twice contested Billericay East for them in 2019 and 2021. Joe Nemeth stood here for Labour in 2022. Finally, Penny Wright is a first-time candidate for the Greens.
Councillor Brockman is defending her 47% vote share from last year (maj. 426), Peter is defending 42% in 2022 (maj. 109) and Carole her 52% from 2021 (maj. 576).
WICKFORD PARK
- BALL, Alan (Wickford Independent)
- BLAKE, Simon (Liberal Democrat)
- BUNYAN, Peter (Labour)
- CHILD, Yvonne (Conservative)*
- HARRISON, David (Wickford Independent)
- JEFFERY, George (Conservative)*
- TAGG, Gary (Conservative)
Wickford Park has taken in a small section of the old Wickford Castledon Ward to make it up from a 2-member to a 3-member ward. The two incumbent Wickford Park Tory councillors, George Jeffery and Yvonne Child, are both seeking re-election. George has represented the seat since 2018, when he became the youngest member of the Council, and was re-elected in 2022. He is currently Vice-Chairman of the Prosperity Scrutiny Committee and has built up a reputation as a fierce advocate and a highly visible Wickford councillor. He was joined by Yvonne last year and she already has a reputation as a tenacious local campaigner. She sits on the Place Scrutiny Committee. Now that Wickford Park is being expanded to a 3-member ward, local resident Gary Tagg is seeking to join the team. This is his first election. Gary is a former school governor, with extensive managerial experience and would be a great asset to the ward. The Windies are fielding two candidates. Alan Ball is contesting his tenth election (his first since 2022). He was previously elected as a UKIP councillor for Wickford Castledon in 2014 but quit the party the following year and co-founded the Wickford Independents (or 'Windies'). Mr. Ball lost his seat in 2018. The second Windy is the other co-founder, David Harrison, who only stood down from the Council last year due to ill health. We were told he was dying but, gratifyingly, he has stubbornly continued to live and is now seeking re-election to the Council. Mr. Harrison is a 'colourful' character in the anals of Basildon politics and was the last man standing from the original 1973 intake when Basildon District Council was first formed. In those days, he was a Labour councillor, representing first the Central Ward (1973-79) and then Fryerns East (1979-88) but fell out with Labour and defected to the Social & Liberal Democrats (as they were then called). He failed to get elected for the SLD in Wickford North in '88 and was off the Council for the next 26 years. In that time, he stood as a Tory, Senior Citizens' Party, an Independent and a Wickford Action Group activist until, finally, he rejoined the Council as a UKIP councillor for Wickford Park in 2014. Like Mr. Ball, he fell out with UKIP and co-founded the Windies, acting as their leader for much of their existence. Although his longstanding election tagline has been 'Free from party politics', the Windies are in fact a registered political party with the Electoral Commission. Mr. Harrison lost his seat again in 2018 but returned in 2019. He announced he was standing down last year, only to pop up as a 'paper candidate' in Wickford Castledon. I guess you can't keep an old dog down. This will be Simon Blake's third election for the Liberals and his second in Wickford Park. Peter Bunyan is clearly a paper candidate for Labour, as he lives in Billericay, twice contested Billericay East and has just been elected as a Billericay town councillor.
Yvonne is defending her 39% vote share from last year (maj. 16), while George is defending 48% from 2022 (maj. 276).
TRIVIA
We have a possibly record six married couple standing this year: Kevin & Ann Blake (Con, Burstead and Nethermayne), Peter & Sally Bunyan (Lab, Wickford Park and Billericay East), Gavin & Emma Callaghan (Lab, St. Martin's and Pitsea North-West), David & Linda Harrison (W/Ind, Wickford Park and Pitsea South-East), Martin & Viv Howard (Lib-Dem, Pitsea North-West and Fryerns) and Don & Carole Morris (Con, Wickford North).
Andy Barnes (Con, Billericay East) is also the son-in-law of Tony Hedley (Con, Billericay West), Kevin Wingfield (Con, Laindon Park) is the brother of Jo Wingfield (Con, Lee Chapel North) and, perhaps most bizarrely, Steve McCarthy (Lib-Dem, Laindon Park) is the father of Eugene McCarthy (Green, Laindon Park) - fighting the same seat for different parties.
Martin Howard (Lib-Dem, Pitsea North-West) is fighting his 21st election - more than any other candidate. He first stood for Basildon Council in 1973 and holds the dubious distinction of having fought the most elections without ever winning a seat.
We have no less than 11 former councillors seeking to rejoin Basildon Council: Chris Allen (Con, Langdon Hills), Andy Ansell (Lab, Fryerns), Alan Ball (W/Ind, Wickford Park), Andy Barnes (Con, Billericay East), Ann Blake (Con, Nethermayne), Andrew Buxton (TUSC, St. Martin's), Gavin Callaghan (Lab, St. Martin's), Jack Ferguson (Lab, St. Martin's), David Harrison (W/Ind, Wickford Park), Phil Jenkins (Lib-Dem, St. Martin's) and Elaine McDonald (TUSC, Lee Chapel North). Chris, Mr. Buxton, Mr. Harrison and Ms McDonald are the only ones standing in the seats they previously represented. Mr. Buxton and Ms McDonald are, however, standing for a different party.
We have several councillors standing down this year (voluntarily or otherwise) – David Dadds (fmr Con, Billericay East) already resigned from the Council in December and the late Luke Mackenzie (fmr Con, Pitsea South-East) passed away in March. Susanna Caira-Neeson (n/a, Lee Chapel North), David Kirkman (Lab, Fryerns) and Stuart Sullivan (Con, Billericay East) are not standing.
Additionally, we have several councillors seeking re-election in different wards to the ones they represent now. Stuart Allen and Terri Sargent (Con, Crouch) are both standing in the new Castledon & Crouch, which includes their current ward. Likewise, Alex Myers (Con, Wickford Castledon) is also standing in the new Castledon & Crouch, while his ward colleague, Don Morris (Con, Wickford Castledon) is standing in Wickford North. Sam Gascoyne (Con, Pitsea North-West) is standing in Laindon Park, as is Terry Webb (Lab, Lee Chapel North). Hazel Green (Ind, Nethermayne) is standing in Langdon Hills. Yetunde Adeshile (Con, Vange) is standing in Pitsea South-East, while Melissa McGeorge (Lab, Vange) is standing in Lee Chapel North.
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