Elections

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By Rachel Charman After a successful local election, the Conservatives have increased their majority by two seats. There are now 27 Conservatives, 12 Liberal Democrats, seven Independents, four Labour councillors, and one non-aligned Independent councillor. Labour lost two seats; one in the Kursaal ward, and one in St Lukes. Both seats were lost to the Conservatives. The Liberal Democrats took Independent Tania Painton’s...
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By Rachel Charman 13.50pm: Conservative Sally Carr takes St Luke’s from Labour with 1197. In second place was Paul Van Looy, independent, with 1164, and in third, Labour’s Mike Royston, with 1051. Lib Dem Brian Ayling took 601; the BNP’s Fenton Bowley took 300; Len Lierens of UKIP took 229; and The Green party’s Cris...
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Take a peek at one of the closest election nights in years, here in Southend.
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Barking and Dagenham has yet to announce its general election result, but BNP leader Nick Griffin has already admitted defeat in his bid to become MP for the area. Our eye on the ground in Barking and Dagenham, Wendyl Harris, gives us the inside story on the campaign to keep the BNP vote down. I...
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By Rachel Charman Conservative candidates David Amess (Southend West) and James Duddridge (Rochford and Southend East) have both held on to their seats with clear majorities. James Duddridge took 19,509 votes, out of a total of 41,631. Labour’s Kevin Bonavia came in second with 8,459, with Liberal Democrat Graham Longley in third place with 8,084 votes....
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By Rachel Charman 4.01am: A somewhat poetic comment from Matthew Zarb-Cousin, Labour candidate for Thorpe ward, regarding Conservative council leader Nigel Holdcroft during the verification of the local ballots: “Holdcroft arched over the table like a man playing roullette with his life savings. Could be our local Portillo moment.” 3.56am: David Amess has just arrived. 3.48am: Results...
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By Rachel Charman 6.30pm: Got a phone call from a Conservative volunteer who is working with Maria Caunce, Milton candidate, telling me that Caunce and her team were moved on from Westcliff Station by C2C staff. “I think he was having a bad day,” the volunteer says. Their team is heading to HQ to regroup,...
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By Rachel Charman 1.45pm: On the phone to former Conservative MP for Rochford and Southend East James Duddridge’s PAs, who are shouting on speakerphone whilst driving around. Busy bee indeed. I was told earlier that Duddridge would be down at Westcliff Station at 6pm with Tory candidate for Milton ward Maria Caunce. He won’t be,...
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