Five things we learned from Essex's local elections

A "barnstorming" set of election results for Reform UK have ushered in a new era for politics in Essex.

For 25 years, the county council's been under Conservative control.

That all changed in a set of elections that - until a few months ago - weren't even going to happen, but which have seen a record turnout and an overturning of decades of political stability.

Here are five things we've learned as a result of these historic elections:

Many had been privately, or publicly, expecting Reform UK to do well in this set of elections in Essex.

With party leader Nigel Farage already an MP in the county, the party could smell the scent of success and had been campaigning hard to secure it. Leaflets, doorknocking and canvassing were a common sight amongst Reform hopefuls over the last few weeks.

In the end, their efforts paid off. Of the 78 Essex County Council seats up for election, just over two thirds were won by Reform. The party went from having just one county councillor - Jaymey McIvor, who defected to Reform in 2024 - to 53.

It's meant the number of Conservatives has taken a battering. The Tories had 54 Essex county councillors before these elections, and now have 13.

Labour went from six councillors down to one - Colchester Abbey division's Lee Scordis did manage to retain his seat.

Peter Harris, who was elected to the county council and is also deputy leader of the Reform UK group on Tendring District Council, said he was "absolutely over the moon" with how the results had gone for his party.

"People wanted change, and they've voted for that; they've given us a clear mandate to make the changes necessary now," he told the BBC.

Essex is home to the county council, but also to the two unitary authorities of Thurrock Council and Southend-on-Sea City Council.

Counting took place in Southend overnight, where the authority remained in no overall control, although Reform gained 11 councillors which equals the number of Conservative councillors on the authority. About a third of the seats were up for grabs.

In Thurrock, however, all 49 seats were up - and Reform UK won 45 of them.

Cheers erupted from Reform supporters as result after result went their way, and by the early afternoon it was clear to see the party was romping home to victory.

Labour took the remaining two seats, and the Conservatives the other two.

Across the country, the story of the local elections this year has followed a similar pattern - huge gains for Reform UK, and significant losses for the Conservatives, for Labour, or for both.

Harlow Council, however, bucked the trend. The Tories successfully defended all of their seats, and even increased their majority, picking up five seats from Labour.

The political makeup in Harlow is now 22 Conservatives, 10 Labour and one reform councillor.

What's behind the party's success?

BBC Essex's political reporter, Simon Dedman, says the authority there has had success with regenerating the town centre, bringing big-name businesses like M&S to the area and laying on a town show.

"Actually people have been saying they like what council leader Dan Swords has been doing - perhaps what's going on in Harlow could be a way back for the Conservatives," he said.

With the ushering in of new faces thanks to the success of Reform UK comes the fall of some of the pillars of Essex County Council's long-serving cabinet members.

Kevin Bentley, one of the most prominent faces of the authority as its leader since 2021 and a county councillor since 2009.

John Spence, cabinet member for health and adult social care and county councillor, lost out to Reform - as did Peter Schwier, who's known as the climate tsar.

Arts and culture cabinet member, Mark Durham, lost in Maldon Rural North and another cabinet member, Tom Cunningham, was ousted in the Three Fields and Great Notley division too.

Labour's Ivan Henderson, the former MP for Harwich, also lost his county council seat, as did Dave Blackwell, an Independent on Canvey.

On Southend-on-Sea City Council, long-serving Independent councillor Martin Terry - who served as cabinet member for community safety - was also ousted.

The new cohort of councillors will have their first annual meeting on 28 May where a leader will be elected.

The final thing that's really noteworthy about this set of elections is the turnout.

Essex County Council said it was 43.6%, the highest it has been for decades.

In Southend, the assembled crowds at the election count gasped as the turnout was read out by the returning officer - at the city elections in 2024, it was about 30%. In this set of elections, it was 43.12%.

James Abbott, who won the Waltham Abbey council seat for Reform, said his party's success and the number of people turning out to vote was about the public becoming "more enthusiastic about getting involved in politics".

"They're enthusiastic about representing their community and wanting to be more active and serving it," he said.

"I think honestly, there is a real appetite to get involved, to get stuck in."

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