Labour win council seats after Reform resignations

Labour has won two seats in council by-elections triggered by the resignation of two Reform UK members.

Amin Hoque was declared the winner in the Grays Town Ward for Thurrock Council, and Jo Potter was elected for Grays Riverside.

The seats were won by Reform in May's local elections when the party won a landslide 45 out of the 49 seats available.

Joe Soper and Marc Stanley were among those elected for Reform but quit two weeks later citing personal reasons.

Labour now have four seats on Thurrock Council adding to the opposition but not changing the balance of power as Reform has such a large majority.

Grays has traditionally been an electoral stronghold for Labour and where former council leaders Lyn Worrall and John Kent represented.

Labour won Grays Town with 673 votes, beating Reform by 182 votes on a turnout of 24%.

Grays Riverside was closer with Labour taking the seat from Reform by just 27 votes. But turnout was low with just 19% of registered voters in this ward casting a ballot.

Before the elections on 7 May, Labour had a small majority and had run Thurrock Council since 2024.

The Conservatives had previously led the indebted unitary authority. The Tories currently have two Thurrock councillors.

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