CANDIDATES have now been declared for the 16 wards of Thurrock Council where elections will take place on Thursday, 4 May.

Whatever the individual outcomes it is unlikely that there will be a change of leadership of the authority after the poll.

Power currently rests with a majority Conservative group who have 29 councillors, with Labour having 14. The balance is made up of three members of the Independent Group and three non-aligned councillors.

The Tories are defending eight seats and would need to lose five to concede numerical superiority but would still be likely to hold on to the council leadership even as a minority administration.

Labour are defending four seats so it would take a landslide success to win the required additional 15 seats to become the largest single group.

The election features a number of Independent Group and non-alligned independents, four who are sitting councillors.

And there are also candidates from Reform UK, UKIP and the Green Party.

Full details of when and how to vote can be found via this link.

The candidates:

Aveley and Uplands

Jacqui Maney (Conservative)

Cathy Sisterson (Labour)

Belhus

Abbie Akinbohun (Conservative)

Chris Baker* (Thurrock Indpendents)

Mark Hurrell (Labour)

Michael Keal (UKIP)

Chadwell St Mary

Daniel Chukwu* (Labour)

Sophie Corcoran (Conservative)

Chafford & North Stifford

Mark Coxshall* (Conservative)

Vikki Hartstean (Labour)

Sue Truman (Reform UK)

Corringham & Fobbing

Ngozi Alike (Labour)

Deborah Arnold* (Conservative)

John Fox (Thurrock Independents)

East Tilbury

Alastair Craft (Labour)

Fraser Massey* (Independent)

Daryle Palmer (Conservative)

Grays Riverside

Emily Folorunsho (Conservative)

Valarie Morris-Cook (Labour)

Grays Thurrock

Elizabeth Alo (Conservative)

Rev Roy Grayson (Reform UK)

Catherine Kent* (Labour)

Little Thurrock Rectory

Russell Cherry (Thurrock Independents)

Tom Kelly* (Conservative)

Enayet Hussain (Labour)

Ockendon

Ross Byrne (Thurrock Independents)

Andrew Jefferies* (Conservative)

Gary Watson (Labour)

Stanford East & Corringham Town

John Cecil (Labour)

Roy Jones (Independent)

Shane Ralph* (Conservative)

Stanford-le-Hope West

Shane Hebb* (Conservative)

Phillip Smith (Labour)

Neil Speight (Independent)

Stifford Clays

Jack Beauchamp-Stansfield (Green Party)

Gavin Holland (Conservative)

Mark Hooper (Labour)

Jennifer Smith* (Thurrock Independents)

The Homesteads

Tony Benson (Labour)

Gary Byrne* (Independent Group)

Shamim Miah (Conservative)

Bill Poskitt (Reform UK)

Tilbury Riverside & Thurrock Park

Craig Austin (Independent)

Cici Manwa (Labour)

Allen Mays* (Conservative)

West Thurrock & South Stifford

Aaron Green (Labour)

Tunde Ojetola (Conservative)

*Incumbent councillor.

Voting details.

Polling cards have been delivered to eligible electors giving their voting details, polling station, voter ID requirements and how to apply for a postal or proxy vote. Polling hours on Thursday 4 May are from 7am until 10pm. 

Anyone who has not yet registered to vote has until midnight on Monday 17 April to apply. Applications can be made online at gov.uk/register-to-vote or by calling 01375 652 816. 

A new law introduced this year means that those voting in person are required to show photo ID at the polling station, such as a passport. Expired ID documents will be accepted if the photo is still a good likeness.

Anyone who does not have a valid form of voter ID can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. Applications must be submitted by 5pm, Tuesday 25 April.

Those who require a postal or proxy vote should contact the elections office on 01375 652 816 or email [email protected]. The deadline for receipt of completed applications to vote by post is 5pm on Tuesday 18 April. Completed proxy vote applications must be received by 5pm on Tuesday 25 April. Applications for both must be sent to the Electoral Registration officer at Thurrock Council.