JUST hours after it was announced that Thurrock Council will be asking to cancel the scheduled 2025 local elections, it seems that voters in at least one ward will get the chance to cast a vote this year. 

Thurrock Nub News understands that following a career move that forbids him holding a political position,  young Labour councillor Ryan Polston has resigned the Ockendon seat he won in May last year.

In the election Mr Polston narrowly beat incumbent Tory councillor Luke Spillman by polling 1,271 votes to his rival's 1,124.

Mr Polston's resignation raises the prospect of an intriguing three-way fight.

The Reform party has already got on the front foot. It hasn't announced a candidate but has called on the community for support, saying it has already printed 5,000 leaflets which it plans to distribute on Saturday (11 January) in an operation based from Brandon Groves Community Club.

However, conflicting social media posts says the party cannot use the club as it is 'non-political'.

By a twist of fate, Mr Spillman, who lost in May when standing as a Conservative, now works for Reform, employed in the office of South Basildon and East Thurrock MP James McMurdock.

He would seem a strong prospective candidate for Reform in his old ward, though he has previously said he is finished with politics and has told friends and former colleagues: "I will not be standing for election next year."

And today (Thursday, 9 January) to say he will not be standing.

Labour, who clearly had forewarning of Cllr Polston's resignation intentions, have recently been mounting canvassing campaigns in the ward. 

The Conservatives' local leader, Cllr Andrew Jefferies, already sits as one of the other two councillors in the ward, the other incumbent being another Tory, Cllr Paul Arnold.

So they already have a strong base from which to build - and a number of strong potential candidates who lost seats last year.