Labour take control of Thurrock Council as Conservatives lose seats

Labour has taken control of Thurrock Council in Essex, in what will be a key battleground with the Tories at the general election.

The area, which voted to the EU during the Brexit referendum, was run by the Conservatives until recently.

Two years ago, the authority was declared bankrupt whilst under Tory leadership, and Labour now has a comfortable majority on the council.

Seventeen of the 49 seats on the council were up for election this year, with Labour gaining eight of them and the Conservatives losing 10. Independent candidates gain 2.

Councillor John Kent, the leader of the new Labour administration, told ITV Meridian tonight's results showed people wanted change.

“We worked really hard for a long time to get a good result tonight”, he said. “People of Thurrock have told us they want change and tonight they voted for it.

“I did think that we would take the council, what I didn't envisage was the total collapse of Conservative support tonight.”

Cllr John Kent speaks to ITV Meridian following the results.

The leader of the former minority administration, Councillor Andrew Jefferies, said the result was disappointing, but stressed he thought people voted based on their opinion of the party nationally.

“It has been hard”, he said. “I'd be denying anything other than that.

“The Government is struggling in the polls and people think about national politics.

“However when we have been talking to people about local issues, which is what this is about, people are warming to the Conservative party.”

Cllr Andrew Jefferies speaks to ITV Meridian after his party lost control.

The council is one of the headline losses for the Conservatives overnight.

The authority has swung between both Labour and the Tories over the past 25 years, and is a key battleground.

The Conservative MP for Thurrock, Jackie Doyle-Price said the result was 'disappointing'.

Speaking to the BBC she said the result reflected a national mood, and added the party would need to up its game to encourage traditional conservative voters to turn out.