Conservatives: Election confidence and concern in Essex

Conservative Keith Barber said the election in Brentwood would be very close

Conservatives are worried they could lose their slim majority on Brentwood Council in this week's local elections.

Tory sources fear they could surrender three seats which would be enough to tip the authority into no overall control - where no one political party has a majority.

The Lib Dems think they can make gains and could end up in power in Brentwood.

In nearby Basildon, the Tories are confident of staying in power and possibly increasing their majority.

Brentwood and Basildon councils both have elections for a third of the councillors every year for three years in every four years.

Whereas some councils such as Braintree and Chelmsford elect all their councils once every four years.

Basildon Conservative Craig Rimmer said he thought the Tories would increase their majority in the borough

Polling suggests Labour still has a strong lead over the Conservatives nationally. A recent poll of 42 "safe" Conservative seats in the so-called "blue-wall" in southern England showed Labour with a 2% lead.

In the 2019 general election, the Conservatives received at least 49% of the vote in these areas - a 29% lead over Labour.

Keith Barber, chairman of the Conservative Association in Brentwood, admits "the election will be very close this year" but says his party is "getting good, positive feedback" from voters.

However others within the party fear this could be one the councils where the Conservatives lose control.

The Brentwood Conservatives are defending a majority of just two. They have been in power for nearly two decades with just one year when the Lib Dems ran the council in 2014-15 in coalition.

Mr Barber said the party is campaigning on what they say is their record of "competency in terms of delivering services" and "opposing the ULEZ expansion by the Labour mayor of London".

Brentwood Lib Dem David Kendall said potholes would be a priority post election

Conservative opposition to expansion of the clean air zone is a key election message in the surrounding counties of London. Councils there have no direct say on whether ULEZ can be expanded to their borders.

But Councillor Barber argues the London Mayor's office needs their co-operation for putting up signage and cameras for the zone that will charge certain vehicles £12.50 a day for entering the capital.

The Brentwood Lib Dems say they "offer real change" for people who "are fed up with the Conservatives".

Labour deputy group leader in Basildon, Melissa McGeorge, said she was feeling positive (Labour supporters pictured in Brentwood)

Councillor David Kendall, in charge of the party's campaign, said "if we took control of the borough council in Brentwood we would certainly be challenging the county council, constructively, on issues like potholes and on this booking system to go to recycling centres. A lot of people are totally opposed to that and [we will be] challenging them on the amount of fly-tipping"

Labour currently hold two out of forty-five seats on Brentwood Council. They say there has been "a managed decline of services" in the borough and their party would work to "get the basics right" on matters such as street cleaning and tackling anti-social behaviour.

Neighbouring Basildon - about 10 miles away - is historically seen as a town that votes the way of the political mood of the country, but many local politicians expect the Conservatives will win enough seats to keep control of the council.

Basildon Conservative Craig Rimmer said: "I think we are going to increase that majority if I'm honest.

"We've been doing all the right things and hearing the right things from voters on the doorstep".

Independent Kerry Smith said he would stop the "bin taxes"

He is confident his party can outperform the opinion polls. There are some of his opponents who privately think it is possible the Tories could gain a seat or possibly two.

The Conservatives are focusing on their plan to regenerate Basildon with a new £4.5m arts council grant for the town centre to make a digital hub.

The party took control of Basildon Council in 2021 from Labour and Independent councillors. The party currently has a majority of four.

'Bin taxes'

Labour had a good night in Basildon in 2019, the last time the seats that are up this year were contested.

That year the party was able to take control of the council from the Conservatives by forming a coalition with Independents. The relative success of 2019 makes it harder for them this year to increase their number of councillors.

Labour's deputy group leader Melissa McGeorge says "it's looking quite positive" and the party hopes it can make gains.

She says she is finding former UKIP voters are coming back to Labour.

Ms McGeorge says Labour would "heavily reduce" a £50 garden waste charge about to come in for households.

Independents are the third largest group currently on Basildon Council.

Kerry Smith - a former deputy leader on the authority - says he would to stop "the bin taxes" that are coming in for green waste.

Five Green candidates are standing in Brentwood with 13 seats up for grabs and four from the party are standing in Basildon in the 14 seats that are up.

The party doesn't have any councillors on either council.

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