2017 UK local government election
2017 Essex County Council election Turnout 31.1% ( 3.3%[ 1] )
First party
Second party
Third party
Leader
David Finch
Michael Mackrory
Ivan Henderson
Party
Conservative
Liberal Democrats
Labour
Leader since
May 2013
May 2012
June 2016
Leader's seat
Hedingham
Springfield
Harwich
Last election
42 seats, 34.2%
9 seats, 10.9%
9 seats, 17.4%
Seats before
44
9
8
Seats won
56
7
6
Seat change
14
2
3
Popular vote
184,901
51,524
63,470
Percentage
49.3%
13.7%
16.9%
Swing
15.0%
2.8%
0.5%
Fourth party
Fifth party
Sixth party
Leader
Dave Blackwell
James Abbott
Chris Pond
Party
CIIP
Green
Loughton Residents
Leader since
May 2013
May 2013
May 2005
Leader's seat
Canvey Island East
Witham Northern
Loughton Central
Last election
1 seat, 0.9%
2 seats, 4.8%
1 seat, 1.1%
Seats before
1
2
1
Seats won
2
1
1
Seat change
1
1
Popular vote
3,654
16,074
2,824
Percentage
1.3%
4.3%
0.8%
Swing
0.1%
0.3%
0.3%
Seventh party
Leader
Nigel Le Gresley
Party
UKIP
Leader since
April 2016
Leader's seat
Wickford Crouch (defeated)
Last election
9 seats, 27.6%
Seats before
6
Seats won
0
Seat change
9
Popular vote
29,796
Percentage
7.9%
Swing
19.7%
Map showing the results of the 2017 Essex County Council elections.
Elections to Essex County Council took place on 4 May 2017 as part of the 2017 local elections .[ 2] All 75 councillors were elected from 70 electoral divisions, which each returned either one or two councillors by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office.
The electoral divisions were the same as those used at the previous elections in 2009 and 2013. No elections were held in Thurrock or Southend-on-Sea , which are unitary authorities outside the area covered by the County Council.
Previous composition
2013 election
Composition of council seats before election
Changes between elections
In between the 2013 election and the 2017 election, the following council seats changed hands:
Division
Date
Previous Party
New Party
Cause
Resulting Council Composition
Con
UKIP
Lab
LDem
Grn
TF
LRes
CInd
Ind
R4U
HRA
Brightlingsea
9 October 2014[ 3]
UKIP
Conservative
UKIP incumbent resigned. Conservatives won by-election.
43
8
9
9
2
1
1
1
1
0
0
Saffron Walden
14 October 2014
Independent
R4U
New Party Formed.
43
8
9
9
2
1
1
1
0
1
0
Basildon Westley Heights
16 December 2014[ 4]
UKIP
Independent
Councillor quit party to sit as an independent member.
43
7
9
9
2
1
1
1
1
1
0
Bocking
5 March 2015[ 5]
UKIP
Conservative
Sitting councillor died. Conservatives won by-election.
44
6
9
9
2
1
1
1
1
1
0
Tendring Rural East
23 March 2016 [ 6]
UKIP
Independent
Councillor quit party to sit as an independent member.
44
5
9
9
2
1
1
1
2
1
0
Clacton East
31 March 2016[ 7]
Tendring First
Holland Residents
Tendring First incumbent resigned. Holland-on-Sea Residents won by-election.
44
5
9
9
2
0
1
1
2
1
1
Laindon Park and Fryerns
9 June 2016 [ 8]
Labour
UKIP
Sitting councillor died. UKIP won by-election.
44
6
8
9
2
0
1
1
2
1
1
Tendring Rural East
28 July 2016 [ 9]
Independent
Conservative
Sitting councillor joined Conservatives.
45
6
8
9
2
0
1
1
1
1
1
Halstead
5 December 2016 [ 10]
Conservative
Vacant
Sitting councillor died.[ 11]
44
6
8
9
2
0
1
1
1
1
1
Summary
The election saw the Conservative Party retained overall control of the council, with an increased majority.
Results summary
2017 Essex County Council election
Party
Seats
Gains
Losses
Net gain/loss
Seats %
Votes %
Votes
+/−
Conservative
56
15
1
+14
74.7
49.3
184,901
+15.0
Labour
6
1
4
−3
8.0
16.9
63,470
−0.5
Liberal Democrats
7
0
2
−2
9.3
13.7
51,524
+2.8
Independent
2
1
0
+1
2.7
1.2
8,171
+1.0
CIIP
2
1
0
+1
2.7
1.0
3,654
+0.1
Green
1
0
1
−1
1.3
4.3
15,187
−0.3
Loughton Residents
1
0
0
1.3
0.8
2,824
−0.3
UKIP
0
0
9
−9
0.0
7.9
29,796
−19.7
R4U
0
0
1
−1
0.0
1.4
5,231
New
Wickford Independents
0
0
0
0.0
0.8
2,948
New
Tendring First
0
0
1
0.0
0.4
1,332
−1.0
BNP
0
0
0
0.0
0.2
847
−0.1
South Woodham Ferrers Independents
0
0
0
0.0
0.2
732
0.0
Rayleigh Independents
0
0
0
0.0
0.2
655
New
English Democrat
0
0
0
0.0
0.0
58
−0.2
Total
75
372,834
Election of Group Leaders
David Finch (Hedingham) was re elected leader of the Conservative Group, with Kevin Bentley (Stanway and Pyefleet) as his deputy.
Michael Mackrory (Springfield) was re elected leader of the Liberal Democratic Group, with Anne Turrell (Mile End and Highwoods) as his deputy.
Ivan Henderson (Harwich) was re elected leader of the Labour Group, with Julie Young (Wivenhoe St Andrew) as his deputy.
Chris Pond (Loughton Central) was elected leader of the Non-Aligned Group with James Abbott (Witham Northern) as his deputy.
Election of Leader of the Council
David Finch the leader of the conservative group was duly elected leader of the council and formed a conservative administration.
Results by District
Basildon
District Summary
Division Results
Between 2013 and 2017, UKIP gained the Labour seat in a by-election, however it is shown as a hold as the comparison is made to the last full council election.
Braintree
District Summary
Division Results
Brentwood
District Summary
Division Results
Castle Point
District Summary
Division Results
Chelmsford
District Summary
Division Results
Colchester
District Summary
Division Results
Epping Forest
District Summary
Division Results
Harlow
District Summary
Division Results
Maldon
District Summary
Division Results
Rochford
District Summary
Division Results
Tendring
District Summary
Division Results
Between 2013 and 2017, the seat was won by the Independent candidate in a by-election, however it is shown as a gain as it is compared to the previous full council election.
The Conservative candidate was elected previously as a UKIP candidate and subsequently switched their party affiliation. The seat is therefore shown as a gain.
Uttlesford
District Summary
Division Results
By-elections
Summary
Results
Clacton East
Stephenson's vote share change is compared to the 2017 result when he stood as a UKIP candidate.
References