Epping Forest Independents | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Lisa Morgan |
| Deputy Leader | Tom Bromwich |
| Founded | 29 January 2024 |
| Split from | Conservative Party |
| Headquarters | Grange Hill, Essex |
| Ideology | Localism |
| Essex County Council | 2 / 75 |
| Epping Forest District Council | 2 / 54 |
| Chigwell Parish Council | 4 / 11 |
| Epping Town Council | 3 / 12 |
| North Weald Bassett Parish Council | 8 / 15 |
Tendring First is a local political party operating throughout Tendring, Essex, England.[1] They field candidates for Tendring District Council, Essex County Council and Frinton and Walton Town Council. They currently have one councillor on Tendring District Council, where they form the administartion with Independent, Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors.[2] They also have control of Frinton & Walton Town Council with eight councillors.[3]
The party had one councillor on Essex County Council between 2013 and 2016. They have not stood a candidate in a parliamentary election since 2010.[4]
History
editTendring First was founded in March 2007 by the then leader of Tendring District Council, Terry Allen, after he and two other district councillors, along with the Mayor of Frinton Jack Robertson, were all suspended from the Conservative Party in February.[5] It was unclear why they were suspended, but their suspension just a few months before the 2007 Tendring District Council election meant they would be unable to stand again as Conservatives.[6] In April, Tendring First announced it would contest in 19 seats in the upcoming district council election.[7] The party was subsequently joined by two Essex County Councillors: Mark Cossens and Pierre Oxley, who had earlier been suspended from the Conservative Party.[8]
Although party leader Terry Allen was unsuccessful in his re-election bid, Tendring First was able to secure 10 of the 60 council seats, becoming the second largest party on the council behind only the Conservatives.[9]
In December 2008, Kevin Watson, and council chairman Roy Smith, defected to Tendring First from the Community Representatives Party.[10]
In the 2009 Essex County Council election both the party's councillors lost their seats to the Conservatives.[11][12]
Allen ran as a candidate for Clacton in the 2010 general election, where he came 5th with 2.5% of the vote.[4]
The party endorsed independent candidate Linda Belgrove in the 2012 Essex police and crime commissioner election.[13] She came 4th with 13.2% of first round votes.[14]
In 2013 Pierre Oxley regained his Clacton East seat from the Conservatives.[15][16] In 2016, he was banned from being a councillor for five years, after being given a two-year suspended jail term for fraud.[17][18] The party did not run a candidate in the subsequent by-election, which was won by the Holland-on-Sea Residents' Association.[19]
After the 2023 District Council election, the party's sole councillor, Ann Oxley, joined the coalition administration with independents, Labour and Liberal Democrats.[20][21]
Election Results
editDistrict Council elections
edit| Year | Councillors | Control | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 10 / 60
|
No overall control | |
| 2011 | 8 / 60
|
No overall control | |
| 2015 | 1 / 60
|
Conservative | |
| 2019 | 4 / 48
|
No overall control | |
| 2023 | 1 / 48
|
No overall control | |
County Council elections
edit| Year | Councillors | Control | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 0 / 75
|
Conservative | |
| 2013 | 1 / 75
|
Conservative | |
| 2017 | 0 / 75
|
Conservative | |
| 2021 | 0 / 75
|
Conservative | |
References
edit- ^ "Registration". search.electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ "Your Councillors". tdcdemocracy.tendringdc.gov.uk. 26 September 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ Dwan, James (9 May 2023). "Independent political party set to keep control of Frinton and Walton council". Clacton and Frinton Gazette. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
- ^ a b "BBC News | Election 2010 | Constituency | Clacton". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ "Tories suspend Tendring council leader". East Anglian Daily Times. 26 February 2007. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
- ^ "Tendring: Top Tories suspended by council". Gazette. 26 February 2007. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
- ^ Bowers, Dom (5 April 2007). "Tendring: The Big Split". Gazette. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ Ashworth, Roddy (1 May 2007). "Tendring First could make an impact". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ Dines, Graham (4 May 2007). "Allen loses seat in Tendring Tory split". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
- ^ Bowers, Dominic (24 December 2008). "Tendring: Chairman faces no confidence vote". Clacton and Frinton Gazette. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
- ^ "Elections". cmis.essex.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ "Local Elections Archive Project - 2009 - Essex". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ "Political party backs police commissioner candidate". Harwich and Manningtree Standard. 24 September 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ "Essex's new Police and Crime Commissioner elected". ITV News. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ "Elections". cmis.essex.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ "Election 2013: Essex County Council results". ITV News. 2 May 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ "Councillor admits fraud charges after misusing sport club's grants". Gazette. 14 December 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ Lodge, Will (25 January 2016). "Essex county councillor Pierre Oxley given suspended jail term for Clacton sports club fraud". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ "Elections". cmis.essex.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ Dedman, Simon (24 May 2023). "Colchester: Power-sharing ends between Labour and Lib Dems". BBC News. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ "Agenda for Council on Tuesday, 23rd May, 2023, 7.30 pm". tdcdemocracy.tendringdc.gov.uk. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2024.