BASILDON Conservatives lost overall control of the town after rival parties picked up seven of the 14 seats on offer on Thursday.

Although the Conservatives took top spot in five seats with 43 per cent of the vote, it was a Labour surge which will be remembered.

The party won six seats with 24 per cent of the overall vote alongside Wickford Independents Free of Party Politics, which took two seats with 11 per cent.

Independents gained one seat with 11 per cent.

The total turn out across the borough was 26 per cent.

Gavin Callaghan, Labour leader, said: “I am delighted Labour has more seats on Basildon Council.

“It’s more than we’ve had for about ten years. It’s the first time we’ve had three seats in Pitsea North West.

“It’s been a real slog. We’ve done a lot of work.

“We will be looking to work with the independents.

“Obviously we have just started and we will be making progress.

“We are hopeful to work as Labour and the Independents again.”

Kevin Blake, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group, said: “We are obviously disappointed to have lost so many good councillors.

“I am not necessarily surprised.”

He added: “We will claw back the control.”

Andrew Buxton, Labour’s candidate for Burstead Ward failed to get enough support but pointed to other Labour gains for solace.

He said: “I am gutted about the results, but happy that Maryam won for St Martins.

“Alex was also really down about it and upset about losing for Pitsea South East.I felt sorry for him.

“Despite this, the Labour party did really well tonight, I was so proud.

“For the last four years I have run for St Martins, but I’ve decided to step down and give myself a rest and recharge. It means I get to spend time with my family.

“I also wanted to stand down to give people who support Labour in that ward someone to vote for.”

Sandra Hillier, Tory candidate for St Martin’s Ward also failed to secure enough votes.

She said: “I stood down for a while as they stopped doing elections in Langdon Hills, who I was with before.

“I saw there was a seat available in St Martin’s and I felt that I had a lot to offer the electorate, I have lots of energy and I’m passionate about the community, and I’ve mostly been working single handedly with little help.

“My husband is part of the county division for St Martin’s so I knew the ward so well, I’ve walked every street and knocked on every door. It’s important everyone is heard in the community, so when I was campaigning, I door knocked as many homes as I could.

“At the end of the day I promised that if I was selected to be up for the position, I was out to win and that is my motto.

“It was time for me to come back, my whole life I have been working for the people, I used to teach sciences and have worked with Basildon Hospital. Helping people is in my blood.

“When I first went up for St Martin’s, I knew it would be an uphill battle, which it has proved to be if I’m being realistic. Although it was not the result I wanted, I’m full of hope.

“I was also very disappointed with the number of spoiled ballots. If people wanted certain parties in the election and up for the seat, such as Ukip they should’ve put themselves forward.”

Labour have made huge gains since the last 2018.

In May last year, Labour secured three seats while Conservative received enough votes to get ten seats while independents picked up two seats.The total turn out then was 29 per cent.This year a whopping total of 700 ballot papers were spoiled by voters while last year, just 106 papers were spoilt.

Conservative mayor David Dadds regained his seat for Billericay East Ward.

He said: “We as Conservatives had the largest number of councillors returned.

“There has been a clear message that the people have no confidence in the larger parties, so now is the time to regain their trust. As there is no political party with main control, I guess we’ll have to watch this space and see what happens next.”