POLLING stations across Basildon opened at 7am today (Thursday, 2 May) as residents got to cast their vote for seats on Basildon Borough Council.

Today, voters in all wards were also asked to vote on a new Police and Crime Commissioner. Candidates are Robin Tilbrook (English democrats), Adam Fox (Labour), Roger Hirst (Conservative) and Kieron Franks (Lib-Dem).

Basildon Council holds elections every year, during which it elects one third of its councillors, one in 14 of its 16 wards.

In the last election, in 2022, the Conservatives held their majority in the council, losing one seat to the independents but gaining back another from Labour – and unseating the then-opposition leader in the process.

The Conservatives currently hold 25 seats against Labour's 10.

The independent group holds five seats while the Wickford Independents hold two.

Here's a run-down of everyone seeking your vote today.

Billericay East

• Peter Francis Bunyan (Labour Party)
• Laura Natalie Clark (Liberal Democrat)
• David John Dadds (Conservative)

Billericay West

• Andrew John Anthony (Green Party)
• Daniel Lawrence (Conservative)
• Chris May (Liberal Democrat)
• Gillian Palmer (Labour Party)

Burstead

• Kevin Blake (Conservative)
• Chris Daffin (Liberal Democrat)
• Stewart Goshawk (Green Party)
• Malcolm Reid (Labour Party)

Fryerns

• Allan Robert Davies (Labour Party)
• Vivien Jennifer Howard (Liberal Democrat)
• Sandeep Singh Sandhu (Conservative)

Laindon Park 

• Christopher Jason Lee Allen (Conservative)
• Tina Arnold (Independent)
• Christopher David Bateman (British Democrats)
• Victoria Onyinyechi Joseph (Labour Party)
• Oliver Eugene McCarthy (Green Party)
• Stephen McCarthy (Liberal Democrat)
• Phil Rackley (Breakthrough Party)

Lee Chapel North

• Mike Chandler (Liberal Democrat)
• Martyn Mordecai (Conservative)
• Terry Webb (Labour Party)

Nethermayne

• Calum Peter Caira-Neeson (Labour Party)
• Stanley Fona Edemakhiota (Conservative)
• Mo Larkin (Independent)
• Stephen William Nice (Liberal Democrat)

Pitsea North West

• Mark Richard Cottrell (Conservative)
• Martin Keith Howard (Liberal Democrat)
• Patricia Reid (Labour Party)
• Rainbow Serina (Green Party)

Pitsea South East

• Iurie Cojocaru (Independent)
• Peter Geoffrey Lancaster (Liberal Democrat)
• Craig Ronald Rimmer (Conservative)
• Matthew Wright (Labour Party)

St Martin's

• Andrew Charles Buxton (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition)
• Philip Edward Jenkins (Liberal Democrat)
• Deepak Shukla (Conservative)
• Maryam Yaqub (Labour Party)

Vange

• Melissa Anne McGeorge (Labour)
• Dave Murray (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition)
• Lewis Christopher Smith (Conservative)
• Peter John Harle (Liberal Democrat)

Wickford Castledon

• David Harrison (Wickford Independents)
• Don Morris (Conservative)
• Stewart Adrian Mott (Liberal Democrat)
• Francesca Rothery (Labour Party)

Wickford North 

• Eunice Christine Brockman (Wickford Independents)
• Dave Collins (Reform UK)
• Nicola Denise Hoad (Liberal Democrat)
• Mike Metcalfe (Conservative)
• James Richard Wood (Labour Party)

Wickford Park

• Simon Blake (Liberal Democrat)
• Yvonne Mary Child (Conservative)
• Trevor Terence Hammond (Wickford Independents)
• Dylan Montgomery Wright (Labour Party)