THE collapse of support for Labour has led to Basildon Council Labour leader Gavin Callaghan quitting his post as leader of the local group ahead of a Conservative accession to power.

When counting began this morning (Friday. 7 May) following yesterday's election to the council Conservatives quickly took three seats - Pitsea South East, St Martin's and Vange.

Announcing his decision to step down as Basildon Labour Party leader on Facebook Mr Callaghan said: "I would like to thank the residents of Pitsea North West who re-elected me for a third consecutive time. I promise to carry on working hard for you and your families.

"However, the overall results are a bitter blow for Basildon and it means I will no longer be the Leader of our Council.

"On a personal level I regret that we will not have the chance to continue making the progress in changing the council and transforming our borough that we have set in motion.

"Ultimately, Basildon wasn't ready to embrace change. This will have lasting consequences for the next generation in our borough who will now find things tougher than they needed to be.

"The last 14 months have been incredibly challenging. Covid was a crisis that no other leader before me has ever had to face. My primary concern for the past 14 months has been to save people's lives and their livelihoods. Nothing else has mattered more.

"I am proud of the work of the entire Basildon Borough Alliance in steering the council through the challenges of the COVID pandemic. Together, we lived and breathed the pandemic, the chaos, the confusion and the heartache. I would be lying if I said this in itself did not take a toll on me. I gave you everything I had to keep our borough safe and strong. I will now have more time to spend with my family and friends and actually marry Mrs C

"I wish my Conservative successor as Leader of the Council every success. Their success will be all of our success. I hope that whomever succeeds me, they will commit to the same level of openness, transparency and public communication as I committed to.

"Sadly, if I know one thing to be true above all else it is that this generation of Basildon Conservative Councillor will not disappoint me in how quickly they come to disappoint you.

"As we saw in the election, they do not have the ideas and the policies to take Basildon forward. Standing still is now the best we can all hope for. The next generation's housing, youth zone and green spaces have been sacrificed. It is the clear option that the public has chosen.

"Finally, I will be stepping down as Leader of the Basildon Labour Group after six years of leading the party locally. The next Labour Group Leader will have my full support. This Labour Group is the most dynamic, energised and forward-thinking Group of Councillors that Basildon Council has had for decades. In these Councillors the public can be assured that the Opposition will be strong and forensic in exposing these Conservatives for what they really are and what they really believe."