2025 Essex County Council election

2025 Essex County Council election

1 May 2025 (2025-05-01)
All 78 seats to Essex County Council 40 seats needed for a majority
Party Conservative Liberal Democrats Labour Last election 52 seats, 48.8% 8 seats, 13.8% 5 seats, 17.1% Current seats 51 8 6   Party Independent R4U CIIP Last election 3 seats, 5.9% 2 seats, 2.4% 2 seats, 1.0% Current seats 3 2 2   Party Green Loughton Residents Rochford Resident Last election 1 seat, 5.6% 1 seat, 1.2% 1 seat, 1.1% Current seats 1 1 1
Map showing the new pattern of electoral divisions for the Essex County Council area.
Incumbent Leader Kevin Bentley Conservative

The 2025 Essex County Council election is due to take place on 1 May 2025 to elect members to Essex County Council in Essex, England.[1] This will be on the same day as other local elections.

Background

At the 2021 election, the Conservatives won an outright majority of seats on the council, maintaining overall control of the authority for second consecutive term. Kevin Bentley (Stanway & Pyefleet), leader of the Conservative group, was appointed Leader of the council and formed a Conservative administration.

Boundary changes

Following a local government boundary review, there will be an increase in the number of councillors from 75 to 78, and a new pattern of electoral division boundaries will be used. As part of the changes, all two-member divisions will be abolished, meaning all divisions will now elect only one councillor each.[2]

Possible cancellation

Following the publication of the English Devolution White Paper, the majority of the members of Essex County Council voted in favour of asking the government to cancel the planned 2025 elections. The Conservative and Labour groups voted in favour of the motion, whilst the Liberal Democrat group and the sole Reform UK councillor voted against the motion.[3]

References

1. "Election timetable in England". Electoral Commission. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
2. "New electoral arrangements for Essex County Council - Final Recommendations" (PDF). LGBCE. July 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
3. "Essex calls to scrap elections and reform councils". Simon Dedman. BBC News. 10 January 2025. Retrieved 19 January 2025.