AFTER only scraping through a vote of no confidence less than two weeks ago, Ron Woodley’s Independent-led administration will face a further test on Thursday as it attempts to hold onto its threadbare control of the council.

Officially, last year’s round of elections led to no group having overall control of the authority.

The Independent-Labour-Liberal Democrat-Southend Independence Group administration, which had ruled since 2014, only clung to power through an agreement with lone independents Dr Vel and Stephen Aylen that they would not knowingly vote to topple the leadership.

This agreement stood the test of a Tory motion of no confidence in Mr Woodley last month.

Thanks to Mr Aylen abstaining and Dr Vel voting against the motion, Mr Woodley was able to retain his position with a tie-breaking vote cast by mayor Andrew Moring – who, despite being a Tory, is honour-bound to support the administration in a tie.

But Thursday’s elections may prove a tougher test. Labour, which with nine councillors is an equal partner with the Independents in the coalition, is nationally headed for its worst round of local elections in opposition for 34 years according to polling expert Prof John Curtice.

Whether this will be translated locally is yet to be seen but the party can at least take comfort in the fact leader Ian Gilbert is the only councillor defending a seat – in the Labour stronghold of Victoria.

Key independents, both with a big ‘I’ and a small ‘I’, are also vulnerable in Thursday’s poll. Coalition Independent Mike Assenheim could have his vote split in Shoebury with the emergence of former colleague Anne Chalk, who lost her seat to Tory Roger Hadley last year, and is now standing as an unaligned independent.

The coalition’s small-I independent kingmaker Dr Vel is also under threat in Westborough from one of its own members.

Labour cabinet member for education Anne Jones decided to jump ship from her current Kursaal ward to Westborough, where the party had an all-women shortlist.

In Westborough, Dr Vel is likely to succeed to the mayoralty if he is re-elected, but the 77-year-old told the Echo he would close his GP surgery if he survives Thursday’s poll.

The Liberal Democrats go into the election with the departure of two heavyweights but also, potentially, the return of one and the emergence of another.

In Blenheim Park, former council leader and, latterly, tourism cabinet member Graham Longley has decided to step down due to ill health - but hoping to succeed him is prominent blind campaigner Jill Allen-King.

Alan Crystall, who turned 81 in January, has also decided to step down in Leigh – but hoping to succeed him is long-serving councillor and former fisherman Peter Wexham, who lost his seat to Tory Bernard Arscott in last year’s elections.

With neither of their two councillors defending seats, Ukip has everything to gain on Thursday, though whether it can reclaim the three members it lost to the Southend Independence Group remains to be seen.

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