Basildon Council’s Labour-led coalition should stand aside because the General Election showed people’s backing for the Conservatives, a leading Tory has claimed.

Basildon Conservatives are pushing for the Labour and Independent administration to be removed, claiming voters have shown they now back on the Tories.

Echo:

'Support' - Andrew Baggot, leader of the Basildon Conservatives

Currently on the council, there are 20 Conservative members, 15 Labour, and seven Independents.

At the December election, John Baron kept his Basildon and Billericay seat, taking 29,590 votes while Labour’s Andrew Gordon won almost 20,000 votes.

Stephen Metcalfe held the South Basildon and East Thurrock seat with 29,973 votes and Labour’s Jack Ferguson garnered 10,051.

Andrew Baggot, leader of the Basildon Conservatives, said: “We feel there is enough support for us to get back into administration.

“In the election, there was an overwhelming amount of support for the Conservatives.

“We are the largest party and therefore want back the administration.

“The feeling on the street is strong support for the Conservatives.”

But Gavin Callaghan, leader of the council, said: “In May, they lost the elections in Basildon; they lost seats in Basildon.

“They went backwards, and we went forwards.

“They mix up national politics with local politics. What we are doing is looking at local issues and fix problems they made, whether that’s turning the streetlights on when they were wrongly turned off, or freezing council tax which they kept raising.”

Kerry Smith, deputy leader of the council and leader of the Independent Group, added: “The General Election and result does not impact the council.

“What the Tories are doing is not constitutional.

“This sounds like Andrew Baggot is running out of road and a last-ditch attempt to keep hold of his position.

“Residents said this is what they want to see but are unsure about the plans going through.”

Pat Rackley, 70, of Devonshire Road, Laindon, said: “I don’t think this will be too successful as I think the administration has enough members to block this going through.

“Going from the General Election, I think this is what the residents want to see. I think there is a big link between the national and council politics and I think that’s obvious.”