The District Council Election in Hullbridge has the same four parties as last year – Green, Conservative, Labour and English Democrats. The result last year was :
Green Party 1,446
Conservatives 1,302
Labour 467
English Democrats 445.
The four candidates this time are:
Martin Crocombe (Green Party)
Angela Hale (Tory Party)
Angelina Marriott (Labour Party)
John Hayter (English Democrat)
It’s an interesting election. Trying to be impartial here, all four parties seem to have an Achilles heel.
The Greens start in a strong position. Michael Hoy won last year and makes the claim that they are the only party who can beat the Tories here. However they have the disadvantage this time of having a candidate from Rayleigh.
The Conservatives have a new candidate (Lesley Butcher has stood down) and did badly last year due to the amount of housing the Conservatives have proposed in Hullbridge – and are still proposing – despite the coalition government giving the council the chance to change its mind.
Labour’s Angelina Marriott is well known and respected in Hullbridge but starts from a weak third place.
The English Democrats start from last place and have a candidate from Rayleigh. Moreover previous English Democrat campaigners don’t have a record of being sympathetic to Hullbridge concerns.