Harlow Labour leader stands down after elections

The Harlow Labour group leader Chris Vince has stood down days after his party failed to win a majority on the council.

Labour said Mr Vince had always planned to step down after last week's local elections.

He remains the party's parliamentary candidate for Harlow at the next general election, which has to be held by 28 January.

Sir Keir Starmer told BBC Essex that Harlow, along with Thurrock, were "real targets in these local elections".

The Labour leader campaigned in the town on the day before the polls opened.

But the Conservatives managed to hold on to the district council, winning 17 out of 33 seats up. Labour won 16 seats - losing out on the last ward to declare by just 55 votes.

Mr Vince told the BBC the local elections in Harlow "could have been better, but we won the popular vote, came top in the crime commissioner vote. We have got to throw everything at the general election".

Conservative Roger Hirst was re-elected for a third term as Essex's police, fire and crime commissioner (PFCC). Labour received 8,338 votes in Harlow - more than 1,000 ahead of Mr Hirst in the town, which is seen as a political bellwether.

Labour also secured the most votes for the PFCC in Southend, Thurrock and Colchester - areas the party is targeting at the general election.

Labour gained five council seats in Harlow on 2 May and took control of Thurrock Council, and became the largest party in Southend and Basildon.

The Conservatives are set to be reaffirmed in administration at Harlow Council later this month.

James Leppard, one of the re-elected Conservative councillors, is still suspended following allegations of Islamophobic social media posts. He is currently being investigated by the party. As it stands he will sit as an independent, but the Conservatives are likely to have enough votes to govern.

Councillor James Griggs is the new Labour group leader on Harlow Council.

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