Essex: Harlow and Thurrock red but Farage elected and ‘coming for Labour’

Labour has gained two Essex seats which represented ambitious targets coming into the election, taking Harlow and Thurrock.

Jen Craft was elected in Thurrock with 16,050 votes – with a majority of just over 20% – and Chris Vince was elected in Harlow. 

Another key Essex result saw Nigel Farage become an MP for the first time by taking Clacton.

He warned: “We’re coming for Labour, be in no doubt about that… this is just the first step of something that is going to stun all of you.”

The results are part of a picture of an increasingly positive night for Labour though. The Harlow win implies at least a 108 seat majority on a uniform national swing across the country.  

Both of the seats rank beyond the 126 seats needed for a majority of two on LabourList’s unofficial list of target seats, with Thurrock at 154 on the list and Harlow 228.

Read more general election coverage (article continues below):

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Thurrock did use to be an ultra-marginal Conservative seat but senior Tory Jackie Doyle-Price held a 24.2% majority coming out of the 2019 election. 

Harlow was the 126th safest Conservative coming into the election, with a 2019 majority of 32.4% (notionally 35.3% after boundary changes). 

Harlow was held by another senior Conservative, Robert Halfon, until he stood down. The Conservatives took control of the local council in 2021 but their majority was cut to one this year.

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