Castle Point borough elections 2015

I always have a special lookout for the results in Castle Point. This is not just because it is my neighbouring borough and constituency, but because having spent three happy campaigning years there, from 2007 to 2010, I still have many friends there who are flying the Labour flag.

It is hard to believe that we won the seat in 1997, narrowly losing it in 2001. We also ran the council with a handsome majority at one point. Nowadays it is a bit of a struggle, to say the least, but onwards we fight.

Here is a summary of the borough council results from Thursday:

party	Vote share %	Seats won	No of candidates
Conservative	44.6	10	14
UKIP	20.1	0	8
CIIP	17.3	4	6
Labour	15.5	0	14
Independent	2.5	0	2

Interestingly, Labour polled more votes in these elections than they did in the Westminster election (7001 versus 6283).

The Canvey Island Independent Party still have a strong hold on that island, and their pact with UKIP allows them a free hand as regards to the nationalist vote. The Liberal Democrats are still effectively redundant in this part of the world.

A blank by UKIP is a pleasant surprise,