LAST but not least is the ward of Sumners and Kingsmoor.

For years, Labour have sort of fancied their chances but not really got close.

This year, they feel they just might have a chance. But it is just a chance. A majority of 289 from last year is still quite a gap to breach.

With that in mind, Labour may be looking to get the figure down to two figures and claim a moral victory.

Like many other parties, the number crunchers will look at the ward stats, the stats all across the town and then estimate their direction of travel as we head to a General Election in (May/June/Oct) 2024.

Having four candidates may be a factor as well. Will that be a factor?

YH Prediction: Conservative Hold

Anita Schultschik (Labour)

Anita is standing for the first time. Many now Anita from her role in education as well as a great singer songwriter.

You know where you stand with Anita. We interviewed the Swiss-born Anita as part of our Harlow is 75 interviews. Funnily enough, we thought of all the interviews across 75 nationalities, it was the woman from Switzerland who was most political!

Even if Anita doesn’t win this time, it will be really important that Anita gets another chance.

It was pouring down with rain, when we interviewed Anita, so we popped into The Herald Pub. Thank you to the management.

Alan Leverett (The Harlow Alliance Party)

We are starting to think: where would democracy in Harlow be without The Harlow Alliance Party.

Week in and week out, they are there, in council meetings, in the community and in the letters page of Your Harlow, holding the powers that be to account.

We interviewed Alan up on Hull Grove. Right on the border with Epping Forest District Council and the land earmarked for the development of well over a thousand homes.

We spoke to Alan about that issue and a number of other issues.

Dave Margetts (The Green Party)

THE Green Party have a knack of finding really interesting candidates. We understand they met Dave at a St Stephen’s Church quiz night and just invited him to their events.

Another candidate who is a real breath of fresh air. A Harlow man, through and through. Dave has been a top-flight referee in his time and when you speak to him, you get a sense of fair play.

Having said that, he did say that if he doesn’t win, he won’t be checking the result on VAR!

Again, we think Dave may be one of those Green candidates who is here for the long run.

Clive Souter (Conservative)

For the record, we e-mailed the Harlow Conservatives at the beginning of the campaign and offered interviews to all the candidates. We did not receive a reply.

As this piece makes reference to Epping Forest District Council, we e mailed the Epping Forest Conservatives, requesting an interview with their candidate on the other side of the border. We received no reply.

This is the first time in ten years, that this has occurred in Harlow. As we average over four million page views a year, we always think the interviews (in whatever form) are a good way of communicating to voters.

However, we are not alone. We have spoken to journalists across the country, who say there is a, how you say, under the radar approach from Conservatives this year.

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