List of candidates for Essex County Council Elections
Elections / Fri 10th Apr 2026 at 09:33am
HERE is the list of candidates for the Essex County Council Elections to be held on May 7th, 2026.
We will be having a proper look at each ward and interview some of the candidates over the next month.
- Harlow Common and Church Langley
- Harlow Netteswell
- Harlow Parndon and Toddbrook
- Harlow South West
- Old Harlow
Harlow South West
Harlow Netteswell
Old Harlow
Val
2026-04-10 10:35:33
Great to see that two of the five Reform County Council candidates don't even live in Harlow. This includes their local leader Scott Hegley. So voters are being asked for Harlow to be represented by people who don't even live here. Are they really that desperate that they can't find genuine local candidates or do they think they people will just vote blindly and without any scrutiny? Personally, I don't consider this to be a serious proposition and is in fact quite insulting. Reform lack experience and their record in other councils such as Kent has been a disaster.
Justin
2026-04-10 11:15:35
Val, they couldn't find any local Tories to defect so they had to outsource.
Graham
2026-04-10 12:37:46
Justin, 🤣 that sounds about right. They could have asked a bloke in Clacton to stand!
Maureen
2026-04-10 13:03:33
If we truly want the town to progress and to continue the advances of the past couple of years, the only choice is for Dan Swords and his team to continue. Anyone else will risk everything.
Roz
2026-04-10 13:12:43
Local Reform leader, Scott Hegley and Gary Swaile have Epping Forest addresses. Why aren't they standing in their own districts? What makes them suitable to represent Harlow when they don't even live here? Surely, our representatives should live in Harlow. I don't want to be represented by outsiders who are not linked to Harlow!
Harlow resident
2026-04-10 13:32:05
I am so pleased to see Nicky Purse in the running's for ECC! A highly capable and passionate proactive professional! We have to get her in!
Maggie
2026-04-10 14:53:37
I sincerely hope people use their vote wisely and consider how it impacts on everyone, not based on bigotry and hate. For the first time we can see genuine and positive change happening in Harlow, more jobs bing created, a town to be proud of and not to be embarrassed of. I haven’t ever voted conservative before, but Dan Swords will be getting my vote.
Wendy
2026-04-10 15:45:10
Maggie is right. Dan Swords local conservatives are the best and only realistic option. We need people who are competent to run the Council, not cynical politicians Playing their own silly games. Dan is the Man for Harlow.
Scott Hegley - Reform candidate
2026-04-10 16:34:56
I'm proud to be standing in the county division of Harlow Parndon and Toddbrook. Harlow's importance by way of its local economy, educational provision, development, roads and policing etc cannot be overstated so we are all stakeholders and should all care. I now live in Harlow's outskirts but I raised my family in Harlow, have worked in Harlow for 25 years and socialise and shop in Harlow and reject the views of certain highly-politicised commentators above that I shouldn't care. I want to go to the County Council to loudly bang the drum for Harlow, rather than see the Conservatives go on considering it as their personal meal ticket. Vote Reform UK on May 7th!
Phil
2026-04-10 17:25:13
@Val. Shush, the adults are talking. It's the only thing you have to say and its tedious. How about you try banging the drum for your own party? I havent seen you say anything positive about your party at all. I can only assume you're a uni-party voter, and you're terrified of change. I was always taught that if you have nothing nice to say, you shouldn't say anything at all. Perhaps you should think about that for a second and try being positive about your own party, rather than negative about somebody else's.
Maureen
2026-04-10 18:54:02
The only show is Dan Swords and his team. The rest are rank amateurs. Who wants people out of town supposedly representing them?
Val
2026-04-10 19:30:27
Phil, you need to open your own eyes. Harlow Council lead by Dan Swords is all positive . The best for decades. No one else could have achieved what they are doing and will continue to do as people ( you aside) are not so dumb as to try to fix something that isn't broken. Dan is the man for Harlow.
Stephen
2026-04-10 20:34:33
Scott Hegley the local leader of Reform and a County Council candidate reminds me of a remake of the old Stevie Wonder hit , "Mistra Know it All" Scott the man from out of town! Like the old Stevie Wonder song, 'Mistra Know it All' "He's the man with no plan and you know he lives right out of town, he's Mistra Bullshitter..." 🤣
David Forman
2026-04-11 11:13:33
Harlow Resident is spot on about voting for Nicky Purse in Harlow Netteswell. She would get the County to improve their landscaping. Plus we have the ever approachable Clive Souter in Harlow South West. Clive is always prepared to stop and chat to his constituents, including the awkward ones like me.
David Forman
2026-04-11 11:17:59
I forgot to mention Andrew Johnson in Harlow Common and Church Langley. Andrew is Harlow Council's Chairman and chairs their meetings with the precision of a Swiss watch.
Harlow resident
2026-04-11 16:02:13
The current administration in Harlow is great. However Essex County Council (as a whole) is male, pale and stale. It definitely needs shaking up.
Maureen
2026-04-12 18:49:43
Why are two Reform candidates standing in Harlow when they live in Epping District? Were they not good enough to be selected for Epping and were placed here as a second choice because Reform in Harlow couldn't get enough real Harlow candidates? So is Harlow being offered Epping's rejects, one of whom is the leader of Harlow Reform? Doesn't look to promising for Harlow does it?
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