The 2021 Essex County Council election took place on 6 May 2021 as part of the 2021 United Kingdom local elections. All 75 councillors were elected from 70 electoral divisions, with each returning either one or two councillors by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office.
The electoral divisions were the same as those used at the previous elections in 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2017.
Previous composition 2017 election Party Seats 56 7 6 2 1 1 2Total75
Composition of council seats before election Party Seats 51 8 6 2 1 1 4Vacant 2Total75
Changes between elections
In between the 2017 election and the 2021 election, the following council seats changed hands:
Division Date Previous Party New Party Cause Resulting Council Composition Con LDem Lab Ind CInd Grn LResBocking6 April 2018 Councillor suspended from party.55 7 6 3 2 1 1Clacton North2 October 2018 Sitting Conservatives Councillor defected to Liberal Democrats.54 8 6 3 2 1 1Halstead21 February 2019 Councillor quit party to sit as an independent member.53 8 6 4 2 1 1Rochford North1 April 2020 Sitting councillor died No by-election was held.52 8 6 4 2 1 1Chigwell & Loughton Broadway13 April 2021 Sitting councillor resigned.No by-election was held as the resignation was sufficiently close to the upcoming County election.51 8 6 4 2 1 1
Summary Election result
Election of Group Leaders
Kevin Bentley (Stanway and Pyefleet) was elected leader of the Conservative Group, with Louise McKinlay (Brentwood Hutton) as his deputy.
Michael Mackrory (Springfield) was re elected leader of the Liberal Democratic Group, with David King (Mile End and Highwoods) as his deputy.
Ivan Henderson (Harwich) was re elected leader of the Labour Group, with Adele Brown (Laindon Park & Fryerns) as his deputy.
Chris Pond (Loughton Central) was re elected leader of the Non-Aligned Group with Michael Hoy (Rochford West) as his deputy.
Election of Leader of the Council
Kevin Bentley the leader of the Conservative group was duly elected leader of the council and formed a Conservative administration.
Results by District Basildon
District Summary
+Basildon borough summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 6 35,731 52.6 +3.6 2 16,252 23.9 +2.8 1 5,082 7.5 –2.3 0 6,934 10.2 +4.2 0 1,660 2.4 N/A 0 1,479 2.2 N/A 0 684 1.0 –12.0 0 49 0.1 N/ATotal941,91029.9Registered electors139,944–
Division Results
Braintree
The Greens and some Independent candidates formed an alliance named the Green & Independent Group
District summary
+Braintree district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 7 18,352 51.1 –3.7 1 9,819 27.3 +17.0 0 5,831 16.2 –2.1 0 1,778 4.9 –3.3 0 142 0.4 N/ATotal835,92231.6Registered electors113,810–
Division Results
Brentwood
Borough summary
+Brentwood borough summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 3 1 10,303 50.2 –2.8 1 1 6,165 28.6 –2.5 0 2,388 11.1 +2.4 0 1,391 6.5 +2.8 0 241 1.1 N/ATotal421,59136.2Registered electors59,705–
Division Results
Castle Point
Borough summary
+Castle Point borough summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 3 10,295 44.2 –10.0 2 4,121 17.7 –0.3 0 5,129 22.0 N/A 0 2,635 13.0 –0.4 0 642 2.8 +0.3 0 132 0.6 N/ATotal523,27333.4Registered electors69,739–
Division Results
Chelmsford
City summary
+Chelmsford city summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 5 1 21,384 48.2 +4.2 4 1 12,851 29.0 +3.3 0 4,307 9.7 +0.9 0 3,141 7.1 +4.1 0 1,520 3.4 N/A 0 979 2.2 N/A 0 113 0.3 –4.6 0 83 0.2 N/ATotal944,51833.3Registered electors133,624–
Division Results
Colchester
District Summary
+Colchester borough summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 5 1 21,044 44.2 +1.9 2 1 11,489 24.1 +3.4 2 9,831 20.6 –3.6 0 4,721 9.9 +4.4 0 446 0.9 N/A 0 89 0.2 N/ATotal947,62033.7Registered electors141,187–
Division Results
Epping Forest
District Summary
+Epping Forest district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 6 16,764 50.7 –4.4 1 4,710 14.2 +4.3 0 4,292 13.0 +2.2 0 3,901 11.8 –3.8 0 2,588 7.8 +2.8 0 302 0.9 N/A 0 186 0.6 +0.4 0 97 0.3 N/A 0 59 0.2 N/A 0 52 0.2 N/A 0 45 0.1 N/ATotal733,04832.7Registered electors100,990–
Division Results
Harlow
District summary
+Harlow district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 4 15,062 54.4 +3.9 0 9,762 35.2 –5.7 0 1,511 5.5 N/A 0 1,304 4.7 –0.1Total420,53932.2Registered electors63,731–
Division Results
Maldon
District Results
+Maldon district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 2 1 8,458 47.2 –6.5 1 1 4,904 27.3 +17.7 0 1,662 9.3 +1.6 0 1,411 7.9 –3.3 0 1,287 7.1 +2.4 0 235 1.3 –8.4Total317,93735.0Registered electors51,221–
Division Results
Rochford
District Summary
+Rochford district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 3 2 10,508 45.9 –0.8 1 1 4,507 19.7 +9.2 1 1 4,447 19.4 +12.9 0 2,797 12.2 +1.5 0 645 2.8 +2.0Total522,98334.1Registered electors67,395–
Division Results
Tendring
District Summary
+Tendring district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 6 18,561 50.7 +4.5 1 6,158 16.8 –2.4 1 4,261 11.6 +6.4 0 3,251 8.9 +1.4 0 2,029 5.5 +1.9 0 1,417 3.9 +0.4 0 554 1.5 N/A 0 219 0.6 N/A 0 94 0.3 N/A 0 78 0.2 N/ATotal836,86731.8Registered electors115,912–
Division Results
Uttlesford
Division Summary
+Uttlesford district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 2 2 10,525 39.5 –6.1 2 2 9,732 36.5 +14.6 0 2,838 10.7 –7.2 0 1,829 6.9 +3.5 0 1,723 6.5 –0.6Total426,64738.7Registered electors68,866–
Division Results
Maps
Vote share by seat
Changes 2021–2025
By-elections
In December 2025, the Liberal Democrat group joined with councillors David Deakin, Michael Hoy and Paul Thorogood to form a Liberal Democrat and Independent Group. Conservative councillor Derrick Louis resigned from the Witham Southern division in the same month; no by-election was held because the scheduled 2026 county election was imminent.
The by-election was triggered by the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Craig Cannell.
The by-election followed the resignation of Labour councillor Adele Brown.
The by-election was called following the resignation of councillor Eddie Johnson.
The by-election was triggered by the death of Conservative councillor Luke Mackenzie.
The by-election followed the death of Conservative councillor Ian Grundy.
The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Marie Goldman after her election as Member of Parliament for Chelmsford.
Notes
References