JUDGEMENT Day is approaching once again as Braintree Council goes to the polls.

A total of 49 seats are up for grabs from 26 wards on May 4… but will it change from the current Conservative majority?

The 2019 election returned a much reduced Conservative majority, down from 39 in 2015 to 19.

Before that election, an alliance was formed between the Liberal Democrats, Greens and the two Independent candidates standing in Coggeshall, with the Lib Dems and Geens not standing against each other in most wards, and neither standing against the Coggeshall Indpendents.

The elected Green and Independent councillors formed a political group on the new council, became the largest opposition for the first time, with eight seats in the southeast of the district.

Whilst some candidates are not seeking re-election in the upcoming local elections, some sitting councillors are going for different seats.

Trevor McArdle (Con, Bocking and Blackwater) is up for Bocking South.

John Baugh (Con, Bocking South) is up for Bocking North.

Saif Rehamn (Con, Braintree Central and Beckers Green) is standing for Braintree South.

Justin Wrench (Con, Braintree Central and Beckers Green) is standing for Bocking and Blackwater.

James Coleridge (Con, Witham South) is going for the Hatfield Peverel and Terling.

Andy Munday (Halstead Residents’ Association, Halstead Trinity) is up for Halstead St Andrews.

Here is the full list of candidates (incumbent councillors marked *).

Bocking and Blackwater

  • Dormer Andrews (Green)
  • James Card (Lib Dem)
  • David Chidgey (Lab)
  • Jasmine Curtiz (Con)
  • Lynette Flint (Con)
  • Richard Parsons (Lab)
  • Lyn Walters* (Con)
  • Justin Wrench (Con)

Bocking North

  • Felicia Ayo-Ajala (Con)
  • John Baugh (Con)
  • Lynn Jefferis (Lab)
  • Kieran Martin (Lab)
  • Andrea Phillips (Green)

Bocking South

  • Jack Edwards (Con)
  • Karl Handy (Green)
  • Robert Health (Lab)
  • Trevor McArdle (Con)
  • Moia Thorogood (Lab)

Braintree Central and Beckers Green

  • Simon Attwood (Green)
  • Jonathan Ayten (Lab)
  • Karen Brown (Con)
  • Sandra Canning (Con)
  • Thomas Diamond (Lab)
  • Andrew Hensman* (Con)
  • Shirley Mason (Lab)
  • Colin Riches (Ind)

Braintree South

  • Kevin Bowers* (Con)
  • Martin Green* (Lab)
  • Tom Hughes (Lib Dem)
  • Saif Rehamn (Con)
  • Jacqueline Thurgood (Lab)
  • Stuart Wicks (Green)

Braintree West

  • Mary Cunningham* (Con)
  • George Prime (Con)
  • Nicolas Scales (Green)
  • Alexander Wildson (Lab)
  • Peter Wyatt (Lab)

Bumpstead

  • Diana Garrod* (Con)
  • Gary Knights (Lab)
  • Norma Saggers (Reform UK)

Coggeshall

  • Dennis Abram* (Ind)
  • Usha Agarwal-Hollands (Lab)
  • Robert Powers (Lab)
  • Chris Siddall (Con)
  • Tom Walsh* (Ind)
  • Sue Wilson (Con)

Gosfield and Greenstead Green

  • Jenny Bishop (Green)
  • Peter Schwier* (Con)
  • Deborah Warren (Lab)

Great Notley and Black Notley

  • David Beatty (Lab)
  • Graham Butland* (Con)
  • Tom Cunningham* (Con)
  • Poppy Gerrard-Abbott (Green)
  • Bronislaw Jagniaszek (Lab)
  • Antony Jones (Lab)
  • Frankie Ricci* (Con)
  • Graham Sheppard (Lib Dem)
  • Brian Smith (Lib Dem)
  • David Toombs (Lib Dem)

Halstead St Andrews

  • Jim Bond (Halstead Residents’ Association)
  • David Finch (Con)
  • Steven Knight (Lab)
  • Andy Munday (Halstead Residents’ Association)
  • Olatunbosun Senbanjo (Con)
  • Kathleen Tearle (Lab)
  • Judy Wood (UKIP)

Halstead Trinity

  • Barry Britten (Con)
  • Malcolm Fincken (Lab)
  • Linda Hilton (Halstead Residents’ Association)
  • Jackie Pell* (Halstead Residents’ Association)
  • Libby Poole (Con)
  • Garry Warren (Lab)

Hatfield Peverel and Terling

  • Jonathan Barker (Green)
  • Tony Bennett (Lab)
  • Linda Bennison (Lab)
  • James Coleridge (Con)
  • Charley Dervish* (Con)

Hedingham

  • Jo Beavis* (Ind)
  • Christine Calver (Lab)
  • Matthew Creamer (Lab)
  • Jason Ferrando (Con)
  • Philip Rawlinson (Con)
  • Wendy Taylor (Ind)

Kelvedon and Feering

  • Pamela Carlaw (Lab)
  • Eileen Davidson (Lab)
  • Camilla Finch (Green)
  • India Jayatillake (Con)
  • Robert Mitchell (Con)
  • Paul Thorogood* (Green)

Rayne

  • Nigel Gibson (Lab)
  • Ann Hooks (Ind)
  • Glenn Young (Con)

Silver End and Cressing

  • James Abbott* (Green)
  • Jack Bayford (Con)
  • Steven Bennison (Lab)
  • Ann Griffin (Lab)
  • Darrin Hammond (Con)
  • Annetta Hawkins (Ind)
  • Andrew Page (Heritage Party)
  • Bob Wright* (Green)

Stour Valley North

  • Peter Long (Lab)
  • Iona Parker* (Con)
  • Mark Posen (Green)
  • Raymond Richards (Reform UK)

Stour Valley South

  • Frederick Hearn (Lab)
  • David Holland (Con)
  • Paul Robinson (Green)

The Colnes

  • James Astley (Green)
  • George Courtald* (Con)
  • Sandra Hindley (Lab)
  • Felix Preston (Lab)
  • Gabrielle Spray* (Con)

Three Fields

  • Mark Ault (Ind)
  • Stephen Canning (Con)
  • William Edwards (Lab)
  • Stephen Newton (Lab)
  • Michael Staines (Ind)
  • John Warner (Con)

Witham Central

  • Lucy Barlow (Lab)
  • Joan Coleman (Lab)
  • Barry Fleet (Lib Dem)
  • Edwyn Gerrard-Abbott (Green)
  • Sindhu Rajeev (Con)
  • Richard Thompson (Reform UK)
  • Helen Waring (Lib Dem)
  • Toby Edwards (Con)

Witham North

  • Philip Barlow (Lab)
  • Tim Blaxill (Reform UK)
  • Leanora Headley (Lab)
  • Stephen Hicks* (Green)
  • Philip Hughes (Green)
  • Billy Taylor (Con)
  • Ethan Williams (Con)

Witham South

  • Stephanie Bills (Green)
  • Paul Heath (Lab)
  • Paul Hewitt (Lib Dem)
  • William Korsinah* (Con)
  • Jacqueline Martin (Lab)
  • Charlie Ryland (Lib Dem)
  • Joe Trigg (Con)

Witham West

  • Susan Ager (Green)
  • Jack Coleman (Lab)
  • Steven Crane (Green)
  • Jon Hayes (Con)
  • Andrew Holt (Lib Dem)
  • Ron Ramage (Con)
  • Jack Robertson (Lab)

Yeldham

  • Julia Allen (Ind)
  • Denis Franklin (Lab)
  • Richard Van Dulken* (Con)

The 2023 Braintree District Council election is due to take place on May 4.

The deadline to register to vote is at midnight on April 17.