{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox political party | name = Tendring First | logo = Tendring First logo.png | colorcode = {{party color|Tendring First}} | leader = Terry Allen | foundation = {{Start date and age|2007|03|26|df=y}} | colours = {{Colour box|{{party color|Tendring First}}}} [[Orange (colour)|Orange]] | split = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] | ideology = [[Localism (politics)|Localism]] | headquarters = [[Frinton-on-Sea]], [[Essex]] | country = the United Kingdom | founder = Terry Allen | seats1_title = [[Essex County Council]] (Tendring seats) | seats1 = {{Composition bar|0|8|hex={{party color|Tendring First}}}} | seats2_title = [[Tendring District Council]] | seats2 = {{Composition bar|1|48|hex={{party color|Tendring First}}}} | seats3 = {{Composition bar|8|16|hex={{party color|Tendring First}}}} | seats3_title = Frinton and Walton Town Council }} '''Tendring First''' is a local [[political party]] operating throughout [[Tendring District|Tendring]], [[Essex]], England.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Registration |url=https://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Registrations/PP661 |access-date=26 September 2024 |website=search.electoralcommission.org.uk}}</ref> They field candidates for [[Tendring District Council]], [[Essex County Council]] and Frinton and Walton Town Council. They currently have one councillor on Tendring District Council, where they form the administration with [[Independent politician|Independent]], [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] and [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] councillors.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-26 |title=Your Councillors |url=https://tdcdemocracy.tendringdc.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=PARTY&VW=LIST&PIC=0 |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=tdcdemocracy.tendringdc.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref> They also have control of Frinton & Walton Town Council with eight councillors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dwan |first=James |date=2023-05-09 |title=Independent political party set to keep control of Frinton and Walton council |url=https://www.clactonandfrintongazette.co.uk/news/23510622.independent-political-party-set-keep-control-town-council/ |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=Clacton and Frinton Gazette |language=en}}</ref>
The party had one councillor on Essex County Council between 2013 and 2016. They have not stood a candidate in a parliamentary election since [[Clacton (UK Parliament constituency)#Elections in the 2010s|2010]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=BBC News {{!}} Election 2010 {{!}} Constituency {{!}} Clacton |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/election2010/results/constituency/b14.stm |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>
==History== Tendring First was founded in March 2007 by the then leader of Tendring District Council, Terry Allen, after he and two other district councillors, along with the Mayor of [[Frinton-on-Sea|Frinton]] Jack Robertson, were all suspended from the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] in February.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-02-26 |title=Tories suspend Tendring council leader |url=https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/21302862.tories-suspend-tendring-council-leader/ |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=East Anglian Daily Times |language=en}}</ref> It was unclear why they were suspended, but their suspension just a few months before the [[2007 Tendring District Council election]] meant they would be unable to stand again as Conservatives.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-02-26 |title=Tendring: Top Tories suspended by council |url=https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/1219291.tendring-top-tories-suspended-by-council/ |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=Gazette |language=en}}</ref> In April, Tendring First announced it would contest in 19 seats in the upcoming district council election.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bowers |first=Dom |date=2007-04-05 |title=Tendring: The Big Split |url=https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/1309841.tendring-the-big-split/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Gazette |language=en}}</ref> The party was subsequently joined by two Essex County Councillors: Mark Cossens and Pierre Oxley, who had earlier been suspended from the Conservative Party.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ashworth |first=Roddy |date=2007-05-01 |title=Tendring First could make an impact |url=https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/21300082.tendring-first-make-impact/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=East Anglian Daily Times |language=en}}</ref>
Although party leader Terry Allen was unsuccessful in his re-election bid, Tendring First was able to secure 10 of the 60 council seats, becoming the second largest party on the council behind only the Conservatives.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dines |first=Graham |date=2007-05-04 |title=Allen loses seat in Tendring Tory split |url=https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/21301516.allen-loses-seat-tendring-tory-split/ |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=East Anglian Daily Times |language=en}}</ref>
In December 2008, Kevin Watson, and council chairman Roy Smith, defected to Tendring First from the Community Representatives Party.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Bowers |first=Dominic |date=2008-12-24 |title=Tendring: Chairman faces no confidence vote |url=https://www.clactonandfrintongazette.co.uk/news/4001391.tendring-chairman-faces-no-confidence-vote/ |access-date=2024-07-26 |publisher=Clacton and Frinton Gazette}}</ref>
In the [[2009 Essex County Council election]] both the party's councillors lost their seats to the Conservatives.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Elections |url=https://cmis.essex.gov.uk/essexcmis5/Elections/tabid/63/ctl/ViewWards/mid/386/ID/5/Default.aspx |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=cmis.essex.gov.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Local Elections Archive Project - 2009 - Essex |url=https://www.andrewteale.me.uk/leap/results/2009/382/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=www.andrewteale.me.uk}}</ref>
Allen ran as a candidate for [[Clacton (UK Parliament constituency)|Clacton]] in the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010 general election]], where he came 5th with 2.5% of the vote.<ref name=":0" />
The party endorsed independent candidate Linda Belgrove in the [[2012 England and Wales police and crime commissioner elections#Essex Police|2012 Essex police and crime commissioner election]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-09-24 |title=Political party backs police commissioner candidate |url=https://www.harwichandmanningtreestandard.co.uk/news/9945756.political-party-tendring-first-backs-police-commissioner-candidate/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Harwich and Manningtree Standard |language=en}}</ref> She came 4th with 13.2% of first round votes.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2012-11-16 |title=Essex's new Police and Crime Commissioner elected |url=https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/update/2012-11-16/essex-news-police-and-crime-commissioner-elected/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |work=[[ITV News]]}}</ref>
In [[2013 Essex County Council election|2013]] Pierre Oxley regained his Clacton East seat from the Conservatives.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Elections |url=https://cmis.essex.gov.uk/essexcmis5/Elections/tabid/63/ctl/ViewCandidates/mid/386/ID/307/Default.aspx |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=cmis.essex.gov.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-05-02 |title=Election 2013: Essex County Council results |url=https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2013-05-02/election-2013-essex-county-council-results |access-date=2024-09-26 |work=[[ITV News]]}}</ref> In 2016, he was banned from being a councillor for five years, after being given a two-year suspended jail term for fraud.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-12-14 |title=Councillor admits fraud charges after misusing sport club's grants |url=https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/14144807.councillor-pierre-oxley-from-clacton-admits-fraud-by-false-representation-after-misusing-grant-funds/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Gazette |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lodge |first=Will |date=2016-01-25 |title=Essex county councillor Pierre Oxley given suspended jail term for Clacton sports club fraud |url=https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/21609510.essex-county-councillor-pierre-oxley-given-suspended-jail-term-clacton-sports-club-fraud/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=East Anglian Daily Times |language=en}}</ref> The party did not run a candidate in the [[2013 Essex County Council election#Results|subsequent by-election]], which was won by the Holland-on-Sea Residents' Association.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Elections |url=https://cmis.essex.gov.uk/essexcmis5/Elections/tabid/63/ctl/ViewCandidates/mid/386/ID/338/Default.aspx |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=cmis.essex.gov.uk}}</ref>
After the [[2023 Tendring District Council election|2023 District Council election]], the party's sole councillor, Ann Oxley, joined the coalition administration with independents, Labour and Liberal Democrats.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dedman |first=Simon |date=2023-05-24 |title=Colchester: Power-sharing ends between Labour and Lib Dems |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-65693352 |access-date=2024-09-26 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-23 |title=Agenda for Council on Tuesday, 23rd May, 2023, 7.30 pm |url=https://tdcdemocracy.tendringdc.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=130&MId=1995&Ver=4 |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=tdcdemocracy.tendringdc.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref>
==Election results== ===District Council elections=== {{see also|Tendring District Council elections}}
{| class="wikitable" !Year !Councillors ! colspan="2" |Control |- |[[2007 Tendring District Council election|2007]] |{{Composition bar|10|60|hex={{party color|Tendring First}}}} | {{party color cell|No overall control}} |[[No overall control]] |- |[[2011 Tendring District Council election|2011]] |{{Composition bar|8|60|hex={{party color|Tendring First}}}} | {{party color cell|No overall control}} |[[No overall control]] |- |[[2015 Tendring District Council election|2015]] |{{Composition bar|1|60|hex={{party color|Tendring First}}}} | {{party color cell|Conservative Party (UK)}} |[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] |- |[[2019 Tendring District Council election|2019]] |{{Composition bar|4|48|hex={{party color|Tendring First}}}} | {{party color cell|No overall control}} |[[No overall control]] |- |[[2023 Tendring District Council election|2023]] |{{Composition bar|1|48|hex={{party color|Tendring First}}}} | {{party color cell|No overall control}} |[[No overall control]] |}
=== County Council elections === {{see also|Essex County Council elections}} {| class="wikitable" !Year !Tendring<br />Councillors ! colspan="2" |Control |- |[[2009 Essex County Council election|2009]] |{{Composition bar|0|8|hex={{party color|Tendring First}}}} | {{party color cell|Conservative Party (UK)}} |[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] |- |[[2013 Essex County Council election|2013]] |{{Composition bar|1|8|hex={{party color|Tendring First}}}} | {{party color cell|Conservative Party (UK)}} |[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] |- |[[2017 Essex County Council election|2017]] |{{Composition bar|0|8|hex={{party color|Tendring First}}}} | {{party color cell|Conservative Party (UK)}} |[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] |- |[[2021 Essex County Council election|2021]] |{{Composition bar|0|8|hex={{party color|Tendring First}}}} | {{party color cell|Conservative Party (UK)}} |[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
[[Category:Tendring]] [[Category:Politics of Essex]] [[Category:Locally based political parties in England]] [[Category:Political parties established in 2007]] [[Category:Conservative Party (UK) breakaway groups]] [[Category:2007 establishments in England]]