Tendring First

{{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

| split = Conservative Party

| ideology = 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, Essex, England.{{Cite web |title=Registration |url=https://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Registrations/PP661 |access-date=26 September 2024 |website=search.electoralcommission.org.uk}} 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, Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors.{{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}} They also have control of Frinton & Walton Town Council with eight councillors.{{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}}

The party had one councillor on Essex County Council between 2013 and 2016. They have not stood a candidate in a parliamentary election since 2010.{{Cite web |title=BBC News {{!}} Election 2010 {{!}} Constituency {{!}} Clacton |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/b14.stm |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=news.bbc.co.uk}}

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 Jack Robertson, were all suspended from the Conservative Party in February.{{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}} 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.{{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}} In April, Tendring First announced it would contest in 19 seats in the upcoming district council election.{{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}} The party was subsequently joined by two Essex County Councillors: Mark Cossens and Pierre Oxley, who had earlier been suspended from the Conservative Party.{{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}}

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.{{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}}

In December 2008, Kevin Watson, and council chairman Roy Smith, defected to Tendring First from the Community Representatives Party.{{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}}

In the 2009 Essex County Council election both the party's councillors lost their seats to the Conservatives.{{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}}{{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}}

Allen ran as a candidate for Clacton in the 2010 general election, where he came 5th with 2.5% of the vote.

The party endorsed independent candidate Linda Belgrove in the 2012 Essex police and crime commissioner election.{{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}} She came 4th with 13.2% of first round votes.{{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}}

In 2013 Pierre Oxley regained his Clacton East seat from the Conservatives.{{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}}{{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}} In 2016, he was banned from being a councillor for five years, after being given a two-year suspended jail term for fraud.{{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}}{{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}} The party did not run a candidate in the subsequent by-election, which was won by the Holland-on-Sea Residents' Association.{{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}}

After the 2023 District Council election, the party's sole councillor, Ann Oxley, joined the coalition administration with independents, Labour and Liberal Democrats.{{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}}{{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}}