Campaigning across Essex is entering the final day of an electoral race that could have major ramifications for politics in across the country.

Tomorrow, (May 6), residents will take to the ballot boxes to decide four elections.

Residents will decide on the seven Epping Forest representatives in Essex County Council seats while also voting in three elections postponed from May of last year: Epping Forest District Council; parish and town councils; and the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex.

Read more: Every county council candidate listed

In what has been dubbed “super Thursday”, taking place against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, local elections will be held across England. With 48 million people registered to vote, it is set to be a big day.

There are nine parties fighting for your votes for 21 of the 58 Epping Forest District Council seats.

The following are statements from each political group on why the believe they deserve your vote!

Note: The Young People’s Party, Reform UK and English Democrats are all represented by a single candidate.

Read more: Every district council candidate listed

Conservatives

“Conservative led Epping Forest District Council has the lowest council tax in Essex. For many years, in good times and bad, the District Council has frozen council tax whilst protecting frontline services. As well as providing added value including funding additional Essex Police officers and bringing the Highways Rangers service in house to repair local heritage features and pathways.

“Local Conservatives have been working hard to help our area bounce back. During the pandemic EFDC have worked tirelessly to get out grants to support local businesses.

“We are re investing in projects to regenerate our local area as we work towards Covid recovery. Including launching plans for our high streets across the district and introducing a new high street manager.

“As we work towards Covid recovery, the district council is looking to the future and investing in a number of exciting projects across our district.

“For example, in Epping the council are delivering a state-of-the-art leisure centre and aspirational plans for the town’s future. In Waltham Abbey, the council are delivering a new community hub.

“EFDC is continuing its successful council house building programme delivering more than 500 new council homes for local people.”

Liberal Democrats

Clive Amos Theydon Bois – Theydon Bois

“I have lived in Theydon Bois for 32 years and seen many changes and am Theydon Bois parish councillor. My overall aim is to maintain the special character of the village and the quality of life for local residents. In order to do this I will, among other things, wish to keep a close eye on all planning applications.

Nick Read – Epping Lindsey and Thornwood Common

“Nick’s passion for nature means that he is keen to balance the needs of a growing population with protection for the Green Belt and Epping Forest’s natural environment. We have a responsibility to preserve what is special about our area for future generations. Nick believes the Conservatives’ proposals to charge drivers for journeys through an Epping Forest Clean Air Zone do nothing to preserve a balance of road use and pollution control and will divert the most polluting traffic through local towns and villages.”

Jon Whitehouse – Epping Hemnall

“As a district councillor I’ve worked hard to represent the views of residents in Epping and Coopersale. I have a record of taking up issues and speaking up on behalf of local people.

“I grew up in Epping, am proud to have served my fellow residents as their councillor and am determined to continue doing all I can to preserve the sense of community and special character of our town.”

Green Party

“We will be an independent voice for our communities, as we have been as district councillors for Buckhurst Hill and Waltham Abbey for several years.

“Our priorities are the needs of residents, even before our own party’s policies; for example, we are opposing the proposed Clean Air Zone for the area.

“The proposal as currently suggested by the Conservatives will not work – without improvements to public transport locally, it would just punish those unable to afford electric vehicles and fail to lower emissions. At best it will move the same traffic elsewhere.

“We will continue to question the increasing use of a private company to provide council services. We, of course, support creative solutions to improve delivery of services however, we have questioned the wisdom of borrowing huge sums of money which partly fund large wages and bonus schemes.

“We all care for our own areas and wish for them to become more attractive places to live, with vibrant independent shopping.

“We will continue to fight for easy access to public services, such as libraries, which we should use to improve internet access for those without it at home and may be isolated from work and family.”

Labour

“Epping Forest Constituency Labour Party has this year succeeded in placing a candidate in every single district and county council seat.

“We are committed to becoming a power to be reckoned with in Epping Forest in order to provide the best possible service to the people living here.

“Potholes they are one of the most complained about issues by Road users. If you drive a car ride a motorbike, or cycle you will be frustrated by the problem, and it seems to get worst year on year.

“Public transport in Epping Forest is a disgrace, especially in areas with no access to the underground. Labour is committed to providing an affordable and accessible public transport.

“It is a disgrace that the police and fire services have been cut so drastically to the detriment of the local community. There is now just one police station that is open in Epping Forest and that just on a part time basis.

“Epping Forest Labour Party is in agreement with the aims of Save our Libraries Essex.”

Loughton Residents Association

“What LRA has done and will continue to do if re-elected

“Loughton's Green Spaces – Our town and the Forest is under threat, but LRA always defends your amenities and our environment.

“District Local Plan – LRA spent LRA money and got changes at the Inquiry. We've helped save Jessel Green, Marlescroft Green, and the cricket ground. Conservative Cllrs would build on our green open spaces.

“No high rise and no garden-grabbing – 1,021 homes in the Conservative Loughton Plan would be harmful town cramming and would further damage our fragile Forest. Our infrastructure can't take this increase. The Central Line and roads can't cope now - we have traffic congestion and air pollution daily. Where will future children play and new schools be built? Bus services are cut yet more homes are planned. Conservative councillors living in other towns voted for the so-called 'landmark' flats - far too high.

“Road charging (CAZ) - Conservatives want to cram our town with extra flats and cars which would further damage the forest. To 'mitigate' this they plan to charge cars going to Epping or Waltham Abbey. LRA opposes this - we would all drive a bit further to avoid the charging zone costs.”

Young People’s Party

"We all want to live in a developed and caring society, and taxation is the price we should be willing to pay. The question is, how should taxes be raised? Government spending creates and maintains land values (what would your house be worth if there were no police, schools or hospitals in your area?) but taxes on employment and output have huge economic and social deadweight costs.

“The core of YPP’s manifesto is therefore that we should tax land values more and tax employment and output less. As a modest start, council tax, stamp duty land tax and inheritance tax could be merged into a single flat-rate tax on property values. Once in place, we should phase out value added tax and payroll taxes and increase the rate on property accordingly.

“This would have many benefits – economy growth and stability; there would be more jobs, less poverty and less inequality; it would encourage government to focus spending on services that measurably add value; it would balance the scales between first time buyers and current owners; and by keeping a lid on house prices, it would dampen the house-price boom bust cycle and thus avoid the recurring financial crises."

Reform UK

“Whilst I have lived in Fyfield for over fifteen years, this is the first time that I have been compelled to put my hand up and enter local politics.

“The reason is quite simple. I care for the community I live in and like so many of you I want to ensure that action is actually taken on the issues that matter locally: what matters to you matters to me..

“The annual flooding needs a permanent fix, the life needs to be breathed back into our local businesses by sorting access and parking and as we leave the pandemic we must focus on the well-being for all with continued access to our leisure facilities.

“Why Reform UK? Reform UK is about making change happen and with no top-down party influence I will be able to do what is right for our local community.

“I will be using the experience I have gained from working in large corporations and a local authority to deliver on my pledges.

English Democrats

“Robin Charles William Tilbrook is a local solicitor and is the chairman of the English Democrats. The English Democrats are the only campaigning English nationalist party and are the foremost party of law and order in England. We are also opposed to the British establishment’s attempts to break England up into bogus “regions”.

“The British Government spends too much of our English taxes to Scotland and Wales.

"The English Constitution specifically allows us to defend ourselves and our property. We should make sure that our police respect our English rights and support victims of crime in defending themselves and their homes against criminals, in accordance with the English Bill of Rights. We will grant licences for carrying pepper sprays to allow people to protect themselves from attack.

“If you want to see our police refocussed on protecting our people from criminals; on traditional English policing; on maintaining law and order; and on supporting the rights of victims to defend themselves, then vote English Democrats on May 6!”

For Britain

Jim Searle - Waltham Abbey South West

One of the main reasons I joined the For Britain Movement is because it will stand up and preserve the places such as the historic town of Waltham Abbey. The main parties simply will not do this.

The Conservatives have plans to enforce a stealth tax in what they call a Clean Air Zone, which could charge people in Waltham Abbey to drive their own car through the Forest. For Britain rejects such a ludicrous proposal in its entirety – as it is caused by plans to build 10,000 new homes which we totally oppose.

Susan Butler - Waltham Abbey North East

Waltham Abbey is a nice, small historic town and I want to keep it that way. I do not want to see it become just another part of the sprawl around London. This will happen if the planned housing developments go ahead – such as in Parklands.

Pat Richardson - Waltham Abbey Honey Lane

I came a close second in Honey Lane last time around and I hope to go one better this time.

I am totally against the siting of the Next depot at the motorway junction. This will cause massive congestion at an already busy roundabout and the lorries will cause pollution – right next to the forest.

Edward Butler - Loughton Broadway

I am totally against the new housing developments that the council plans for the area. The Conservatives want to build on every spare bit of green and ruin our community.

They also plan to introduce a charge to drive through the forest. This is because they want to build 10,000 new houses across the district. And these houses bring cars and potentially pollution.

We totally oppose this building. These houses will not be for local people but for the overflow population from inner London.