General Election 2024: South Essex candidates and videos

Polling stations open tomorrow at 7am and will remain open until 10pm. To find your nearest polling station, visit wheredoivote.co.uk. Voters are reminded to bring their photo ID in order to vote.

We invited all those seeking for your vote in the General Election on July 4 to answer the same set of questions, and gave them the option to send in videos, to help our readers make an informed decision on polling day.  We published these full profiles on echo-news.co.uk over the past week.

Here is a reminder of your candidates for each constituency covering Southend, Basildon, Rochford and Castle Point:

Southend West and Leigh

David Burton-Sampson - Labour

Labour candidate Mr Burton-Sampson is a school governor, former Basildon councillor, and ex-Basildon mayor who has lived in Essex for 25 years. As a community campaigner, he says he "know how to get things done" in Southend and Leigh. Read his full profile and vision here.

Stephen Cummins - Liberal Democrats

Stephen Cummins was a governor for Eastwood Academy Trust and says his vision is to create a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable Southend that caters to the needs of all residents. Read his full profile here.

Tom Darwood - Independent

Independent candidate Mr Darwood is standing to become Britain’s 1st ‘Surrogate Prime Minister’. Read his full vision and profile here.

Anna Firth - Conservative

Most recently serving as Member of Parliament for the constituency, Conservative candidate Anna Firth lives in Leigh and aims to continue her vision to "make Southend a city of opportunity for all". Read her full profile here.

Robert Francis - Independent

Robert Francis is the Independent candidate for Southend West and Leigh. As the Echo went to press the parliamentary candidate had not responded to our requests and, therefore, we could not include a candidate profile and picture in the full round-up.

Tilly Hogrebe - Green Party

Ms Hogrebe has been living in St Lukes ward with her family for nearly 15 years and has been engaged in a number of community projects across Southend. Part of her vision is to see the High Street "flourish again" and ensure neighbourhoods thrive. Read her full profile here.

Lara Hurley - Heritage Party

Ms Hurley's vision for Southend is "affordable and better quality housing, clean streets, repaired roads and cut grass verges". She also wants to cut business rates so "small businesses can thrive again". Read her full profile here.

Peter Little - Reform UK

Mr Little has lived and worked in Southend for more than 45 years and held non executive and board level positions at Southend Hospital. His vision for the city includes having a "vibrant retail sector". Read his full profile here.

James Miller - Confelicity

Confelicity candidate James Miller has lived and worked in Southend all his life, with 30 years of experience working in the family business, and says the city is "in his veins". His vision is a  "thriving business environment" with protected green spaces. Read his full profile here.

Jason Pilley - Psychedelic Movement 

On his vision for Southend West and Leigh as the Psychedelic Movement candidate, Mr Pilley says: "From Southchurch to Leigh, from the sea to the brook, we would dose our culture with psychedelia and watch it change." Read his full profile here.

Southend East and Rochford

Bayo Alaba - Labour

Labour candidate Bayo Alaba is a former Parachute Regiment soldier, school governor, youth mentor and charity trustee. He aims to "reanimate" the city centre, Rochford, and the communities of Shoebury and Great Wakering. Read his full profile here.

James Allen - Liberal Democrats

Mr Allen has lived in both Southend and Rochford for more than 35 years, and has been a magistrate, a parish councillor and chairman. His vision is for a "safe constituency" with fully funded and staffed schools, and thriving business. Read his full profile here.

Lee Clark - Confelicity

A serial fundraiser, Lee Clark has lived in Southend for 34 years. His vision is for the High Street to be the beating heart of the city again and to make Southend "the city to be proud of". Read his full profile here.

Simon Cross - Green Party

Green candidate Simon Cross has lived in Kursaal ward for 17 years and latterly Great Wakering. His vision is to make the "small and simple changes needed" to attract people to visit a "vibrant" Southend and Rochford. Read his full profile here.

Gavin Haran - Conservative

Conservative candidate Gavin Haran lives near Southend East station and while he is not originally from the constituency it is a place he has "come to know and love". His vision includes delivering investment for healthcare and more police officers. Read his full profile and vision here.

Bianca Isherwood - Heritage Party

Heritage Party candidate Ms Isherwood has studied, worked and lived in Southend for 17 years, and now raises her children in the area. Her vision for the city includes "no SMART City, free movement, no financial control, no data harvesting, less taxes" and thriving small and medium businesses. Read her full vision and profile here.

Leslie Lilley

As the Echo went to press last week Mr Lilley had failed to meet our request to send in a candidate profile and picture to be used in the full round-up. He was deselected as the Reform candidate for Southend and Rochford but will remain on the ballot paper.

Basildon and Billericay

Christopher Bateman - British Democrats

Mr Bateman is a parish councillor for Noak Bridge and his vision for Basildon and Billericay includes improving infrastructure before "unnecessary developments" are built and making local residents a priority for social housing. Read his full profile here. 

Stephen Conlay - Reform UK 

As the Echo went to press last week, Reform candidate Stephen Conlay had not responded to our requests and, therefore, we could not include a candidate profile and picture in the full round-up.

Stewart Goshawk - Green Party

Stewart Goshawk is the Green Party for Basildon and Billericay. As the Echo went to press the parliamentary candidate had also failed to meet our request to send in a candidate profile and picture to be used in the full round-up. He was, therefore, not included in the paper.

Alex Harrison - Labour

Labour candidate Alex Harrison has lived in Basildon all his life, currently representing Lee Chapel North on Basildon Council, and says he "know what’s important to local people". His vision includes "breathing new life" into the towns. Read his full profile and vision here.

Richard Holden - Conservative

Conservative candidate Richard Holden has served as a minister and in Cabinet and says this would make him a "a strong voice local and nationally" and able to deliver on issues that "make a difference" in the constituency. Read his full profile and vision for the constituency here. 

Dave Murray - Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Murray's vision for the towns is one where residents "have the jobs, housing, transport, leisure, health and education services that they deserve". Read his full profile and vision for the constituency here. 

Edward Sainsbury - Lib Dems

Mr Sainsbury grew up in Billericay and has previously represented constituents on the town council so says he has experience "listening to local residents and representing their views". Click here to read his full profile.

South Basildon and East Thurrock

Simon Breedon - Social Democratic Party

Mr Breedon has lived his whole life in Basildon and Tilbury believes he can understand the challenges faced by residents as a local who lives in the constituency. Read his full profile and vision by clicking here.

Steven Burnett - Independent

Mr Burnett grew up on the Chalvedon estate in Pitsea before going on to become a teacher across both Basildon and Thurrock. He aims to give voters "the opportunity to vote for someone they can see as one of their own with an understanding of what is important to them". Read his full profile here.

Jack Ferguson - Labour

Labour candidate Mr Ferguson has lived in the Basildon borough for 37 years and is the councillor responsible for culture, sport and community on Basildon Council. He says he wants to "give a voice to the hard-working people of this community". Read his full profile here.

Elizabeth Grant - Green Party

Elizabeth Grant is standing as a Green Party candidate. As the Echo went to press last wek the parliamentary candidate had not responded to our requests and, therefore, we could not include a candidate profile and picture in the full round-up.

Stephen Metcalfe - Conservative 

Mr Metcalfe was most recently the Conservative MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock and wants to continue "putting constituency before Parliament" and says he will ensure that residents' concerns are heard. Read his full profile here.

James Murdock - Reform UK 

James Murdock is standing as the Reform candidate. As the Echo went to press last week the parliamentary candidate had not responded to our requests and, therefore, we could not include a candidate profile and picture in the full round-up.

Neil Speight - Independent

Independent candidate Neil Speight is a Thurrock councillor and says his vision is to "bring honesty, integrity and decency back to local governance in Basildon and Thurrock". Read his full profile here.

Dave Thomas - Liberal Democrats

Lib Dem candidate Dave Thomas has been a district and county councillor who joined the party 20 years ago. He says he will "always try to get an issue sorted, regardless of the issue or complexity". Read his full profile here.

Castle Point

Bob Chapman - Green Party

Bob Chapman is standing as a Green Party candidate. As the Echo went to press this week the parliamentary candidate had not responded to our requests and, therefore, we could not include a candidate  profile and picture in the full round-up.

Rebecca Harris - Conservative 

Dame Rebecca has most recently been the Conservative MP for Castle Point and says she wants to "continue to work hard and fight for residents' priorities". Read her full vision for the constituency and profile by clicking here.

Mark Maguire - Labour

Labour candidate Mr Maguire is part of the Castle Point community and an "experienced campaigner". If elected, he says he will "always be visible, accountable and available to all." Read his full profile and vision here.

Keiron McGill - Reform UK

Reform candidate Keiron McGill grew up in nearby Hockley and has worked in Rayleigh and Hadleigh. Mr McGill says he wants to "make a positive difference" and " hard-working families to be rewarded". Read his full profile here.

James Willis - Liberal Democrats

As Lib Dem candidate, Mr Willis says he aims "to protect Castle Point" and will "concentrate on community values and our environment". Click here to read his full vision for the constituency and his profile.

Rayleigh and Wickford

Mark Francois - Conservative

Mark Francois has lived in Rayleigh for 24 years and was most recently the Conservative MP for Rayleigh and Wickford. He was also the Ministry of Defence Veterans Minister. Click here for his full vision and profile.

James Hedges - Labour

Labour candidate Mr Hedges lives and works in the constituency and is also a parish councillor. He says he aims to make the constituency an "even better place to live" with a "long-term ten-year plan". Read his full profile and vision here.

Stewart Mott - Liberal Democrats

Lib Dem candidate Stewart Mott says as a homeowner in the constituency he is "invested in the future of the area for the decades to come" and wants to make it "safer, greener and fairer". Read his full profile here.

Grant Randall - Reform UK

Reform candidate Grant Randall is a resident and business owner in Rayleigh. He says he wants to see all of the towns in the constituency thriving and to improve infrastructure. Read his full profile and vision here.

Chris Taylor - Green Party

Green candidate Chris Taylor is involved with the National Trust and Hockley Parish Council. He says "now is the moment to be ambitious" to improve Britain’s frontline services are. Read his full profile and vision here.