Simon Dedman

BREAKING: The Port of Tilbury has announced plans to expand and hopes to build Tilbury 3. It would be the size of 70 football pitches on the site of an old power station. There would be warehousing and a construction material and aggregate terminal.

The Prime Minister and Kemi Badenoch paid tribute to Sir Roy Stone at #PMQs. He was born and lived in Essex and was the senior civil servant working with the government Chief Whip for more than 20 years.

NEW: Kemi Badenoch tells the BBC calls for her to resign as Conservative leader after losing power in 16 councils “are just not serious”. She told me she has not thought of about quitting since last week’s local elections. https://t.co/QC0Mq4BDtm

The ex-chief finance offer of #Thurrock Council who was in post when £100ms were borrowed to invest has been barred from working for a local authority again https://t.co/5sYhqN8uKX

Reform UK won big in Thurrock last night. They took both seats in the Ockendon by-election. The Reform candidate who won the 2nd seat received more votes than the top conservative and labour candidate combined. Ockendon is usually a blue/red fight though UKIP won in the past

Simon Dedman @SiDedman

🗳️Reform UK have won two seats on Thurrock Council in the by-elections in Ockendon

🗳️Reform UK has won the Mark Hall by-election in Harlow. The seat had been held by Labour who came 3rd behind the Conservatives.

Harlow Council @HarlowCouncil

The results for the Mark Hall by election are in: Turnout was 27.92% Marian Forstner, UKIP - 14 Christine Gallacher, Labour - 350 Paul Jago, Reform UK - 505 ELECTED Lesley Rideout, Lib Dem - 56 John Steer, Conservative - 424 Julie Taylor, Green Party - 223 https://t.co/CSgQAIkXr8

🗳️Reform UK have won two seats on Thurrock Council in the by-elections in Ockendon

Thurrock Council @thurrockcouncil

The results for Thurrock Council's Ockendon ward by-election have been declared. Alan Benson (Reform UK) and Russell Cherry (Reform UK) have been elected as councillors. 2,368 votes were cast, which is a turnout of 27.98 per cent  Read the full results: https://t.co/D7fiuJX5UC

NEW: House of Commons is being recalled tomorrow. The 34th time parliament has been recalled since 1948. The last time was in the summer of 2021 over the situation in Afghanistan. This time MPs are being brought back over the situation with British Steel.

BBC is reporting that parliament will be recalled tomorrow (Saturday) to discuss the situation with British Steel.

There are now currently 4 Essex MPs with a knighthood or damehood - Bernard Jenkin, John Whittingdale, Priti Patel and now James Cleverly.

Simon Dedman @SiDedman

NEW: Former Home Secretary and Braintree MP will become Sir @JamesCleverly as he has received a knighthood in former Tory PM Sunak's resignation honours list.

NEW: Former Home Secretary and Braintree MP will become Sir @JamesCleverly as he has received a knighthood in former Tory PM Sunak's resignation honours list.

Former Home Secretary @JamesCleverly tells @BBCEssex “Labour mislead voters ahead of the general election with promises about immigration and specifically about Wethersfield. And now they are reneging on all those promises.”

Simon Dedman @SiDedman

PM gives no closure date for the asylum centre at the Wethersfield military base in Essex https://t.co/GiCnjIT34Q

PM gives no closure date for the asylum centre at the Wethersfield military base in Essex https://t.co/GiCnjIT34Q

Essex County Council has told the government it "cannot support the proposal for devolution in Greater Essex in its current form". The authority is opposed to the number of voting members on the combined authority. ECC would have 3, Southend 2 Thurrock 2 https://t.co/ieJsD9G29d

Former Home Secretary James Cleverly tells the BBC it’s better to house asylum seekers in hotels rather than military sites like Wethersfield in Essex https://t.co/A9YDtChqUW

What the impact an asylum centre at an old Airbase in rural North Essex has had on village communities. https://t.co/RG8evXW0u1

The PM says the new Lower Thames Crossing will drive growth. Starmer says it shows he backs “the builders not the blockers”.

Keir Starmer @Keir_Starmer

When I said I would back the builders, not the blockers, I meant it. Giving the Lower Thames Crossing the green light will drive growth and make journeys quicker, safer, and more reliable. That is my Plan for Change in action.