Lab took this seat from Con after 4 consecutive elections.
MP News Approval i
+68
Jen Craft
Labour PartyJen Craft is the Labour MP for Thurrock, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.
Vote on an amendment to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that would prevent someone from qualifying as 'terminally ill' under the Bill solely because they have voluntarily stopped eating and drinking. This matters because without the amendment, a person could potentially use voluntary starvation to meet the terminal illness threshold and access an assisted death.
A procedural vote on whether to allow New Clause 16 to be formally considered as part of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at Report Stage, after proceedings had been interrupted on 13 June when an objection was raised. The debate excerpts do not reveal the substantive content of New Clause 16.
Vote on whether to prevent someone from qualifying as 'terminally ill' under the assisted dying bill solely because they have chosen to stop eating and drinking. The amendment would close a potential loophole where a person who is not otherwise terminally ill could meet the bill's eligibility criteria by voluntarily starving themselves.
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Sign up freeCoverage of Thurrock has been predominantly positive for Jen across 40 recent articles.
Positive coverage
“Travelodge sex assault survivor hits out at boss of hotel chain” — Greatest Hits Radio
“Travelodge sex assault survivor hits out at boss of hotel chain” — Sky News
Represented by Lab since 2024. Covers Grays, South Ockendon and Chafford Hundred and West Thurrock. Population 120,783, notably young (median age 35 vs 41 nationally).
Fire service launch 'arson' appeal after south Essex tyre blaze
Thurrock Gazette · 9 Apr 2026
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Sign up freeMedian Income▼
£29,000
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Mean Income▼
£35,800
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Businesses▼
5,000
VAT/PAYE registered (ONS 2024)
Schools▼
42
26 primary, 10 secondary, 6 other
Total Income Tax▼
£317m
from 62,000 taxpayers
Median Tax▼
£3,030
per taxpayer / year
Mean Tax
£5,120
per taxpayer / year
Source: HMRC Survey of Personal Incomes, tax year 2022-23. Allocated by taxpayer residence. Covers income tax only — excludes NI, VAT, and capital gains. Sample-based estimate (~8% confidence interval).
Attainment 8▼
47.3
average score (DfE)
GCSE Pass Rate▼
67.6%
5+ GCSEs 9-4 (DfE)
1 large town, 5 towns, 1 village, rural areas — 120,805 total population
Source: ONS Built-Up Areas (Census 2021) + data.police.uk — crime rates are per 1,000 population (last 3 months)
Source: data.police.uk — street-level crime data aggregated from LSOA to constituency
13 councillors across 13 wards · Last elections: May 2024
| Ward | Party | Councillor | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aveley Uplands | Labour Party | Cathy Sisterson | May 2024 |
| Belhus | Labour Party | Victoria Claire Holloway | May 2024 |
| Chafford North Stifford | Labour Party | Lynda Hilary Heath | May 2024 |
| Grays Riverside | Labour Party | Tony Fish | May 2024 |
| Grays Thurrock | Labour Party | John George Kent | May 2024 |
| Little Thurrock Blackshots | Labour Party | Michael John Fletcher | May 2024 |
| Little Thurrock Rectory | Conservative and Unionist Party | Tom Kelly | May 2023 |
| Ockendon | Labour Party | Ryan James Polston | May 2024 |
| South Chafford | Labour Party | Gary Watson | May 2024 |
| Stifford Clays | Labour Party | Mark Hooper | May 2023 |
| Tilbury Riverside Thurrock Park | Labour Party | Cici Manwa | May 2023 |
| Tilbury St Chads | Labour Party | Kairen Raper | May 2024 |
| West Thurrock South Stifford | Labour Party | Lee Watson | May 2024 |
Source: DCLEAPIL v1.0 by Jason Leman, LEAP (Andrew Teale) & Democracy Club. CC BY-SA 4.0. Data last refreshed: 1 Apr 2026.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lab | 16,050 | 42.7% | |
| Ref | 9,576 | 25.5% | |
Won 2019 GE | Con | 8,009 | 21.3% |
| Green | 1,632 | 4.3% | |
| LD | 1,157 | 3.1% | |
| WPB | 691 | 1.8% | |
| Ind | 443 | 1.2% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Con | 27,795 | 58.6% | |
| Lab | 16,313 | 34.4% | |
| LD | 1,510 | 3.2% | |
| Ind | 1,042 | 2.2% | |
| Green | 807 | 1.7% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2015 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 19,880 | 39.5% |
| Lab | 19,535 | 38.8% | |
| Ind | 10,112 | 20.1% | |
| LD | 798 | 1.6% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2017 GEWon 2010 GE | Con | 16,692 | 33.7% |
Won 2024 GE | Lab | 16,156 | 32.6% |
| Ind | 15,718 | 31.7% | |
| LD | 644 | 1.3% | |
| Ind | 244 | 0.5% | |
| Ind | 79 | 0.2% | |
| Ind | 31 | 0.1% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2017 GEWon 2015 GE | Con | 16,869 | 36.8% |
| Lab | 16,777 | 36.6% | |
| LD | 4,901 | 10.7% | |
| Ind | 3,618 | 7.9% | |
| Ind | 3,390 | 7.4% | |
| Ind | 266 | 0.6% |
Jen Craft has not appeared in national political news coverage tracked by our system. This is common for backbench MPs who focus on constituency-level work rather than national policy debates.
13 articles hidden as not sufficiently relevant to this constituency
Essex Fire and Rescue launched an appeal after firefighters responded to a suspected arson incident involving burning tyres in a field near Fort Road, Tilbury, this morning. The fire service is urging the public to report information about the deliberately started fire to FireStoppers, emphasizing how such incidents waste emergency resources.
Grays Football Club in Thurrock has received community grants to expand fitness and football sessions aimed at improving physical and mental health, particularly addressing the area's obesity crisis. The club, which is fan-owned and currently groundsharing due to financial constraints, is using the funding to strengthen community engagement and branding while working toward returning to their Ship Lane stadium.
Thurrock Council has proposed downgrading around 50 caretaker roles and cutting salaries by approximately £2,000, prompting protests from workers represented by the GMB Union. The proposal comes as the council faces severe financial pressure from failed solar farm investments and an estimated £1.4 billion debt.
A government planning inspector has upheld Thurrock Council's refusal of a 30-home development on green belt land at Kipling Farm in Tilbury, ruling the scheme would unacceptably harm the countryside and fail national policy tests. Despite Thurrock's acknowledged severe housing shortage, the inspector determined green belt protections took precedence.
Thurrock Council's planning committee will decide on a controversial application for 116 homes on green belt land at Chadwell St Mary, with officers recommending approval under new national planning rules allowing development on 'grey belt'. The scheme includes 58 affordable homes and environmental groups have objected on biodiversity grounds, though the council argues it addresses significant housing need.
South Essex College, which operates a campus in Thurrock on Grays High Street, has secured £2.5 million in government funding to improve facilities and learning environments across its three campuses. The investment, backed by local Southend MPs, is part of a nationwide programme supporting further education infrastructure and student opportunities.
An east London man has been jailed for 26 months for sexually abusing a schoolboy in Grays, Thurrock during the 1990s. The conviction and sentencing at Basildon Crown Court represents justice for a historic crime committed within the constituency.
Thurrock Council has launched a dedicated 24-hour helpline for residents in Tilbury to report dust pollution incidents, with the council and multiple agencies (Environment Agency, Port Authority, Port Health) coordinating efforts to identify sources and enforce regulations. The dust problem, long attributed to port operations, has prompted commitments including a permanent Environment Agency staff member at Tilbury Port.
GeoPura and Forth Ports are building a green hydrogen production facility at Port of Tilbury, supported by £2M from Thames Freeport, which will supply hydrogen for the Lower Thames Crossing construction project. The facility aims to reduce emissions from port operations and establish Tilbury as a hub for low-carbon hydrogen production in the Thames Estuary.
Natural England is trialling a new strategic licence for water voles in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Thurrock, and Southend-on-Sea until June 2026. The licence simplifies the regulatory process for development projects that may affect water voles, eliminating the need for applicants to conduct their own surveys.
A survivor of sexual assault at a Travelodge hotel in Berkshire has publicly criticized the hotel chain's CEO for slow progress on safety measures, three and a half years after the 2022 attack. The case has drawn intervention from the Prime Minister and multiple MPs, including Thurrock MP Jen Craft, who is campaigning for improved security standards and accountability across the hotel sector.
A victim of sexual assault at a Maidenhead Travelodge has rejected the hotel chain's apology, criticising their slow response and initial dismissive handling. Thurrock MP Jen Craft has engaged with Travelodge's CEO and highlighted concerns about hotel security, questioning whether the chain should continue to be used for vulnerable people placed in emergency accommodation by local authorities.
The Port of London Authority will conduct further review into relaunching the Tilbury-Gravesend ferry service, which was cancelled in March 2024. The service would need to operate without public subsidy, requiring passenger numbers to increase from 120,000 to 160,000 annually and fares to rise by 90% to be commercially viable.
A Colchester councillor argues for restructuring Essex's proposed local government reorganisation, specifically urging merger of South West and South East Essex councils into a single South Essex authority. The key concern is that Thurrock Council's substantial inherited debt would cripple a new South West Essex unitary authority, and the author proposes consolidating councils to spread financial risk across a larger economic base.
A new dessert eatery called Chocofay is set to open at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Thurrock in March 2026, as part of ongoing retail expansion at the shopping destination. The opening follows recent additions like The White Company and Hope Coffee.
Essex Police conducted Operation Scalis, a joint roads policing crackdown targeting uninsured vehicles at the Dartford Crossing and in Thurrock on March 20. The operation resulted in 16 vehicles seized, 2 arrests (including a driver going the wrong way on the A13), and 40 traffic offence reports issued.
A new dry-dock facility for Thames Clipper boats is under construction at the Port of Tilbury, Essex, set to open by end of 2026 with full operation from early 2027. The project will service the 24-vessel fleet and create apprenticeships through partnerships with local education providers including South Essex College.
A feature article celebrating Fobbing, a historic village in Thurrock, highlighting its medieval heritage (including its role in the 1381 Peasants' Revolt), natural landscape of marshes and estuary views, and modern community focal points like the Fobbing Farm Shop. The piece positions Fobbing as a destination blending history, nature, and local business vitality.
The Prime Minister has written to Travelodge's CEO urging her to engage more widely with MPs following a sexual assault at one of the chain's hotels in Maidenhead. Thurrock MP Jen Craft was among those who met with the CEO, but the PM expressed concern that other MPs were not given the opportunity to hear directly from the company about security improvements.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has demanded Travelodge's CEO engage directly with MPs over women's safety concerns following a 2022 sexual assault at their Maidenhead hotel. Thurrock MP Jen Craft is among two Labour MPs working on legislation to toughen hotel safety measures, as nearly 100 MPs seek accountability from the hotel chain.
The Labour Government has announced a record £200 million debt relief package for Thurrock Council following its 2022 financial collapse caused by Conservative-era risky investments. The move aims to stabilise the council's finances after debts exceeded £1.3 billion, with Labour leadership claiming recovery of £660 million so far and plans to reach £800 million by 2030.
The government is providing £200m in debt relief to Thurrock Council, which was declared effectively bankrupt in 2022 with a peak debt of £1.5bn following failed solar energy investments under the previous Conservative administration. The relief package is described as a turning point for the constituency, though the council will still carry significant remaining debt as it prepares for merger with neighbouring councils.
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