WITH a council £1.3 billion in debt and services cut to the bone, most people in hard-up Tilbury have given up on voting.
The port town in Essex, which has no pub or public toilets but plenty of boarded-up shops, has one of the lowest turnouts for elections in the country.
Even though it is home to London’s biggest dock, a terminal for cruise liners and a huge Amazon distribution centre, the town’s unemployment rate is close to twice the national average.
New research has revealed that the most deprived areas are less likely to put a cross on a ballot paper than those in the richest ones.
That has long been the case in Tilbury.
In the Riverside ward, which is where the Empire Windrush boat arrived with immigrants from the Caribbean in 1948, only 20 per cent of people voted in the previous local elections.
Last week, Tilbury St Chads in the centre, which is one of the poorest areas in the country, went to the polls, but the most impoverished locals felt abandoned by politicians.
The turnout was just 18.7 per cent, by far the lowest in Thurrock council's poll this month.
With hope in short supply, unemployed local Martin Howlett, 57, carrying a copy of The Sun, told how he’d sold his car, motorbike and caravan because he’d not received any universal credit payments since December.
Martin, who most recently worked as a technician for the London Ambulance service, said: “I didn’t vote. It doesn’t change anything. I have worked all my life and paid in, but now I am struggling to pay my mortgage.
“I’ve not had a universal credit payment since December, I’ve sold my car, caravan and motorbike.
“My dad is dying of cancer, but I have to walk to the hospital because I can’t afford the bus fare.”
We met Martin as he came out of the volunteer-run One Community Centre in Tilbury, which aims to help people find work and to deal with problems such as debt.
They used to have a much larger office, but it was torn down three years ago to build an up-to-date health care facility.
But now that site is a load of rubble in the centre of town and the funding has dried up.
Maria Cabral, 45, who volunteers in the community centre, also didn’t vote.
She says: “We are among the poorest areas, it is very sad to see. Even though we have the port and Amazon there is a lot of unemployment.
“People come in here to collect food stamps, to learn about training opportunities, apprenticeships, possible jobs, because there is no job centre here.”
One local who was born in Tilbury has given up hope.
Sally, 44, who did not wish to give her surname, says: “Tilbury is finished. I wouldn’t walk down the street at night.
“I won’t let my five-year-old son go out on his own here when he gets older.
“They’ve closed down the youth clubs and the only pub is in West Tilbury. There was too much trouble in the pubs in the centre.”
The historic World’s End pub in West Tilbury, which has been there since the 17th century, is by the river and is over a mile-long drive through quiet country lanes from the main town.
Hollywood star Tom Hardy came into the boozer while filming the TV series Taboo and nearby buildings have been used for other movies such as Paddington and Batman Begins.
Tilbury ranks as the most dangerous small town in Essex, and in the top 10 most dangerous overall out of the 315 towns, villages, and cities in Essex.
In 2023, the overall crime rate was 166 crimes per 1,000 people, compared to the overall Essex rate of 84 per 1,000 daytime population.
It ranks as the 33rd most dangerous small town in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and the 234th most dangerous location out of all towns, cities, and villages.
Last year, the most common crimes recorded were violence and sexual offences, with 818 offences.
The crime rate in Tilbury is 127 crimes per 1,000 people, which is far higher than Britain’s average of 75.8.
Locals told of teenagers doing as they pleased at night, with the police unwilling to tackle anti-social behaviour
Everything is really horrible in Tilbury. Nothing is open
Nijazi Trzijaj
One shop owner, Miah Abul, 60, who owns the All Seasons shop in the centre, reveals: “They steal stuff from the shop and the police do nothing.”
Tilbury’s police station was put up for sale three years ago and now the nearest one is in neighbouring Grays.
There was no sign of any officers on patrol when The Sun visited.
Ali Cicik, 32, who works in the popular Docks cafe in the centre, said in the four months he’d had the job “a homeless guy got beaten up just outside the train station and another guy had a fight”.
But he adds: “Mainly the people are very nice, the people who come in here are workers, mainly at the dock.”
Essex police said they have been taking action to counter issues such as anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime.
Chief Inspector Tony Atkin, Thurrock district commander, said: “Focusing on the last three months alone, overall crime in Tilbury is down by 8.6 per cent when compared with the same period last year.
“We’re seeing the figures head in the right direction, but that doesn’t mean we don’t recognise there is more we can do in Tilbury to build public confidence."
Michael McCombe, a 60-year-old plasterer, who was enjoying a fry up in the cafe, isn't worried about crime, saying: “It’s a good community, I think it’s quite safe.”
But Michael, who did vote, was scathing of Thurrock council, saying: “They spent it all on solar farms, now they don’t even cut the grass in the field where the children play.”
A lot of people complained that their council tax was going up, but they were getting less in return.
The council now charges residents to take away their garden waste and the main road was severely potholed.
I didn’t vote. There were no leaflets, no canvassing, the politicians seem to have forgotten about us
Raymond Duck
The main problem seems to be that apart from the community run leisure centre, which has squash, snooker, bingo and bowls, and the non-league football team there are few facilities.
There is no cinema or swimming pool and only a couple of eating places where you can dine inside.
Nijazi Trzijaj, 45, says: “Everything is really horrible in Tilbury. Nothing is open.”
By Yewande Kannike, CEO of One Community Development Trust in Tilbury
It's no secret that voter turnout in Tilbury is low, and a lot of people here feel disillusioned by mainstream politics.
But that doesn't mean they don't care about our area or our community. Trust me, they care.
At One Community, we believe in raising people’s expectations and aspirations. When I arrived in Tilbury, I felt like everything was shutting down —the leisure centre, the job centre – even the local pub.
People were up in arms, and I was right there with them. That's how One Community came about – to ensure there was an organisation here for local people regardless of cuts of political changes.
One of the key things we do is run a volunteer and employability program. Through this project we aim to give those people who are furthest from employment – or the voting booth — the skills and self-belief to see a future and start working toward it.
We support hundreds of people every year to become active citizens, encouraging them to join community forums, raise their voices about issues that matter to them, and to volunteer for causes they care about. Many of these people have to overcome huge barriers – from language or educational barriers to criminal pasts.
Tilbury is a town of huge historical significance – it was the place Queen Elizabeth I rallied the troops before the Armada and the place where the HMT Windrush Docked in 1948.
We’re proud of our history and together we will build a future to be proud of too.
A third of wards in Thurrock went to the polls last Thursday and everyone got the chance to vote for the Police and Crime Commissioner.
All the people we spoke to said they hadn’t received any leaflets and hadn’t had a knock on the door from anyone canvassing for their vote.
Raymond Duck, 89, who has lived in Tilbury all his life and used to work on the docks, says: “I didn’t vote. There were no leaflets, no canvassing, the politicians seem to have forgotten about us.”
Hari Dodhia, 69, a shop worker who has lived in Tilbury for 20 years, agrees: “I didn’t vote. I normally only vote in the general election. For me nothing is going to change.”
Locality, which supports community organisations, found that the areas with the lowest voter engagement in the 2023 local elections were among the poorest.
Their Chief Executive, Tony Armstrong, says: "Right now some people don’t see any value in voting. These people have lots going on in their lives and many simply don’t think voting will make a difference.
Yewande Kannike who is the CEO of One Community Development Trust, hopes that more people will vote when the general election comes round.
She concludes: "With groups and events, and through community forums, we encourage local people to become active citizens so they can have their say.
“We try to improve people's confidence so they take part, and we encourage them to vote."
A spokesperson for Thurrock Council said: “We know Tilbury is in need of investment, and residents will start to see improvements as we work with the community to help improve the town and provide new community facilities, using the £22.8 million awarded to the town through the Towns Fund.
“The Tilbury Towns Fund Board, which is made up of local business and community leaders, has decided that funding will be used to boost learning and employment opportunities and improve Tilbury’s transport links. Their plans include creating a new Youth Facility in Tilbury.
“Thurrock Council works closely with a great many community groups in Tilbury, including Tilbury Community Forum, Tilbury Riverside Project, local faith groups and One Community, which has received council funding.
“We will continue to work with the local community, the Towns Fund Board and community groups to help bring much needed improvements to Tilbury.”
