JUST when you think Thurrock has delivered every crazy political twist and turn you can imagine…another one comes along.

Cue last week’s Ockendon by-election.

On the night, just a single vote separated Conservative candidate Andrew Jefferies and Labour candidate Les Strange…with Mr Jefferies a vote up.

The closeness of the vote meant there was no option and a recount was needed.

Well, when that came back things got even tighter…696 votes Conservative, 696 votes Labour!

This announcement was met with a gasps and plenty of hushed conversations.

Council Chief Executive, Lyn Carpenter, then revealed the winner would be draw from the box and Lyn was left with the task of reaching up into it and drawing the winner in a bizarre finale to the evening.

She soon announced that Andrew Jefferies was the name in her hand and this was met with whoops of joy from the Conservative faithful watching on. And acceptance from the Labour camp.

There’s clearly something in the water in Thurrock.

As this sort of occurrence is not confined to local election either, residents will know all too well the nights of high General Election drama where there’s recounts and main candidates separated by y just a few votes.

So, the next time someone says to you ‘I don’t bother to vote, what’s the point? It doesn’t make any difference does it?’…well, actually, it seems it does.