Labour's Adam Fox shares his vision for Colchester

But a journey which began on a politics course at the University of Essex has now placed him among the mix of candidates to take over as leader of Colchester Council in May’s local elections.

Now boss of Colchester Labour group, Mr Fox has swapped the lecture hall for the town hall as he eyes up the borough’s top seat.

“I came here to study at the University of Essex and, once I had moved here, I really wanted to stay,” he said.

“I think it’s a really great place, one which has its own sense of identity with all the history and great places to visit.

Candidate - Labour’s Adam Fox has ambitions for Colchester after falling in love with the town

“You have access to the coast, to amazing things like the Colchester oysters and you can get to London really easily.”

Having moved from near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, to Colchester, the party leader quickly became involved with Labour and the community.

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He brought fellow Labour students together and began to meet with councillors to immerse himself in the world of local politics.

His world has always circled around helping others, working in the charity sector and helping with charities, such as Open Road’s SOS bus, and assisting with drug and alcohol addictions.

“That sort of work is really rewarding,” explained Mr Fox. “Getting involved with the council has helped me continue that work on a bigger scale.”

And now he will get the chance to compete to put his vision for helping others into action if Labour takes control of Colchester Council.

It shared power in the council’s so-called rainbow coalition in the 2010s thanks to a pact with the Liberal Democrats, supported by the Highwoods independents.

Candidate - Labour’s Adam Fox has ambitions for Colchester after falling in love with the town

But last year, when the independents changed their allegiance to the Conservatives, as the party with the most seats, the balance of power shifted and the council became Tory controlled.

However, the timing could not be better for Mr Fox.

The Partygate scandals and cost of living rises have seen Labour in the lead in the opinion polls nationally, so will that translate to more Labour seats in Colchester?

Mr Fox said: “I think what voters will get if they vote for Labour candidates in May will be real community champions.

“They will get someone who really looks out for their community and are active in their wards. The current 11 councillors we have are very visible and always available to talk to.

“We are really trying to listen to residents who are particularly concerned about the cost of living crisis - this is something we know is a real issue for everyone.

“Tackling the environment emergency and ensuring communities are safe so when residents leave their front door they can do so with confidence is another focus.”

Mr Fox explained how environmental issues and pride in keeping the community clean is a hot topic among the town, and it’s something Labour is keen to ensure continues.

He added: “What people want to see from their council is results and when there is a problem, they want action to be taken.

“Littering and fly-tipping are issues they don’t want to see loitering, they want them resolved straight away and we would focus on this street-by-street issue.

“We will make sure people’s streets are clean and rubbish is picked up and make sure the parks and green spaces are protected.

“We also really welcome funding going into Greenstead and are keen to ensure the community is on side with projects and we can work to ensure all areas of Colchester get access to equal opportunities.”

And why does the man who hails from Buckinghamshire want to see Colchester succeed so bad?

“I think Colchester is a really fantastic place,” he said.

“We want to ensure people bringing their families up in Colchester have the best possible opportunities on their doorstep.”