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2024 Maidstone Borough Council election
← 2023 2 May 2024 (2024-05-02) 2028 →
All 49 seats to Maidstone Borough Council
25 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader David Burton Clive English
Party Conservative Liberal Democrats Independent
Last election 24 seats, 32.7% 12 seats, 22.9% 10 seats, 11.3%
Seats before 25 12 11
  Fourth party Fifth party
  Blank Blank
Leader Maureen Cleator Stuart Jeffery
Party Labour Green
Last election 6 seats, 15.6% 3 seats, 16.8%
Seats before 4 3
Council control before election

David Burton
Conservative
No overall control

Council control after election

TBD

The 2024 Maidstone Borough Council election is scheduled to be held on Thursday 2 May 2024, alongside the other local elections in the United Kingdom being held on the same day. All 49 members of Maidstone Borough Council in Kent will be elected following boundary changes.[1]

Background

Maidstone has spent most of its existence under no overall control. The Conservatives controlled the council until 1983, but remained the largest party until 1985 when they were overtaken by the Liberal Democrats.[2] Following the 1996 election, both Labour and the Liberal Democrats overtook the Conservatives on seats; the Conservatives regained control of the council in 2008.

The council fell into no overall control again in 2022.[3] In the most recent election, the Conservatives lost 4 seats with 32.7% of the vote, the Liberal Democrats lost 1 with 22.9%, Labour gained 1 seat with 15.6%, the Green Party gained 2 with 16.8%, and independents gained 2 with 11.3%. Following this election, the Conservatives governed as a minority with independent support.[4]

Boundary changes

Maidstone usually elects its councillors in thirds, on a 4-year cycle. However, following boundary changes, all councillors will be elected to the new wards.[5] The change reduces the number of councillors by 6.

Old wards[6] No. of seats New wards No. of seats
Allington 3 Allington and Bridge 2
Barming 1 Barming Heath and Teston 2
Bearsted 3 Bearsted and Downswood 3
Boughton Monchelsea and Chart Sutton 1 Boughton Monchelsea and Chart Sutton 1
Boxley 3 Boxley Downs 2
Bridge 2 Coxheath and Farleigh 2
Coxheath and Hunton 3 Fant and Oakwood 3
Detling and Thurnham 1 Grove Green and Vinters Park 3
Downswood and Otham 1 Harrietsham, Lenham and North Downs 3
East 3 Headcorn and Sutton Valence 2
Fant 3 High Street 3
Harrietsham and Lenham 2 Leeds and Langley 2
Headcorn 2 Loose and Linton 2
Heath 2 Marden and Yalding 3
High Street 3 Palace Wood 2
Leeds 1 Park Wood and Mangravet 2
Loose 1 Penenden Heath 3
Marden and Yalding 3 Ringlestone 1
North 3 Senacre 1
North Downs 1 Shepway 3
Park Wood 2 Staplehurst 2
Shepway North 3 Tovil 2
Shepway North 3
Shepway South 2
South 3
Staplehurst 2
Sutton Valence and Langley 1

Previous council composition

After 2023 election Before 2024 election[7] After 2024 election
Party Seats Party Seats Party Seats
Conservative 24 Conservative 25 Conservative
Liberal Democrats 12 Liberal Democrats 12 Liberal Democrats
Labour 6 Labour 4 Labour
Green 3 Green 3 Green
Fant & Oakwood Independents Didn't exist Fant & Oakwood Independents 2 Fant & Oakwood Independents
Independent 10 Independent 9 Independent

Changes:

  • May 2023: Michelle Hastie (independent) joins Conservatives[8]
  • July 2023: Patrick Coates and Paul Harper leave Labour to sit as independents[9]
  • November 2023: Fant & Oakwood Independents formed - Patrick Coates and Paul Harper (both independents) join party[10]

Results

2024 Maidstone Borough Council election
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  British Democratic N/A N/A
  Conservative N/A N/A
  Fant & Oakham Independents N/A N/A
  Green N/A N/A
  Heritage N/A N/A
  Labour N/A N/A
  Liberal Democrats N/A N/A
  Reform UK N/A N/A
  Independent N/A N/A

Ward results

An asterisk denotes an incumbent councillor seeking re-election.

Allington and Bridge

Allington and Bridge (2)[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mitu Chowdhury
Liberal Democrats Michelle Englar
Conservative Rita Gintautaite
Green Stuart Jeffery*
Labour Marianna Poliszczuk
Green Rachel Rodwell
Liberal Democrats Benjamin Webster-Whiting
Turnout
win (new seat)
win (new seat)

Barming Heath and Teston

Barming Heath and Teston (2)[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Reiss Cordrey
Independent Fay Gooch*
Liberal Democrats Chris Passmore
Labour Mary Shaw
Green Keira Stuart Smith
Green Allison Sweetman
Liberal Democrats Bryan Vizzard
Conservative Arek Zurawinski
Turnout
win (new seat)
win (new seat)

Bearsted and Downswood

Bearsted and Downswood (3)[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ian Chittenden
Reform UK David Cockerham
Conservative Paul Cooper*
Green Lee Garrett
Labour Theresa Lyons
Independent Gordon Newton*
Green Ciaran Oliver
Conservative Denis Spooner*
Conservative Val Springett*
Heritage Sean Turner
Green Edward Wallace
Turnout
win (new seat)
win (new seat)
win (new seat)

Boughton Monchelsea and Chart Sutton

Boughton Monchelsea and Chart Sutton (1)[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Burr
Independent Anne Dawes
Labour Peter Oliver
Turnout
win (new seat)

Boxley Downs

Boxley Downs (2)[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Banks
Labour Michael Beckwith
Conservative Heidi Bryant*
Independent Vanessa Jones*
Green Stephen Thompson*
Reform UK Mike Wardle
Turnout
win (new seat)
win (new seat)

Coxheath and Farleigh

Coxheath and Farleigh (2)[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Alan Cocks
Green Claire Kehily
Conservative Lottie Parfitt-Reid*
Labour John Randall
Green Caroline Richer
Conservative John Wilson
Turnout
win (new seat)
win (new seat)

Fant and Oakwood

Fant and Oakwood (3)[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Lee Blake
Fant and Oakwood Independents Patrick Coates*
Reform UK Susan Delamere
Conservative Will Dinley
Fant and Oakwood Independents Paul Harper*
Liberal Democrats Lorraine Humm
Labour Valerie Jacobs
Liberal Democrats Rojo Kurien
Labour Dennis Luchmun
Green Kimberley Milham
Conservative Mudiwa Musindo
Conservative Ramakrishna Peeta
Labour Margaret Rose*
Turnout
win (new seat)
win (new seat)
win (new seat)

Patrick Coates and Paul Harper were originally elected as Labour.

Grove Green and Vinters Park

Grove Green and Vinters Park (3)[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ronald Burke
Green Steven Cheeseman
Independent Martin Cox*
Liberal Democrats Rob Field
Conservative Michelle Hastie*
Conservative Jaison Musindo
Liberal Democrats Mark Naghi
Green Susan Parr
Liberal Democrats Jeeva Sampangi
Labour Mark Tickner
Green Anna Winterbottom
Turnout
win (new seat)
win (new seat)
win (new seat)

Michelle Hastie was originally elected as an Liberal Democrat.

Harrietsham, Lenham and North Downs

Harrietsham, Lenham and North Downs (3)[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Onyekachukwu Chukwuma
Conservative Julie-Anne Clancy
Independent Kathy Cox
Conservative Emily Hudson
Independent Janetta Sams*
Independent Tom Sams*
Labour Ryan Slaughter
Reform UK Ian Stevens
Turnout
win (new seat)
win (new seat)
win (new seat)

Headcorn and Sutton Valence

Headcorn and Sutton Valence (2)[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Thomas Dawber
Green Derek Eagle*
Labour Henry Morgan
Liberal Democrats Martin Richards
Conservative Martin Round*
Conservative Ziggy Trzebinski*
Turnout
win (new seat)
win (new seat)

High Street

High Street (3)[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Oliver Bradshaw
Green Saf Buxy
Conservative Alan Chell
Labour David Collier
Liberal Democrats Clive English*
Green Donna Greenan
Conservative Dylan Jeffrey
Independent Denise Joy*
Liberal Democrats Dinesh Khadka*
Liberal Democrats Ashleigh Kimmance*
Green Farris Willson
Turnout
win (new seat)
win (new seat)
win (new seat)

Leeds and Langley

Leeds and Langley (2)[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gary Cooke*
Green Simon Easton
Conservative Gill Fort*
Reform UK Maxwell Harrison
Labour Joan Langrick
Green Matthew White
Turnout
win (new seat)
win (new seat)

Loose and Linton

Loose and Linton (2)[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kenneth Amakye
Liberal Democrats Brian Clark*
Green Nicola Dawber
Green Matthew Fraser
Reform UK Bryan Hillman
Labour Alan le Grys
Conservative James Reid*
Liberal Democrats Simon Wales
Turnout
win (new seat)
win (new seat)

Marden and Yalding

Marden and Yalding (3)[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Annabelle Blackmore*
Green Grace Couch
Labour Maria Kelly
Green Kelly Rigden
Conservative Claudine Russell*
Conservative Tristan Russell
Reform UK Teresa Seamer
Green Michael Summersgill
Liberal Democrats William Wilby
Turnout
win (new seat)
win (new seat)
win (new seat)

Palace Wood

Palace Wood (2)[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tom Cannon*
Conservative Stan Forecast*
Labour Wendy Hollands
Liberal Democrats Diana Lewins
Green Ian McDonald
Green Stephen Muggeridge
Liberal Democrats Cynthia Robertson*
Turnout
win (new seat)
win (new seat)
win (new seat)

Park Wood and Mangravet

Park Wood and Mangravet (2)[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joyce Gadd
Labour Hilary Jenkins-Baldock
Conservative Lewis McKenna*
Labour Daniel Wilkinson
Turnout
win (new seat)
win (new seat)

Penenden Heath

Penenden Heath (3)[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Bradford
Liberal Democrats Richard Conyard*
Green Phoebe Frewer
Liberal Democrats Tony Harwood*
Liberal Democrats David Naghi*
Conservative Derek Nicholas
Green Andrew Reilly
Labour Rachel Slaughter
Green Daniel Thompson
Conservative Jeff Tree
Turnout
win (new seat)
win (new seat)
win (new seat)

Ringlestone

Ringlestone (1)[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Scott Hahnefeld
Green Gareth Henry
Labour Stella Randall
Liberal Democrats Mike Thompson*
Turnout
win (new seat)

Senacre

Senacre (1)[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Patrik Garten*
Labour Malcolm McKay
Turnout
win (new seat)

Shepway

Shepway (3)[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Bartlett*
Conservative Louise Bartlett
Labour Sarah Barwick
Independent Gary Butler
Labour Maureen Cleator*
Conservative Christopher Garland
British Democratic Lawrence Rustem
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Samme
Labour Joanna Wilkinson*
Turnout
win (new seat)
win (new seat)
win (new seat)

Staplehurst

Staplehurst (2)[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Thomas Burnham
Green Stewart Lane
Conservative John Perry*
Conservative Paddy Riordan*
Labour Rory Silkin
Labour Julie Skinner
Turnout
win (new seat)
win (new seat)

Tovil

Tovil (2)[32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rebecca Bruneau
Labour Ian Cleator
Liberal Democrats Joe Higson
Green Simon Milham
Conservative Benjamin Reid
Green Rosemary Riepma
Reform UK Paul Thomas
Liberal Democrats Paul Wilby*
Turnout
win (new seat)
win (new seat)

References

  1. ^ "Elections". maidstone.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  2. ^ "Maidstone Borough Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  3. ^ Smith, Alan (5 May 2023). "Voters leave no party in overall control". Kent Online. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  4. ^ Smith, Alan (31 May 2023). "'It's a stitch-up': Tories and Independents accused of 'freezing' out opposition". Kent Online. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  5. ^ "The Maidstone (Electoral Changes) Order 2023", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2023/652, retrieved 20 March 2024
  6. ^ "The Borough of Maidstone (Electoral Changes) Order 2001", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2001/3586, retrieved 20 March 2024
  7. ^ "Your Councillors". Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  8. ^ Smith, Alan (18 May 2023). "Former Independent defects to Conservatives". Kent Online. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  9. ^ Smith, Alan (5 July 2023). "Labour councillors quit party after mystery suspension". Kent Online. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Fant & Oakwood Independents". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  11. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Allington & Bridge" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  12. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Barming Heath & Teston" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  13. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Bearsted & Downswood" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  14. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Boughton Monchelsea & Chart Sutton" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  15. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Boxley Downs" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  16. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Coxheath & Farleigh" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  17. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Fant & Oakwood" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  18. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Grove Green & Vinters Park" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  19. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Harrietsham, Lenham & North Downs" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  20. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Headcorn & Sutton Valence" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  21. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - High Street" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  22. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Leeds & Langley" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  23. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Loose & Linton" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  24. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Marden & Yalding" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  25. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Palace Wood" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  26. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Park Wood & Mangravet" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  27. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Penenden Heath" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  28. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Ringlestone" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  29. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Senacre" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  30. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Shepway" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  31. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Staplehurst" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  32. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED - Tovil" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Maidstone_Borough_Council_election

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