1998 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election

The 1998 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in Kent, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was

Campaign

Before the election the council was run by the Liberal Democrats after depriving the Conservatives of a majority in 1995 and winning majority control in 1996.[2] However the Conservatives were optimistic of making gains as they were no longer in government nationally and after some Liberal Democrat councillors had defected.[2] The Liberal Democrats however were confident of continuing to run the council, with the national party leader Paddy Ashdown visiting the area to campaign for the party.[2] Meanwhile, Labour were not seen as being important in the election, with the party not contesting all of the wards.[2]

Issues in the election included plans for traffic calming and to widen the A21.[2] The Liberal Democrat council's plans to create cycle and bus lanes by using part of the common were attacked by the Conservatives.[3]

Results

The results saw the Conservative win control of the council after winning all 12 seats that the Liberal Democrats had been defending.[3] The victory was seen as being symbolic for the Conservatives in the 1998 local elections as an area which they had lost at the height of unpopularity in the mid 1990s.[4]

Tunbridge Wells local election result 1998[5]
	Seats	Net gain/loss	Seats %
Conservative	15	+12	83.3
Labour	2	0	11.1
Independent	1	0	5.6
Liberal Democrats	0	-12	0

References

"Policy and politics: Local Elections: Analysis: Council poll results". The Guardian. 9 May 1998. p. 16.
Miller, Stuart (24 April 1998). "'Disgusted' fights a losing battle in old stronghold Tunbridge Wells embodied Tory values until 1995. But the party's popularity is so low it is unlikely to recapture its old bastion". The Guardian. p. 12.
Carter, Helen (9 May 1998). "Policy and politics: Local Elections: Tonic for the Tories as heartland spa town returns to the fold Tunbridge Wells". The Guardian. p. 15.
Millar, Frank (9 May 1998). "Hague hails Tory comeback in polls". The Irish Times. p. 14.
"Local Elections results". The Times. 9 May 1998. p. 46.

Council elections in Kent
Kent County Council	1889 1892 1895 1898 1901 1904 1907 1910 1913 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1937 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 1961 1964 1967 1970 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021
Ashford Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019
Canterbury City Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019
Dartford Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019
Dover District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019
Folkestone & Hythe District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019
Gravesham Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019
Maidstone Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019
Medway Council	1997 2000 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019
Sevenoaks District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019
Swale Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2015 2019
Thanet District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019
Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019
Rochester-upon-Medway City Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 Abolished
Gillingham Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 Abolished
See also: Wards Boundary changes

(1997 ←) 1998 United Kingdom local elections (→ 1999)
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