2017 Kent County Council election

The 2017 Kent County Council election was held on 4 May 2017 as part of the 2017 local elections in the United Kingdom.[1] All 81 councillors were elected, from 72 electoral divisions, each of which returned either one or two county councillors by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office.

2017 Kent County Council election
4 May 2017
All 81 seats to Kent County Council
41 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Conservative Liberal Democrats Labour
Seats before 44 7 13
Seats won 67 7 5
Seat change 23 8
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Party Green Swanscombe and Greenhithe Residents Association UKIP
Seats before 1 1 17
Seats won 1 1 0
Seat change 17
Map showing the results of the 2017 Kent County Council elections.
Council control before election

Conservative

 Council control after election

Conservative

Ward boundary changes took effect at this election, after a review of the county by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.[2][3]

Kent saw a large turnover of councillors. Of the 81 councillors elected in 2017, 39 had not served in the previous council.

The Conservative Party retained control.

UKIP, previously the second largest party on the council lost all of their seats.

Liberal Democrats regained status as the second largest party, which they had been 2009-2013. A notable triumph for Liberal Democrats was Antony Hook winning the Faversham division, which had been considered a "safe" Conservative seat. Antony Hook's campaign increased the Liberal Democrat vote share from 4% in 2013 to a winning 43%. Faversham also saw the largest turnout of any seat.

Labour lost seats, including those of their Leader Roger Truelove and previous leaders Gordon Cowan and Dr. Mike Eddy. Labour vote share also fell but they retained status as 3rd party.

Results
Kent County Council election, 2017
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 67 24 1 +23 82.71 50 16%
  Liberal Democrats 7 1 1 0 8.64 14 5%
  Labour 5 0 8 -8 6.17 19 4%
  Green 1 0 0 0 1.23 5 1%
  Swanscombe and Greenhithe Residents Association 1 0 0 0 1.23 <1 -
  UKIP 0 0 17 -17 0 10 16%

Results by district

Swale

There are five single-member constituencies and one multi-member constituency within the District of Swale, which elect a total of seven councillors to Kent County Council. The electoral map of Swale was redrawn as a result of boundary changes which saw the old Swale Central multi-member ward split to create Sittingbourne North and Sittingbourne South, both single member divisions. Sheerness and Sheppey Divisions were merged to create the new Multi-member Sheppey Division. Swale District includes the Division of Faversham which saw Liberal Democrat Antony Hook winning the Faversham division, which had been considered a "safe" Conservative seat. Antony Hook's campaign increased the Liberal Democrat vote share from 4% in 2013 to a winning 43%. Faversham also saw the largest turnout of any seat. Boundary changes meant that Below are the results:[4]

Faversham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Antony Hook 2,714 43% 39
Conservative David Henry Simmons 2218 35% 10
Labour Trevor Raymond Payne 863 14% 17
Green Peter Hutchinson 261 4% 4
UKIP Christine Margaret Palmer 243 4% 16
Majority 496 8% —
Turnout 6299 43% 13
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing 24.5%
Sheppey
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andy Booth 3,093 23%
Conservative Ken Pugh 3,009 22%
Labour Angela Harrison 1,774 13%
UKIP Richard William Darby 1,485 11%
Labour Gill Smith 1,291 10%
UKIP Mini Nissanga 998 7%
Independent Elliott Jayes 593 4%
Monster Raving Loony Mad Mike Young 339 3%
Green Richard John Bishop 337 3%
Green Dru Hopkins 201 1%
Liberal Democrats David John Spurling 175 1%
Independent Mike Walters 144 1%
Majority
Turnout 13,439 24%
Conservative gain from UKIP Swing %
Conservative gain from Labour Swing %
Sittingbourne North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sue Gent 1,526 41% -
Labour Ghlin Whelan 1,195 32% -
UKIP Jim Hall 639 17% -
Liberal Democrats Tony Clark 330 9% -
Green Huw Jones 72 2% -
Majority 331 9% —
Turnout 3762 24%
Conservative gain from Labour Swing 10%
Sittingbourne South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Wright 1,972 42%
Labour Roger Truelove 1,955 41% -
UKIP Lee Burgess 527 11% -
Liberal Democrats Gareth Dominic Edmund Arnold 188 4% -
Green Jonathan Grace 76 2% -
Majority 17 0.4% —
Turnout 4718 33% -
Conservative gain from UKIP Swing
Swale East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Bowles 2,597 54% 8%
UKIP Richard Frank Palmer 717 15% 12%
Labour Frances Rehal 624 13% 7%
Liberal Democrats Eddie Thomas 500 10% 3%
Green Alistair Gould 367 8% 8%
Majority 1,880 39% —
Turnout 4,805 37% 9%
Conservative hold Swing 10%
Swale West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mike Whiting 2,159 43% 9
UKIP Mike Baldock 2040 40% 11%
Labour Tony Winkless 495 10% 2%
Liberal Democrats Marc Wilson 228 5% 1%
Green Tim Valentine 120 2% 2%
Majority 119 3% —
Turnout 5042 32% 2%
Conservative gain from UKIP Swing 10%

Tonbridge and Malling

There are five single-member constituencies and one multi-member constituency within the District of Tonbridge and Malling, which elect a total of seven councillors to Kent County Council. Below are the results:[5]

Malling West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Harry Rayner 3,208 69% 15
Liberal Democrats Nicholas George Stapleton 460 10% 5
Labour Kathleen Maria Garlick 336 7% 4
Green Richard Paul Mountford 312 7% 2
UKIP Mike Jerrom 311 7% 17
Majority 2,748 59% —
Turnout 4,627 36% 6
Conservative hold Swing

References
  1. "Upcoming elections & referendums". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  2. "The Kent (Electoral Changes) Order 2016". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  3. "Kent County Council". Local Government Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  4. https://www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-council/how-the-council-works/kent-county-council-elections/find-election-information-for-your-area/elections-notices-for-swale-2017#tab-4
  5. https://shareweb.kent.gov.uk/Documents/council-and-democracy/elections/persons%20nominated/nominations-ton-mallling.pdf%5B%5D
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