2023 Maidstone Borough Council election

2023 Maidstone Borough Council election
← 2022 4 May 2023 (2023-05-04) 2024 →
18 out of 55 seats to Maidstone Borough Council
28 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader David Burton Clive English Steve Munford
Party Conservative Liberal Democrats Independent
Last election 27 seats, 38.6% 12 seats, 25.3% 10 seats, 6.0%
Seats before 28 12 9
Seats after 24 12 10
  Fourth party Fifth party
  Blank Blank
Leader Maureen Cleator
Party Labour Green
Last election 5 seats, 15.4% 1 seat, 14.3%
Seats before 5 1
Seats after 6 3
Winner of each seat at the 2023 Maidstone Borough Council election
Leader before election

David Burton
Conservative
No overall control

Leader after election

David Burton
Conservative
No overall control

The 2023 Maidstone Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Maidstone Borough Council in Kent, England.[1] This was on the same day as other local elections in England.

Two weeks before the election, the council went into no overall control when the Conservatives lost their majority due to the resignation of Robert Eves, leaving them with 27 out of the 54 occupied seats.[2]

The council stayed under no overall control following the election, with the Conservatives forming the largest group.[3] They continued to hold the council's leadership positions as a minority administration.[4]

Summary

Election result

2023 Maidstone Borough Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Conservative 5 Decrease 4 83.3 19 24 43.6 9,708 32.7 –5.9
  Liberal Democrats 5 Decrease 1 27.8 7 12 21.8 6,786 22.9 –2.4
  Independent 4 Increase 2 22.2 6 10 18.2 3,350 11.3 +5.3
  Labour 2 Increase 1 11.1 4 6 10.9 4,631 15.6 +0.2
  Green 2 Increase 2 11.1 1 3 5.5 4,995 16.8 +2.5
  Reform UK 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 129 0.4 N/A
  Heritage 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 77 0.3 N/A

Ward results

The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Maidstone Borough Council following the close of nominations on 4 April 2023.[5] The results for each ward were as follows:[6]

Allington

Allington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Cynthia Robertson* 923 39.4 −18.6
Conservative Laura Kennedy 639 27.3 +2.5
Green Rachel Rodwell 569 24.3 +15.0
Labour Marianna Poliszczuk 213 9.1 +1.3
Majority
Turnout 2,344
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Bearsted

Bearsted
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Val Springett* 1,204 58.0 −8.7
Green Ciaran Oliver 294 14.2 −1.9
Liberal Democrats Ian Chittenden 283 13.6 −3.5
Labour Mark Tickner 219 10.5 N/A
Heritage Sean Turner 77 3.7 N/A
Majority
Turnout 2,077
Conservative hold Swing

Boxley

Boxley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Vanessa Jones 1,012 44.1 N/A
Conservative Anne Brindle* 784 34.2 −24.8
Labour Stella Randall 263 11.5 N/A
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Samme 236 10.3 −13.9
Majority
Turnout 2,295
Independent gain from Conservative Swing

Coxheath & Hunton

Coxheath & Hunton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Reid 788 39.7 +4.2
Green Claire Kehily 697 35.1 N/A
Liberal Democrats Bryan Vizzard 275 13.8 −44.4
Labour John Randall 226 11.4 +5.1
Majority
Turnout 1,986
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

Detling & Thurnham

Detling & Thurnham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Stephen Thompson 485 49.7 +24.3
Conservative Christopher Waters 411 42.1 −15.9
Liberal Democrats Zeina Toric-Azad 80 8.2 −8.4
Majority
Turnout 976
Green gain from Conservative Swing

Downswood & Otham

Downswood & Otham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Gordon Newman* 510 62.8 +4.2
Labour Theresa Lyons 118 14.5 N/A
Conservative Scott Walker 115 14.2 −10.4
Green David Murray 69 8.5 +0.4
Majority
Turnout 812
Independent hold Swing

East

East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats David Naghi* 1,051 52.9 +5.5
Conservative Ronald Burke 497 25.0 −3.6
Labour Derek Swan 273 13.8 +0.9
Green Matthew White 164 8.3 −2.9
Majority
Turnout 1,985
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Fant

Fant
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Margaret Rose* 760 43.5 +8.4
Green Ian McDonald 383 21.9 +7.6
Conservative Jaison Musindo 354 20.2 −8.3
Liberal Democrats Rojo Kurien 252 14.4 −1.1
Majority
Turnout 1,749
Labour hold Swing

Harrietsham & Lenham

Harrietsham & Lenham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Tom Sams* 1,296 72.6 +15.1
Conservative Andrew Bye 325 18.2 −14.9
Labour Ryan Slaughter 164 9.2 +5.3
Majority
Turnout 1,785
Independent hold Swing

High Street

High Street
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Dinesh Khadka* 641 37.2 −10.7
Labour David Collier 401 23.2 +3.7
Conservative Reiss Cordrey 352 20.4 +0.1
Green Steven Cheeseman 331 19.2 +6.9
Majority
Turnout 1,725
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Leeds

Leeds
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gill Fort* 389 61.2 −7.7
Liberal Democrats Robert Field 138 21.7 N/A
Green Caroline Jessel 109 17.1 N/A
Majority
Turnout 636
Conservative hold Swing

Loose

Loose
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Susan Grigg* 236 34.9 −19.8
Liberal Democrats Simon Wales 179 26.5 −28.2
Conservative Kenneth Amakye 165 24.4 −6.2
Labour Alan Le Grys 60 8.9 +5.4
Green Donna Greenan 36 5.3 −5.9
Majority
Turnout 676
Independent gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

Marden & Yalding

Marden & Yalding
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Annabelle Blackmore* 1,005 43.4 −3.5
Green Mick Summersgill 891 38.5 +16.3
Labour Sarah Barwick 265 11.4 +0.4
Liberal Democrats Chris Passmore 154 6.7 N/A
Majority
Turnout 2,315
Conservative hold Swing

North

North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Michael Thompson 930 51.2 N/A
Conservative Scott Hahnefeld 397 21.8 −10.7
Labour Rachel Slaughter 292 16.1 −11.3
Green Kimberley Milham 199 10.9 −13.9
Majority
Turnout 1,818
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

Shepway North

Shepway North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joanna Wilkinson 602 37.1 +20.4
Conservative Alison Colyer 577 35.6 −3.3
Liberal Democrats Joe Higson 184 11.3 −4.0
Green Stephen Muggeridge 146 9.0 +2.1
Independent Gary Butler 114 7.0 +4.4
Majority
Turnout 1,623
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

South

South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Brian Clark* 1,153 53.4 −5.3
Conservative Emily Hudson 408 18.9 −5.8
Labour Dennis Luchmun 197 9.1 +2.3
Independent Paul Thomas 182 8.4 N/A
Reform UK Graham Jarvis 129 6.0 N/A
Green Simon Milham 92 4.3 −1.3
Majority
Turnout 2,161
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Staplehurst

Staplehurst
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Paddy Riordan 942 50.3 −4.8
Labour Rory Silkin 578 30.9 +20.0
Liberal Democrats Thomas Burnham 219 11.7 −0.5
Green Kelly Rigden 132 7.1 −4.3
Majority
Turnout 1,871
Conservative hold Swing

Sutton Valence & Langley

Sutton Valence & Langley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Derek Eagle 398 47.3 +31.3
Conservative Wendy Young* 356 42.3 −26.3
Liberal Democrats Martin Richards 88 10.5 −4.9
Majority
Turnout 842
Green gain from Conservative Swing

References

  1. ^ "Notice of Election". Maidstone Borough Council. 20 March 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  2. ^ Smith, Alan (5 May 2023). "Kent local elections 2023: Maidstone council left with no overall control". Kent Online. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Local Elections 2023: Results in Sussex, Kent and Essex". ITV News. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  4. ^ Smith, Alan (20 May 2023). "No challenge as Conservatives continue to run Maidstone council". Kent Online. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Borough Elections Statements of Persons Nominated". Maidstone Borough Council. 4 April 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Borough - Borough and Parish - Thursday 4th May, 2023". Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 27 September 2023.