2023 Dover District Council election
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All 32 seats to Dover District Council
17 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader Kevin Mills Trevor Bartlett
Party Labour Conservative Independent
Last election 12 seats, 29.0% 19 seats, 43.7% 1 seat, 5.6%
Seats won 17 14 1
Seat change Increase 5 Decrease 5 Steady
Popular vote 22,011 20,449 2,749
Percentage 40.7% 37.8% 5.1%
Swing Increase 11.7% Decrease 5.9% Decrease 0.5%
Winner of each seat at the 2023 Dover District Council election
Leader before election

Trevor Bartlett
Conservative

Leader after election

Kevin Mills
Labour

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

Summary

The council was under Conservative majority control prior to the election. Labour won a majority of the seats at the election, giving them control of the council for the first time in twenty years.[2][3] The Labour group leader, Kevin Mills, was appointed leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 17 May 2023.[4]

Election result

[5]
2023 Dover District Council election
Party Candidates Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 31 17 5 0 Increase 5 53.1 40.7 22,011 +11.7
  Conservative 32 14 1 6 Decrease 5 43.8 37.8 20,449 –5.9
  Independent 8 1 1 1 Steady 3.1 5.1 2,749 –0.5
  Liberal Democrats 12 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 6.4 3,474 –1.6
  Green 11 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 9.1 4,929 –2.4
  Heritage 1 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 0.4 230 N/A
  Reform UK 1 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 0.4 205 N/A

Ward results

The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Dover District Council following the close of nominations on 5 April 2023.[6] The results for each ward were as follows:[7]

Alkham and Capel-le-Ferne

Alkham and Capel-le-Ferne
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Martin Hibbert* 428 49.7 –2.4
Labour Bettine Walters 274 31.8 +20.2
Liberal Democrats Howard Evans 160 18.6 –17.7
Majority 154 17.9
Turnout 879 33.1 –0.6
Registered electors 2,659
Conservative hold Swing Decrease11.3

Buckland

Buckland (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kevin Mills* 692 61.7 +20.6
Labour Charlotte Zosseder* 615 54.8 +17.0
Conservative Jane Carrole 373 33.2 +1.6
Conservative Paul Reynolds 350 31.2 +3.9
Turnout 1,122 21.2 –2.1
Registered electors 5,288
Labour hold
Labour hold

Aylesham, Eyethorne and Shepherdswell

Aylesham, Eyethorne and Shepherdswell (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Charles Woodgate* 1,423 54.1 +17.5
Labour Jamie Pout 1,410 53.6 +13.7
Labour Maria Mamjan 1,260 47.9 +13.0
Conservative Mary Ann Richardson 630 23.9 –12.4
Conservative Roger Livesey 599 22.8 –8.6
Conservative Arun Matthew 593 22.5 N/A
Independent Derek Garrity 531 20.2 N/A
Liberal Democrats Barbara Sim 319 12.1 N/A
Independent Graham Armstrong 288 10.9 N/A
Turnout 2,631 30.4 –0.7
Registered electors 8,669
Labour hold
Labour hold
Labour gain from Independent

Dover Downs and River

Dover Downs and River (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Beaney* 845 40.6 –9.4
Conservative Mark Rose* 761 36.6 –10.5
Labour Ben Cosin 680 32.7 +6.3
Green Ashley Tanton 526 25.3 N/A
Liberal Democrats Penelope James 525 25.2 –2.0
Liberal Democrats Adrian Walker-Smith 383 18.4 –4.4
Turnout 2,080 39.1 +4.0
Registered electors 5,323
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Eastry Rural

Eastry Rural (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nick Kenton* 776 41.4 –6.1
Conservative Steve Manion* 698 37.2 –8.2
Green Peter Findley 645 34.4 –10.7
Green Sarah Gleave 615 32.8 N/A
Labour David Pestell 380 20.3 –10.5
Labour Geoff Hack 369 19.7 N/A
Liberal Democrats Cheri Pennington 103 5.5 N/A
Turnout 1,875 39.1 +4.2
Registered electors 4,792
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Guston, Kingsdown and St. Margaret's-at-Cliffe

Guston, Kingsdown and St. Margaret's-at-Cliffe (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Martin Bates* 960 40.1 –12.0
Conservative Oliver Richardson* 941 39.3 –2.8
Green John Lonsdale 758 31.7 +7.8
Labour Maggie Cosin 690 28.8 +9.4
Labour Brynley Hawkins 604 25.3 +10.0
Liberal Democrats John Gosling 262 11.0 N/A
Heritage Sylvia Laidlow-Petersen 230 9.6 N/A
Turnout 2,392 41.3 +2.2
Registered electors 5,788
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Little Stour and Ashstone

Little Stour and Ashstone (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Trevor Bartlett* 1,103 54.4 –3.5
Conservative Martin Porter 864 42.6 –11.3
Labour John Featherstone 428 21.1 +7.5
Liberal Democrats Russell Timpson 401 19.8 +3.9
Labour Gillian Weaver 360 17.8 N/A
Green Jenny Mathlin 353 17.4 –8.9
Green June Sharpe 289 14.3 N/A
Turnout 2,027 35.5 –2.0
Registered electors 5,717
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Maxton and Elms Vale

Maxton and Elms Vale
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Nee 398 40.7 +0.1
Independent Graham Wanstall 288 29.4 N/A
Conservative Callum Warriner 193 19.7 –25.0
Green Nick Shread 100 10.2 N/A
Majority 110 11.3
Turnout 994 33.7 +4.6
Registered electors 2,948
Labour gain from Conservative Swing N/A

Middle Deal

Middle Deal (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stacey Blair 1,128 56.8 +24.9
Labour David Cronk* 1,035 52.1 +15.2
Conservative Trevor Bond* 710 35.8 –3.4
Conservative Susan Davenport 563 28.3 –4.6
Liberal Democrats Christine Headley 252 12.7 +1.9
Turnout 1,986 35.5 +5.0
Registered electors 5,593
Labour gain from Conservative
Labour hold

Mill Hill

Mill Hill (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Helen Williams* 1,074 55.6 +15.5
Labour Jeff Loffman 1,018 52.7 +15.2
Conservative David Hawkes* 519 26.8 –3.2
Green Christine Oliver 496 25.7 –3.1
Conservative Chris Burwash 472 24.4 –1.9
Turnout 1,933 32.8 +2.7
Registered electors 5,890
Labour hold
Labour hold

North Deal

North Deal (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dan Parks 1,359 58.3 +20.7
Labour Sue Beer* 1,357 58.2 +15.8
Conservative Peter Jull* 896 38.5 –0.7
Conservative John Morgan 729 31.3 –6.9
Turnout 2,330 40.8 +3.6
Registered electors 5,705
Labour gain from Conservative
Labour hold

Sandwich

Sandwich (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Mark Moorhouse 945 45.9 N/A
Conservative Daniel Friend* 823 40.0 –2.8
Conservative Harry Sampson 701 34.1 –8.2
Liberal Democrats Martyn Pennington 442 21.5 +3.5
Labour Paul Louis 336 16.3 –0.7
Labour Martin Garside 333 16.2 +1.0
Turnout 2,058 39.1 –1.2
Registered electors 5,263
Independent gain from Conservative
Conservative hold

St. Radigund's

St. Radigund's (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lynne Wright 464 46.5 +3.7
Labour Gordon Cowan 433 43.4 +11.2
Independent James Defriend 339 34.0 N/A
Conservative Andy Calder 234 23.5 –3.8
Conservative Brenda Collins 233 23.4 –1.0
Turnout 997 21.8 –0.6
Registered electors 4,578
Labour hold
Labour hold

Tower Hamlets

Tower Hamlets
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Pamela Brivio* 465 75.1 +27.9
Conservative Ann Jenner 154 24.9 +4.4
Majority 311 50.2
Turnout 634 22.3 –1.6
Registered electors 2,847
Labour Co-op hold Swing Increase11.8

Town and Castle

Town and Castle (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Susan Hill 616 42.5 +14.4
Labour Edward Biggs* 600 41.4 +18.5
Conservative Richard Jeacock 423 29.2 –1.1
Conservative Samantha Reynolds 390 26.9 ±0.0
Green Beccy Sawbridge 238 16.4 –4.2
Independent Kay Marsh 207 14.3 N/A
Independent Ashley Payne 122 8.4 N/A
Liberal Democrats Lynne O'Donoghue 83 5.7 N/A
Independent Brian Philp 26 1.8 N/A
Turnout 1,451 25.4 –1.5
Registered electors 5,713
Labour gain from Conservative
Labour hold

Walmer

Walmer (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Chris Vinson* 1,023 41.7 –4.3
Conservative Derek Murphy* 999 40.7 –0.8
Green Mike Eddy 726 29.6 +2.6
Labour Amanda Holloway 685 27.9 +8.6
Labour Ben Bano 656 26.7 +9.0
Liberal Democrats Rick Blackwell 406 16.5 +6.3
Turnout 2,454 42.7 +2.3
Registered electors 5,742
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Whitfield

Whitfield (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Roger Knight 748 47.9 –8.5
Conservative Jim Back* 718 46.0 –5.2
Labour Claire Hill 462 29.6 +7.9
Labour Ruth Harris-Small 407 26.1 +7.5
Reform UK Max McGillivray 205 13.1 N/A
Green Steph O'Connor 183 11.7 –4.9
Liberal Democrats Bob Hope 138 8.8 –7.5
Turnout 1,560 30.0 +0.6
Registered electors 5,209
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

References

  1. ^ "Notice of Poll" (PDF). Dover District Council. 6 April 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  2. ^ Lennon, Sam (5 May 2023). "Labour gain 17 seats for overall control of Dover district in 2023 elections". Kent Online. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  3. ^ Fuller, Christian; Gupta, Tanya (5 May 2023). "Kent election results 2023". BBC News. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  4. ^ Esson, Daniel (17 May 2023). "New Labour leader of Dover District Council reveals plans for cabinet". Kent Online. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  5. ^ "Dover result - Local Elections 2023". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2023-05-23.
  6. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED" (PDF). Dover District Council. 5 April 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  7. ^ "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Dover District Council. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
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