2023 Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council election
← 2019 4 May 2023 (2023-05-04) 2027 →
All 44 seats to Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council
23 seats needed for a majority
Turnout35.8%
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader Matt Boughton[1] Anita Oakley April Clark
Party Conservative Liberal Democrats Green
Last election 39 seats, 46.9% 9 seats, 19.5% 2 seats, 11.5%
Seats won 20 11 8
Seat change Decrease 19 Increase 2 Increase 6
Popular vote 32,304 19,808 16,621
Percentage 40.2% 24.6% 20.7%
Swing Decrease 6.7% Increase 5.1% Increase 9.2%
  Fourth party Fifth party
  Blank Blank
Leader Mike Taylor
Party Labour Ind. Alliance
Last election 1 seat, 8.0% 3 seats, 8.6%
Seats won 3 2
Seat change Increase 2 Decrease 1
Popular vote 6,358 4,472
Percentage 7.9% 5.6%
Swing Decrease 0.1% Decrease 3.0%
Winner of each seat at the 2023 Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council election
Leader before election

Matt Boughton
Conservative

Leader after election

Matt Boughton
Conservative
No overall control

An election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect councillors to Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council in Kent, England. This took place on the same day as other local elections across England. Boundary changes which took effect at this election saw the number of councillors reduced from 54 to 44 and the number of wards reduced from 24 to 19.

The council went from having a Conservative majority to being under no overall control.[2] The Conservatives and Independent Alliance formed a coalition after the election; with 22 councillors they had exactly half the seats on the council. At the subsequent annual council meeting on 17 May 2023 the Conservative leader Matt Boughton retained his position as leader of the council. The vote was initially tied at 22 votes both for and against. The new Conservative mayor, James Lark, used his casting vote in favour of Boughton remaining leader. Independent Alliance leader Mike Taylor was made the cabinet member for planning.[3]

Summary

Election result

The overall result was as follows:[4]

2023 Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council election
Party Candidates Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 44 20 0 4 Decrease 19 45.5 40.2 32,304 –6.7
  Liberal Democrats 23 11 0 0 Increase 2 25.0 24.6 19,808 +5.1
  Green 18 8 2 0 Increase 6 18.2 20.7 16,621 +9.2
  Labour 19 3 2 0 Increase 2 6.8 7.9 6,358 –0.1
  Independent Alliance (Kent) 5 2 0 0 Decrease 1 4.5 5.6 4,472 –3.0
  Independent 2 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 0.7 527 –3.4
  Reform UK 2 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 0.3 244 N/A
  Heritage 1 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 0.1 77 N/A

Ward results

The results for each ward were as follows, with an asterisk (*) indicating a sitting councillor standing for re-election.[5][6]

Aylesford North & North Downs

Aylesford North & North Downs (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Roger Dalton* 953 45.9
Conservative Dave Davis* 909 43.8
Conservative Alex McDermott 737 35.5
Labour Stephen Beadle 661 31.9
Liberal Democrats Julia Bell 471 22.7
Labour Rizwana Shelley 329 15.9
Liberal Democrats David Young 321 15.5
Labour Thomas Shelley 315 15.2
Independent Jason Green 301 14.5
Green Em Perera 223 10.7
Green Mark West 195 9.4
Reform UK Rob Gailer 119 5.7
Turnout 2,075 29.4
Registered electors 7,071
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Aylesford South & Ditton

Aylesford South & Ditton (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Steve Hammond* 1,132 53.4
Conservative Rob Cannon* 975 46.0
Conservative Colin Williams* 975 46.0
Liberal Democrats Dan Markham 789 37.2
Liberal Democrats Trevor Walker 778 36.7
Liberal Democrats James Cox 700 33.0
Labour Julia Jenner 284 13.4
Labour Paul Wilson 241 11.4
Turnout 2,120 32.2
Registered electors 6,576
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Birling, Leybourne & Ryarsh

Birling, Leybourne & Ryarsh (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Democrats Paul Boxall* 957 59.7
Liberal Democrats Bill Banks 870 54.2
Conservative Mary McKinlay 558 34.8
Conservative Sam Webb 543 33.9
Labour Deirdre Evans 120 7.5
Turnout 1,604 35.2
Registered electors 4,563
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

Borough Green & Platt

Borough Green & Platt (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes %
Ind. Alliance Mike Taylor* 1,233 75.6
Ind. Alliance Wendy Palmer* 1,199 73.5
Conservative Patrick Lohlein 319 19.6
Conservative Christian Wragg 291 17.8
Turnout 1,631 35.7
Registered electors 4,565
Ind. Alliance win (new seat)
Ind. Alliance win (new seat)

Bourne

Bourne (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes %
Green Steve Crisp 761 44.5
Conservative James Lark* 730 42.7
Green Bernice Catt 725 42.4
Conservative Piers Montague* 655 38.3
Ind. Alliance Sue Butterfill 355 20.8
Turnout 1,709 41.3
Registered electors 4,137
Green win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Cage Green & Angel

Cage Green & Angel (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes %
Green Anna Cope* 1,828 62.3
Green Robert Oliver 1,737 59.2
Green Bethan Parry 1,639 55.9
Conservative Vivian Branson* 1,128 38.5
Conservative Jenny Lewis 1,087 37.1
Conservative Johurul Islam 983 33.5
Turnout 2,933 43.7
Registered electors 6,715
Green win (new seat)
Green win (new seat)
Green win (new seat)

East Malling, West Malling & Offham

East Malling, West Malling & Offham (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Democrats Trudy Dean* 1,831 62.4
Liberal Democrats Roger Roud* 1,620 55.2
Liberal Democrats Michelle Tatton* 1,598 54.5
Conservative David Thompson 695 23.7
Conservative Simon Slater 626 21.3
Conservative Joel Blacket 515 17.6
Turnout 2,402 36.2
Registered electors 6,629
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

East Peckham, West Peckham, Mereworth & Wateringbury

East Peckham, West Peckham, Mereworth & Wateringbury (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Sarah Hudson* 1,260 63.2
Conservative Matt Boughton* 1,201 60.2
Green Kim Winterbottom 377 18.9
Green Stephen Jackson 348 17.4
Labour Robin Potter 279 14.0
Liberal Democrats Suzanne Burdon 268 13.4
Turnout 1,995 40.0
Registered electors 4,991
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Higham

Higham (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Lee Athwal 1,240 54.7 +34.3
Conservative Dennis King* 1,106 48.8 –10.1
Green Antony Burdon 1,101 48.6 N/A
Conservative Frixos Tombolis* 951 42.0 –3.6
Turnout 2,265 47.6 +10.9
Registered electors 4,757
Green gain from Conservative
Conservative hold

Hildenborough

Hildenborough (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Rhodes* 1,011 52.6 –0.4
Green Kath Barton 928 48.3 +25.7
Conservative Steve Webster 812 42.2 –4.3
Liberal Democrats Helen Hobhouse 505 26.3 +11.3
Labour Michael Connor 282 14.7 +6.2
Turnout 1,923 44.8 +5.2
Registered electors 4,289
Conservative hold
Green gain from Conservative

Judd

Judd (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Mark Hood* 1,633 79.0 +1.9
Green George Hines 1,562 75.6 +0.2
Conservative Holly Ware 358 17.3 –0.5
Conservative Paul Webster 321 15.5 +1.6
Labour Matthew Oliver 151 7.3 N/A
Turnout 2,066 44.1 –6.8
Registered electors 4,683
Green hold
Green hold

Kings Hill

Kings Hill (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Dan Harman* 1,085 56.8 +9.4
Conservative Christopher Brown* 1,048 54.8 +0.1
Conservative Kim Tanner* 1,047 54.8 +13.4
Green Richard Dowling 480 25.1 N/A
Green Louis Westlake 438 22.9 N/A
Labour Kathleen Garlick 258 13.5 N/A
Liberal Democrats Nick Taplin 256 13.4 –7.8
Labour Sarah Palmer 234 12.2 N/A
Liberal Democrats Ken Poege 234 12.2 –4.4
Liberal Democrats James Young 216 11.3 N/A
Turnout 1,911 27.6 +1.8
Registered electors 6,930
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Larkfield

Larkfield (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Democrats David Thornewell* 1,401 78.5
Liberal Democrats Anita Oakley* 1,385 77.6
Liberal Democrats Timothy Bishop* 1,372 76.9
Conservative Dougie Dick 371 20.8
Conservative Harry Noble 284 15.9
Conservative Edward Thackwell 272 15.2
Turnout 1,785 25.8
Registered electors 6,911
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

Pilgrims with Ightham

Pilgrims with Ightham (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Robin Betts* 987 53.0
Conservative Martin Coffin* 934 50.1
Ind. Alliance Tim Shaw* 908 48.7
Ind. Alliance Scott Millener 777 41.7
Turnout 1,864 40.9
Registered electors 4,588
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Snodland East & Ham Hill

Snodland East & Ham Hill (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Wayne Mallard 487 52.3 +11.9
Conservative Sue Bell* 445 47.8 –5.6
Labour Martin Aldridge 430 46.2 N/A
Conservative Brian Luker* 399 42.9 –5.4
Turnout 931 22.3 +0.6
Registered electors 4,182
Labour gain from Conservative
Conservative hold

Snodland West & Holborough Lakes

Snodland West & Holborough Lakes (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Hickmott* 755 62.7 +10.6
Labour Angus Bennison 638 53.0 +10.0
Conservative David Gaunt 422 35.0 –15.0
Conservative Archie Bartlett 415 34.5 –14.5
Heritage Vicky Parker 77 6.4 N/A
Turnout 1,204 27.4 +0.9
Registered electors 4,394
Labour hold
Labour gain from Conservative

Trench

Trench (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Adem Mehmet 735 43.2 –2.2
Conservative Keith Tunstall 726 42.6 –2.4
Green Stacey Pilgrim 720 42.3 N/A
Green Chris Hill 686 40.3 N/A
Labour Callum Lake 173 10.2 –13.3
Labour Kathryn Parish 165 9.7 –13.2
Liberal Democrats Yvonne Brightmore 97 5.7 N/A
Turnout 1,703 40.8 +11.9
Registered electors 4,172
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Vauxhall

Vauxhall (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Frances Hoskins* 1,487 63.2 –1.7
Liberal Democrats Garry Bridge* 1,306 55.5 –1.9
Liberal Democrats James Clokey 1,275 54.2 N/A
Conservative David Cain 612 26.0 –13.8
Conservative Michael Payne 603 25.6 –8.1
Conservative Roberick Tay 544 23.1 N/A
Labour Kerry Jordan-Daus 338 14.4 N/A
Independent Rachna Sinha 226 9.6 N/A
Reform UK Peregrine White 125 5.3 N/A
Turnout 2,352 37.8 +2.4
Registered electors 6,225
Liberal Democrats hold
Liberal Democrats hold
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

Walderslade

Walderslade
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Des Keers* 544 65.3
Labour Co-op Lola Oyemusi 218 26.2
Liberal Democrats Lisa Cox 71 8.5
Majority 326 39.1
Turnout 844 36.0
Registered electors 2,345
Conservative win (new seat)

References

  1. ^ "Your councillors". Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  2. ^ Fuller, Christian; Gupta, Tanya (5 May 2023). "Kent election results 2023". BBC News. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  3. ^ Smith, Alan (25 June 2023). "Tories keep control of Tonbridge and Malling on the casting vote of the Mayor". Kent Online. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Overview of election results 2023". Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  5. ^ Simmonds, Cara (5 May 2023). "Local Elections 2023: No overall control for Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council". Kent Online. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Election results 2023 by ward". Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
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