Kent

[Admin Twaddleford]

Kent

[casualobserver]

In 2017, as part of what was generally around the country a good election for the Conservative Party, the result in Kent was:

Conservative 67
Liberal Democrat 7
Labour 5
Green Party 1
Swanscombe & Greenhithe Residents' Association 1

Current political composition is:

Conservative 65
Liberal Democrat 7
Labour 5
Green Party 1
Swanscombe & Greenhithe Residents' Association 1
Independent 1
Swale Independent Alliance 1

The changes since May 2017 were a by-election gain from the Conservatives by Swale Independent Alliance in Sittingbourne North in May 2019 and Paul Messenger in Ramsgate left the Conservative Group and now sits as an Independent following publicity of an allegedly Islamophobic Facebook post from some years ago.

[Pimpernal]

Mar 28, 2020 16:42:31 GMT casualobserver said:

The changes since May 2017 were a by-election gain from the Conservatives by Swale Independent Alliance in Sittingbourne North in May 2019

Ahhh - what a day that was...

[Pimpernal]

Some interesting developments in the Swale part of Kent.

The Conservatives have oiked out the previous Swale Leader Andrew Bowles from his safe Swale East seat meaning he will be able to concentrate more on his Parish Council duties.

Meanwhile on Sheppey, long-serving Conservative County Councillor Ken Pugh has been cast adrift to let Borough Councillor Beart have a run along with County Councillor Andy Booth who lost his Borough seat in the 2019 Swale elections.

Much as it pains me to admit it, this looks like another drastic reduction in the quality of Conservative candidacies for Swale.

[finsobruce]

Feb 27, 2021 18:09:07 GMT Pimpernal said:

Some interesting developments in the Swale part of Kent.

The Conservatives have oiked out the previous Swale Leader Andrew Bowles from his safe Swale East seat meaning he will be able to concentrate more on his Parish Council duties.

Meanwhile on Sheppey, long-serving Conservative County Councillor Ken Pugh has been cast adrift to let Borough Councillor Beart have a run along with County Councillor Andy Booth who lost his Borough seat in the 2019 Swale elections.

Much as it pains me to admit it, this looks like another drastic reduction in the quality of Conservative candidacies for Swale.

Welcome back Pimp. Been too long.

[Pimpernal]

Thank you

[Smartie]

Feb 28, 2021 12:56:08 GMT Pimpernal said:

Thank you

Hi Pimp,  
                How is Swale these days?  I would imagine, after the aftershocks of the results in 2019, combined with the retirement (some forced, some voluntary) from some key local players there will be a lot of new faces.  

What about yourself?  Another tilt at the long time adversary Mike Whiting?  Are Swale Independents still a cohesive force?  Will the Lib Dem hold on in Faversham?

[Pimpernal]

Oh it's pretty busy - we've just submitted our Reg 19 for the Local Plan Review so flat out on that!

The Tories really haven't come to terms with their loss of control and are utterly ineffective as a cohesive opposition. Dummies spat everywhere and rantings and frothings on social media, but nothing of substance.

I think they are just relying on the Boris bounce basically.

SI are still strong - we have new people wanting to stand next time so that's really positive. The LDs took a bit of a hit when 2 of heir 5 left the Party, but as neither of them were exactly Lib Dems anyway, that was to be expected. They joined with Monique and are still in the Coalition. I think it's left the remaining LDs as a more coherent and effective group though.

I may have another go at County - we do need people there to have proper input into the highways issues...

[casualobserver]

Feb 27, 2021 18:09:07 GMT Pimpernal said:

Some interesting developments in the Swale part of Kent.

The Conservatives have oiked out the previous Swale Leader Andrew Bowles from his safe Swale East seat meaning he will be able to concentrate more on his Parish Council duties.

Meanwhile on Sheppey, long-serving Conservative County Councillor Ken Pugh has been cast adrift to let Borough Councillor Beart have a run along with County Councillor Andy Booth who lost his Borough seat in the 2019 Swale elections.

Much as it pains me to admit it, this looks like another drastic reduction in the quality of Conservative candidacies for Swale.

Amusing to see how you only have a good word to say about someone when they are not standing for re-election! You’re well aware of my personal opinion of some of the existing and prospective Conservative county councillors, so it will not surprise you to hear that I can accept quite a bit of what you say. There are, however, some good Conservative candidates in other Swale Divisions. I’d be very surprised if the Conservative seat tally from Swale doesn’t increase in May.

[Pimpernal]

Oh I don't think I've ever said a bad word about Cllr Pugh...

Your candidate for Sitt North is a decent chap. I never particularly disliked the one for Sitt South.

I think you will be very surprised if you expect your seat tally from Swale to rise!

I think you'll be reduced to just 3.

[yellowperil]

Today our poll cards arrived in the post, which suddenly makes the possibility of real elections seem,well,real. Up to now I really haven't believed that elections could ever be coming back. Not in my heart of hearts.

On the same day I have had a phone call from social services about Eileen's upcoming respite fortnight. They think there has been a policy change which means KCC will no longer cover the cost of the ambulance transfers from home to carehome and back.

So maybe I won't vote Tory after all.

[Pimpernal]

Swale - 7 seats www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-council/how-the-council-works/kent-county-council-elections/election-notices/swale#tab-3,4

Sheppey - 2 Con, 1 Lab, 2Grn, 2 Lib dem, 1 SIA, 1 RefUK
Sitt North - 1 Con, 1 Lab, 1 SIA, 1Grn, 1 LD
Sitt South - 1 Lab, 1 SIA, 1 Con, 1 Grn, 1 Lib dem
Swale west - 1 SIA,1 Con
Swale East - 1 Grn, 1 Lab, 1Con
Faversham - 1 LD, 1 Lab, 1 Con, 1 Ind


So 7 Cons, 5 Lab, 5 LD, 5 Grn, 4 SIA, 1 Ind, 1 RefUK

The RefUK candidate is currently a UKIP Cllr on Swale - Mini Nissanga

[Pimpernal]

FWIW I predict as follows:

Sheppey - 2 of 2 cons, Lab, SIA
Sitt North - Lab or SIA
Sitt South - Con or SIA
Swale west - SIA or Con - brave guess that...
Swale East - Green or Con
Faversham - LD or Con

[Smartie]

A Swale KCC election with no Andrew Bowles or Roger Truelove on th ballot paper, first time this century?

Pimp has a free run at his arch enemy Mr Whiting and only one SIA and one Labour on Sheppey, is there a pact or just an understanding?

Sitt South was only won by 17 votes last time on a terrible Election Day for Labour although Cllr Truelove carried a not insignificant personal vote wherever he went.

I shall look, with interest, from afar at the results from the Borough of Swale

[yellowperil]

Starting again with a new post for the six districts of mid and west Kent, having totted up the candidacy figures for the six east Kent districts in a separate post. I will eventually get round to totting up the figures for KCC as a whole.

Maidstone(9 seats): Con 9, Lab 9, LD 8, Green 8, Independent 2, RefUK 2.

Tonbridge & Malling(7 seats): Con 7, Lab 7*, LD 5, Green 4, Independent 3, ND 1(*actually there appears to be 8 Lab - 2 Lab , candidates nominated for one place in Malling Central? Trudy Dean wouldn't mind that, presumably, but I take it that will be sorted before the lists are finalised).

Tunbridge Wells (6 seats):Con 6, Lab 6, LD6, Green 6, UKIP 3, RefUK 2, TWA  1, Independent 1, ND 1

Sevenoaks(6 seats):  Con  6, Lab 6, LD 5, Green 6, Independent 1

Gravesham(5 seats): Con 5, Lab 5, LD 4, Green 4.

Dartford (6 seats): Con 6, Lab 6, Green 3, RefUK4, SGRA 2

Tally for 39 seats: Con 39, Lab 39, LD 28, Green 31, Independent 7, RefUK 8, UKIP 3, ND 2, SGRA 2, TWA 1.

[mattb]

Apr 9, 2021 15:51:39 GMT yellowperil said:

Tonbridge & Malling(7 seats): Con 7, Lab 7*, LD 5, Green 4, Independent 3, ND 1(*actually there appears to be 8 Lab - 2 Lab , candidates nominated for one place in Malling Central? Trudy Dean wouldn't mind that, presumably, but I take it that will be sorted before the lists are finalised).

It's too late to sort now! (The deadline for withdrawals is no longer after publication of SOPN)

[yellowperil]

Apr 9, 2021 17:06:11 GMT mattb said:

Apr 9, 2021 15:51:39 GMT yellowperil said:

Tonbridge & Malling(7 seats): Con 7, Lab 7*, LD 5, Green 4, Independent 3, ND 1(*actually there appears to be 8 Lab - 2 Lab , candidates nominated for one place in Malling Central? Trudy Dean wouldn't mind that, presumably, but I take it that will be sorted before the lists are finalised).

It's too late to sort now! (The deadline for withdrawals is no longer after publication of SOPN)

Ah I noticed that what might have been a similar issue with the Tories in Thanet was indeed sorted in time- there were 3 Tories nominated in a 2-member division, but one withdrawal  noted on the SOPN.  I would be interested to know what was going on in Malling, then.  

I'm getting too old to keep up with rule changes made since I withdrew from active political life.

[Pimpernal]

How does that even happen? Two different agents but they've both received the rights to use the Emblem...

[Pimpernal]

Apr 9, 2021 17:52:35 GMT yellowperil said:

Apr 9, 2021 17:06:11 GMT mattb said:

It's too late to sort now! (The deadline for withdrawals is no longer after publication of SOPN)

Ah I noticed that what might have been a similar issue with the Tories in Thanet was indeed sorted in time- there were 3 Tories nominated in a 2-member division, but one withdrawal  noted on the SOPN.  I would be interested to know what was going on in Malling, then.  

I'm getting too old to keep up with rule changes made since I withdrew from active political life.

I think the Thanet one might have been the same person nominated twice? They come from the same address and have the same name but one has a middle name... Although the agent's name is by the one that's been withdrawn...

Trevor Shonk - A former UKIP County Cllr potentially making a return as a Conservative.

[pl]

Apr 9, 2021 17:53:16 GMT Pimpernal said:

How does that even happen? Two different agents but they've both received the rights to use the Emblem...

More than one person can have a nominating certificate for a given area...