Ashford Borough Council elections

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Ashford Borough Council is the local authority for the Borough of Ashford in Kent, England. The council is elected every four years. Since the last boundary changes in 2019, 47 councillors have been elected from 39 wards. [1]

Contents

Political control

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1973 has been held by the following parties: [2]

Party in controlYears
No overall control 1973–1976
Conservative 1976–1979
No overall control 1979–1983
Conservative 1983–1995
No overall control 1995–2003
Conservative 2003–2022
No overall control [3] 2022–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1999 have been: [4]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Paul Clokie Conservative 199913 May 2010
Paul Bartlett Conservative 13 May 20109 Nov 2010
Peter Wood Conservative 9 Nov 20101 Mar 2013
Gerry Clarkson Conservative 18 Apr 20137 May 2023
Noel Ovenden Ashford Ind. 30 May 2023

Seat composition

Year Conservative Labour Liberal Democrats [a] Ashford Ind. Green UKIP Independents
& Others		Council control
after election
Local government reorganisation; council established (44 seats)
1973 22810–––4No overall control
New ward boundaries (49 seats)
1976 3173–0–8Conservative
1979 24106–0–9No overall control
1983 2668–0–9Conservative
1987 31610–0–2Conservative
1991 29711–0–2Conservative
1995 181315–003No overall control
1999 241110–004No overall control
New ward boundaries (43 seats)
2003 25459000Conservative
2007 28284001Conservative
2011 30525001Conservative
2015 34412011Conservative
New ward boundaries (47 seats)
2019 267011201Conservative
2023 191109800No overall control

Council elections

Borough result maps

By-election results

1995-1999

Tenterden East By-Election 11 December 1997
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative 38758.9−3.7
Liberal Democrats 14722.4−15.0
Labour 12318.7+18.7
Majority 24036.5
Turnout 657
Conservative hold Swing

2003-2007

Charing By-Election 16 February 2006 [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Gerald Clarkson41971.7+4.3
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Heuch12621.6−11.0
Labour Malcolm Horton396.7+6.7
Majority 29350.1
Turnout 58430.1
Conservative hold Swing

2011-2015

Beaver by-election 24 November 2011 [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Cengizhan Cerit24927.69
Liberal Democrats Jack Cowen17319.24
Ashford Ind. Laura Lawrence11112.34
Green Mark Reed262.89
Labour Rebecca Rutter33637.37
Majority 879.67
Turnout 89920.5−13.25
Labour hold
Tenterden South by-election 12 July 2012 [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Dara Farrell365.92+5.92
Conservative Jill Hutchinson27745.55−12.28
Ashford Ind. Roy Isworth17929.44−11.02
UKIP Thomas Taylor7211.84+11.84
Liberal Democrats Christopher Took406.57+6.57
Majority 9816.11−1.26
Turnout 60831.13−17.48
Conservative hold
Beaver by-election 28 February 2013 [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Jill Britcher29635.83−1.54
Liberal Democrats Jack Cowen799.56−9.68
Independent John Holland344.11+4.11
Ashford Ind. Palma Laughton8510.29−2.05
Conservative Jane Martin15819.12−8.57
Green Mark Reed192.3−0.59
UKIP Angharad Yeo15518.76+18.76
Majority 13816.7+7.03
Turnout 82619.4−1.1
Labour hold
Saxon Shore by-election 2 May 2013 [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UKIP Christopher Cooper41027.66
Conservative Jane Martin75951.21
Green Geoffrey Meaden1298.7
Labour Thomas Reed17411.74
Majority 34923.54
Turnout 148235.67−16.98
Conservative hold
Wye by-election 6 March 2014 [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Ken Blanshard131.73−7.07
Conservative Ian Cooling24031.95−6.82
UKIP Elaine Evans9712.91+3.32
Labour Dylan Jones222.92−8.15
Green Geoffrey Meaden557.32+7.32
Ashford Ind. Noel Ovenden32343+4.23
Majority 8311.05
Turnout 75141−14.46
Ashford Ind. gain from Conservative Swing

The 2014 Wye by-election was triggered by the resignation of Councillor Steve Wright.

2015-2019

Aylesford Green by-election 19 November 2015 [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Adrian Gee-Turner428.91+8.91
Conservative Alexander Howard11023.35−20.27
Ashford Ind. Christine Kathawick-Smith9219.53+19.53
Labour Gordon Miller10622.5−30.92
Green Thom Pizzey102.12+2.12
UKIP Harriet Yeo10923.14+23.14
Majority 10.21
Turnout 47119.01−34.67
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Beaver by-election 4 August 2016 [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UKIP Ryan Macpherson37342.1+11.6
Labour Caroline Harris24327.4−3.3
Conservative Jo Gideon24027.1+0.2
Green Liz Wright313.5−3.8
Majority 13014.7
Turnout 89021.3−34.64
UKIP gain from Labour Swing

The 2016 Beaver by-election was triggered by the resignation of Councillor Jill Britcher.

Victoria by-election 8 June 2017 [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats James Galloway26011.04
UKIP Serge Goldenberg-Kosbab1817.68
Green Maria Pizzey994.2
Conservative David Robey75331.98
Labour John Charles Suddards105244.68
Majority 29912.7
Turnout 235456.81−0.29
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Bockhanger by-election 8 June 2017 [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Euan Anckorn41531.27−1.2
Green Steve Campkin977.3+7.3
Conservative Simon Howard-Smith69752.52+12
UKIP Liah Macpherson1138.51+8.51
Majority 28221.25+10.7
Turnout 132764.07+1.92
Conservative hold Swing
Kennington by-election 25 October 2018 [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Ashford Ind. Ian McAllister Anderson22738.02+23.1
Conservative Nathan Iliffe24741.37−6.6
Labour Dylan Jones8514.23+6
Green Peter Morgan366+6
Majority 203.35
Turnout 59732.8−43.25
Conservative hold Swing

The 2018 Kennington by-election was triggered by the resignation of Councillor Phil Sims.

2019-2023

Downs North by-election 18 July 2019 [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Ashford Ind. Rachael Carley6710.38+10.38
Conservative Charles Dehnel22935.5−11.9
Liberal Democrats Adrian Gee-Turner7010.85−7.8
Green Geoffery Meaden19029.45+5.9
UKIP Philip Meads223.41+3.41
Labour Carly Ruppert Lingham172.63−7.7
IndependentSarah Williams497.59+7.59
Majority 396
Turnout 64532.52−3.1
Conservative hold Swing

The 2019 Downs North by-election was triggered by the death of Councillor Stephen Dehnel.

Park Farm North by-election 12 March 2020 [21]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Ashford Ind. Trish Cornish24760.2+60.2
Labour Garry Harrison297−12.9
Conservative Aline Hicks11528−33.5
Green Thom Pizzey112.6+2.6
Liberal Democrats Samuel Strolz81.9−16.7
Majority 13232.1
Turnout 41022.05−5.2
Ashford Ind. gain from Conservative Swing

The 2020 Park Farm North by-election was triggered by the election of Councillor Jo Gideon to the UK Parliament as MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central.

Beaver by-election 6 May 2021 [22]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Trevor Brooks46941.9
Independent Garry Harrison1059.4
Labour Dylan Jones40236
Green Thom Pizzey706.2
Liberal Democrats Jacqueline Stamp645.7
Majority 665.9
Turnout 111523.47−0.6
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

The 2021 Beaver by-election was triggered by the death of Councillor Alex Ward.

Downs North by-election 19 August 2021 [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Green Geoffery Meaden27351.8+20.8
Liberal Democrats Carol Wilcox152.8−8.6
Conservative Sarah Williams23945.5+7.9
Majority 346.4
Turnout 52925.96−5.6
Green gain from Conservative Swing

The 2021 Downs North by-election was triggered by the resignation of Councillor Charles Dehnel.

Highfield by-election 16 December 2021 [24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Ashford Ind. Barry Ball10121.1−7
Green Dawnie Nilsson19139.9+21.5
Labour Terry Pavlou234.8+4.8
Conservative James Ransley16334.1−6.5
Majority 285.8%
Turnout 47823.66−11.39
Green gain from Conservative Swing

The 2021 Highfield by-election was triggered by the death of Councillor Gerald White.

2023-2027

Aylesford & East Stour by-election 17 October 2024 [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Green Thom Pizzey29931.6+2.8
Labour Rena Mathew29331.0−1.2
Reform UK Brian Collins21622.9
Conservative Jac Wood11111.7−2.2
Liberal Democrats Alexander Coxall262.8
Majority 60.6
Turnout 94521
Green gain from Labour Swing

The 2024 Aylesford & East Stour by-election was triggered by the resignation of Councillor Sojan Joseph following their election as MP for Ashford.

Notes

  1. ↑ Includes totals for the predecessors of the Liberal Democrats, the Liberal Party and SDP (both of which participated in the Alliance).

References

  1. ↑ "Role of a Councillor". Ashford.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  2. ↑ "England council elections". BBC News Online. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  3. ↑ Jee, Alex (27 May 2022). "Conservatives lose control of Ashford Borough Council after Tenterden representative Callum Knowles becomes independent". Kent Online. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  4. ↑ "Council minutes". Ashford Borough Council. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  5. ↑ legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Ashford (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1975. Retrieved on 19 November 2015.
  6. ↑ "Local elections". BBC News Online . Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  7. ↑ legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Ashford (Electoral Changes) Order 2001. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
  8. ↑ legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Ashford (Electoral Changes) Order 2017. Retrieved on 27 December 2022.
  9. ↑ "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Ashford Borough Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  10. ↑ John, Bunnett (25 November 2011). "Declaration of Result of Poll - Election of a Borough Councillor for Beaver (Ashford) Ward" (PDF). Ashford Borough Council.
  11. ↑ Election of a Borough Councillor for Tenterden South ashford.gov.uk
  12. ↑ Election of a Borough Councillor for Beaver (Ashford) ashford.gov.uk
  13. ↑ Election of a Borough Councillor for Saxon Shore ashford.gov.uk
  14. ↑ Election of a Borough Councillor for Wye Ward ashford.gov.uk
  15. ↑ Election of a Borough Councillor for Aylesford Green (Ashford) ashford.gov.uk
  16. ↑ "Beaver Ward by-election: Ukip steals labour seat in Ashford". 4 August 2016.
  17. ↑ Election of a Borough Councillor for Victoria (Ashford) ashford.gov.uk
  18. ↑ Election of a Borough Councillor for Bockhanger (Ashford) ashford.gov.uk
  19. ↑ Election of a Borough Councillor for Kennington (Ashford) Ward of Ashford Borough Council ashford.gov.uk
  20. ↑ Election of a Borough Councillor for Downs North ashford.gov.uk
  21. ↑ Election results ashford.gov.uk
  22. ↑ "View the 2021 Beaver Ward Election results".
  23. ↑ Declaration of results ashford.gov.uk
  24. ↑ Declaration of by-election results ashford.gov.uk
  25. ↑ ashford.gov.uk
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