Swale Independents | |
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Leader | Mike Baldock |
Founded | 21 May 2018 |
Headquarters | 24 Station Road, Newington, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 7JS |
Ideology | Localism |
Colours | Orange Green |
Slogan | "Putting Local People First" |
Kent County Council | 1 / 81 |
Swale Borough Council | 11 / 47 |
Website | |
www | |
The Swale Independents are a local political party based in the borough of Swale. It was founded in 2018 by the former leader of UKIP on Swale Borough Council, Mike Baldock. [1] [2] [3]
They sit together with one independent on Swale Borough Council as "The Swale Independents Alliance". [4]
At the 2019 Swale Borough Council election, the party elected 10 councillors. After the election, a "rainbow coalition" of the Swale Independents, Labour, Liberal Democrats, independents, and the Greens, was formed. This ended 17 years of Conservative control of the council. [5] [6] [7]
In 2020, the party's leader, Mike Baldock, faced criticism for opposing new houses being built, despite being a landlord who owns three houses, and an acre of land, worth £1 million in total. [8]
At the 2021 Kent County Council election, Baldock won a seat, becoming the party's sole representative on the council. [9] [10]
From April 2022 to May 2023, Baldock served as Swale Borough Council's leader. [11] [12]
At the 2023 Swale Borough Council election, the party won 11 council seats. [13] Afterwards, they formed another coalition with Labour and the Greens. [14]
In December 2023, Baldock resigned as deputy leader of Swale Borough Council, after a disagreement with the Labour group. He returned to the role just two weeks later. [15] [16]
In March 2024, Baldock was selected as the party's candidate for Sittingbourne and Sheppey in the 2024 general election. [17] He came fourth with 7.9% of the vote. [18]
The party supports Swale Borough Council changing from a cabinet system to a committee structure. It opposes whipping and the prioritisation of partisan interests over local people. [19]
Swale is a local government district with borough status in Kent, England. The council is based in Sittingbourne, the borough's largest town. The borough also contains the towns of Faversham, Queenborough and Sheerness, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. It includes the Isle of Sheppey and is named after The Swale, the narrow channel which separates Sheppey from the mainland part of the borough. Some southern parts of the borough lie within the Kent Downs, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Sheerness is a port town and civil parish beside the mouth of the River Medway on the north-west corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 11,938, it is the second largest town on the island after the nearby town of Minster which has a population of 21,319.
The Borough of Tunbridge Wells is a local government district with borough status in Kent, England. It takes its name from its main town, Royal Tunbridge Wells. The borough also contains the towns of Paddock Wood and Southborough, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. Large parts of the borough fall within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Canterbury, also known as the City of Canterbury, is a local government district with city status in Kent, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Canterbury, where the council is based. The district also includes the towns of Fordwich, Herne Bay and Whitstable, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. Parts of the district lie within the designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty of the Kent Downs.
Faversham and Mid Kent is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. Since 2015, the seat has been held by Helen Whately of the Conservative Party.
Sittingbourne and Sheppey is a constituency in Kent represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Kevin McKenna, a Labour politician and qualified nurse.
Gordon Henderson is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Sittingbourne and Sheppey constituency in Kent from 2010 to 2024.
The Kent County Council election, 2013 was an election to all 84 seats on Kent County Council held on Thursday 2 May as part of the 2013 United Kingdom local elections. 84 councillors were elected from 72 electoral divisions, which returned either one or two county councillors each by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office. The electoral divisions were the same as those used at the previous election in 2009. No elections were held in Medway, which is a unitary authority outside the area covered by the County Council. The election saw the Conservative Party narrowly retain overall control of the council.
Swale Borough Council elections are held every four years to elect Swale Borough Council in Kent, England. Since the last boundary changes in 2015 the council has comprised 47 councillors representing 24 wards. Until 2011 one third of the council was elected every year, followed by one year without election.
The 2006 Swale Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Swale Borough Council in Kent, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.
The 2007 Swale Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Swale Borough Council in Kent, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.
The 2008 Swale Borough Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Swale Borough Council in Kent, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.
The 2010 Swale Borough Council election took place on 6 May 2010 to elect members of Swale Borough Council in Kent, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.
The 2011 Swale Borough Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of Swale Borough Council in Kent, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.
An election was held to Swale Borough Council in England as part of the United Kingdom local elections on 7 May 2015. All 47 seats were up for election under new ward boundaries.
The 2017 Kent County Council election was held on 4 May 2017 as part of the 2017 local elections in the United Kingdom. All 81 councillors were elected from 72 electoral divisions, each of which returned either one or two county councillors by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office. The Conservative Party retained control. UKIP, previously the second-largest party on the council, lost all their seats.
Elections were held to Swale Borough Council in England as part of the United Kingdom local elections on 2 May 2019.
The 2022 Bromley London Borough Council election took place on 5 May 2022. All 58 members of Bromley London Borough Council were elected. The elections took place alongside local elections in the other London boroughs and elections to local authorities across the United Kingdom.
The 2023 Swale Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Swale Borough Council in Kent, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England.