Swale Independents

Last updated

Swale Independents
Leader Mike Baldock
Founded21 May 2018 (2018-05-21)
Headquarters24 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.swaleindependentsalliance.org

The Swale Independents are a British 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]

Contents

They sit together with one independent on Swale Borough Council as "The Swale Independents Alliance". [4]

History

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]

Principles

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. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borough of Swale</span> Non-metropolitan district and borough in England

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borough of Tunbridge Wells</span> Borough and non-metropolitan district in England

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Canterbury</span> Local government district in Kent, England

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faversham and Mid Kent (UK Parliament constituency)</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sittingbourne and Sheppey (UK Parliament constituency)</span>

Sittingbourne and Sheppey is a constituency in Kent represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Gordon Henderson, a Conservative.

Harriet Bronwen Yeo is a British trade unionist, a former Treasurer and President of Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA), and a UK Independence Party (UKIP) politician who stood unsuccessfully for parliament in Folkestone and Hythe at the 2015 general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheshire East Council</span>

Cheshire East Council is the local authority for Cheshire East, a local government district with borough status in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The council is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. It has been under no overall control since 2019, being run by a coalition of Labour, local parties and independent councillors, led by Labour councillor Sam Corcoran. The council's main offices are in Sandbach, but there are plans to move them to Crewe.

Thanet District Council elections are held every four years to elect Thanet District Council in Kent, England. Since the last boundary changes in 2003 the council has comprised 56 councillors representing 23 wards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Kent County Council election</span> 2013 UK local government election

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Castle Point Borough Council election</span> 2014 UK local government election

The 2014 Castle Point Borough Council election took place on 22 May 2014 to elect members of Castle Point Borough Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party lost overall control of the council to no overall control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council election</span> 2015 local election in Redcar & Cleveland

The 2015 Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections, as well as the 2015 General Election. One major change was that Council Leader George Dunning and many other Labour councillors resigned from the party or were deselected and ran as independent candidates. The election saw the council return to no overall control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Swale Borough Council election</span> 2011 UK local government election

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Swale Borough Council election</span> 2015 UK local government election

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Plymouth City Council election</span> 2016 UK local government election

The 2016 Plymouth City Council election took place on 5 May 2016 to elect members of Plymouth City Council in England. The Conservatives gained one seat from Labour, resulting in both parties having twenty-seven members of the council. A coalition of Conservative and UKIP members took overall control of the Council, having thirty members in total and a working majority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Kent County Council election</span> 2017 UK local government election

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Bromley London Borough Council election</span> 2022 local election in Bromley

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Swale Borough Council election</span> 2023 English local election

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.

References

  1. "View registration - The Electoral Commission". search.electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  2. "Councillor banned for three months". Kent Online. 4 August 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  3. Ltd, Hudson Berkley Reinhart. "Council leader accuses UKIP leader of disregarding confidentially". www.sittingbourne.me. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  4. "Your Councillors". services.swale.gov.uk. 23 May 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  5. Ltd, Hudson Berkley Reinhart. "Swale's biggest electoral shake up in decades promises to deliver significant changes". www.sittingbourne.me. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  6. "Another rainbow coalition on the cards for Swale". Kent Online. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  7. "England local elections 2023: The rise of the independents". BBC News. 2 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  8. "Councillor with £1m of property accused of being a 'hypocrite'". Kent Online. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  9. "Tories maintain majority in Kent County Council elections". BBC News. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  10. "Election results by party, 6 May 2021". democracy.kent.gov.uk. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  11. Ltd, Hudson Berkley Reinhart. "Cllr Mike Baldock takes the helm at Swale Borough Council". www.sittingbourne.me. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  12. "Monthly meetings calendar - April 2022". ws.swale.gov.uk. 23 May 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  13. "Election results by party, 4 May 2023". services.swale.gov.uk. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  14. "As a Green councillor walked out one midsummer morning | LocalCouncils.co.uk". www.localcouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  15. "Deputy leader of council resigns". Kent Online. 7 December 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  16. "Deputy council leader returns after resignation U-turn". Kent Online. 20 December 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  17. "Long-standing councillor to stand to be Kent MP". Kent Online. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  18. "Our Principles". Swale Independents Alliance. Retrieved 23 May 2024.