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 | 8 / 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]