Tunbridge Wells Borough Council elections

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One third of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in Kent, England, is elected each year, followed by one year without election. Since the last boundary changes in 2002, 48 councillors have been elected from 20 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
Conservative 1973–1994
No overall control 1994–1996
Liberal Democrats 1996–1998
Conservative 1998–2021
No overall control 2021–2024
Liberal Democrats 2024–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1998 have been: [3]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
James Scholes [4] Conservative 199821 May 2002
Len Horwood Conservative 21 May 200230 Jun 2004
Melvyn Howell Conservative 30 Jun 200423 May 2007
Roy Bullock Conservative 23 May 200719 Jan 2011
Bob Atwood Conservative 19 Jan 20116 May 2012
David Jukes Conservative 23 May 20125 May 2019
Alan McDermott Conservative 22 May 201926 May 2021
Tom Dawlings Conservative 26 May 202125 May 2022
Ben Chapelard Liberal Democrats 25 May 2022

Council composition

Composition of the council [5]
Year Conservative Liberal Democrats [a] Labour Alliance UKIP Independents
& Others		Council control
after election
Local government reorganisation; council established (54 seats)
1973 2966––13Conservative
New ward boundaries (48 seats)
1976 3804––6Conservative
1979 3902––7Conservative
1980 4012––5Conservative
1982 4112––4Conservative
1983 4331––1Conservative
1984 4051––2Conservative
1986 36101––1Conservative
1987 34112––1Conservative
1988 36101––1Conservative
1990 31124––1Conservative
1991 27155––1Conservative
1992 30143––1Conservative
1994 24203–01No overall control
1995 19235–01No overall control
1996 14276–01Liberal Democrats
1998 27127–02Conservative
1999 28127–01Conservative
2000 31115–01Conservative
New ward boundaries (48 seats)
2022 34113–00Conservative
2003 33123–00Conservative
2004 35121–00Conservative
2006 3891–00Conservative
2007 4260–00Conservative
2008 4440–00Conservative
2010 4260–00Conservative
2011 3961–11Conservative
2012 3752–22Conservative
2014 3833–22Conservative
2015 4232–10Conservative
2016 4332–00Conservative
2018 4142100Conservative
2019 2894601Conservative
2021 24135600No overall control
2022 15177900No overall control
2023 111781101No overall control
New ward boundaries (39 seats)
2024 7225401Liberal Democrats

Council elections

(figures are the resulting councillors per party after the election)

Borough result maps

By-election results

1994–1998

Pantiles by-election 25 September 1997
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats 510 51.7 +2.9
Conservative 37738.2+3.0
Labour 10010.1−5.9
Majority 13313.5
Turnout 987
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

1998–2002

Cranbrook by-election 18 October 2001
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent 465 58.6 +58.6
Conservative 32841.4−3.2
Majority 13717.2
Turnout 79321.4
Independent gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

2002–2006

Southborough and High Brooms by-election 11 March 2004
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Colin Bothwell 465 41.0 −4.5
Labour David Belchem42938.6−7.1
Liberal Democrats Alan Bullion17115.4+15.4
UKIP Victor Webb555.0+5.0
Majority 272.4
Turnout 1,11121.7
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
St John's by-election 17 March 2005
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Brian Ransley 500 41.6 +4.0
Liberal Democrats Joanna Au Brey39032.5−9.4
Labour Maurice Knights24420.3+11.7
Green Phyllis Leslie665.5−1.9
Majority 1109.1
Turnout 1,20025.1
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Pembury by-election 30 June 2005 [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Thomas Symondson 699 50.0 +16.2
Conservative Michael Tompsett65747.0−10.7
UKIP Vitor Webb412.4+2.4
Majority 423.0
Turnout 1,39731.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

2006–2010

Pantiles and St Mark's by-election 13 September 2007 [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Glenn Hall 788 59.8 −4.3
Liberal Democrats Jamie Johnson36427.6+0.5
Labour Lorna Blackmore947.1+7.1
UKIP Victor Webb715.4−3.4
Majority 42432.2
Turnout 1,31727.3
Conservative hold Swing

2010–2014

St James by-election 7 October 2010 [16] [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Benjamin Chapelard 649 62.0 −2.9
Conservative Robert Rutherford29428.1−7.0
Green Richard Leslie1039.8+9.8
Majority 35533.9
Turnout 1,04624.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Sherwood by-election 16 December 2010 [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Robert Backhouse 422 47.6 −0.4
Liberal Democrats Alan Bullion17419.6−6.7
Labour Ian Carvell12414.0−2.3
UKIP Victor Webb9210.4+1.0
English Democrat Joanna Stanley758.5+8.5
Majority 24827.9
Turnout 88818.6
Conservative hold Swing
Pembury by-election 17 March 2011 [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Claire Brown 578 43.3 +2.7
Conservative Robert Rutherford46034.5−24.9
UKIP Victor Webb29722.2+22.2
Majority 1188.8
Turnout 1,33535.4
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

2014–2018

Southborough North by-election 10 September 2015 [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Joe Simmons 484 43.7 −11.8
Liberal Democrats Trevor William Poile43439.3+26.6
UKIP Will O'Shea18817.0+1.6
Majority 494.4
Turnout 1,10534.2
Conservative hold Swing

2018–2022

Culverden by-election 14 November 2019 [21]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Justine Victoria Rutland 888 46.7 +33.5
Conservative David Godfrey Elliott47424.9−19.1
Women's Equality Liz Orr19310.2N/A
Alliance Rachel Sarah Bethan Daly1809.5N/A
Labour David James Adams995.2−14.3
Green Aimee Caroline Taylor673.5−7.5
Majority 41421.8
Turnout 1,90132.1
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Speldhurst and Bidborough by-election 25 November 2021 [22]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Alliance Matthew Sankey 788 49.8
Conservative Rowena Stanyer73046.1
Labour Aleksander Klimanski654.1
Majority 583.7
Turnout 1,583
Alliance gain from Conservative Swing

2022–2026

Park by-election 1 May 2025 [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Richard Brown 973 38.4
Conservative Sedat Zorba44817.7
Alliance Nick Pope41616.4
Reform UK John Spence40516.0
Green Jeremy Clapham1797.1
Labour Kate McAlpine1104.3
Majority 52520.7
Turnout 2,531
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
St John's by-election 1 May 2025 [24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Simon Davidson 780 51.1
Reform UK Chris Hoare24716.2
Conservative Alexander Lewis-Grey17111.2
Labour Alan Bullion1268.3
Green Kate Sergeant1117.3
Alliance Kit Hawes-Webb624.1
Independents for Tunbridge WellsJoe Dore281.8
Majority 53335.0
Turnout 1,525
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

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. ↑ "Council Democracy". Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  2. ↑ "Tunbridge Wells". BBC News Online . 19 April 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  3. ↑ "Council minutes". Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  4. ↑ "Council's Tory group selects new leader". Kent Online. 26 April 2002. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  5. ↑ "Composition calculator". Colin Rallings & Michael Thrasher . The Elections Centre, Plymouth University . Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  6. ↑ The Borough of Tunbridge Wells (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1976
  7. ↑ legislation.gov.uk - The Kent (District Boundaries) Order 1987. Retrieved on 6 November 2015.
  8. ↑ legislation.gov.uk - The East Sussex, West Sussex and Kent (County Boundaries) Order 1992. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
  9. ↑ legislation.gov.uk - The Kent and East Sussex (County Boundaries) Order 1993. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
  10. ↑ legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Tunbridge Wells (Electoral Changes) Order 2001. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
  11. ↑ legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Tunbridge Wells (Electoral Changes) (Amendment) Order 2006. Retrieved on 3 November 2015.
  12. ↑ "Tunbridge Wells". BBC News Online . Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  13. ↑ The Tunbridge Wells (Electoral Changes) Order 2024
  14. ↑ "Pembury by-election results". Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. 1 July 2005. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  15. ↑ "Tories romp home in Tunbridge Wells by-election". kentnews.co.uk. 17 September 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  16. ↑ "Lib Dems hold ward with Ben". this is kent. 15 October 2010. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  17. ↑ "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  18. ↑ "Declaration of result of poll Sherwood ward" (PDF). Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
  19. ↑ "Results of Pembury By-Election". Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. 18 March 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
  20. ↑ "Election results for Southborough North, 10 September 2015". democracy.tunbridgewells.gov.uk. 10 September 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  21. ↑ "Election results for Culverden, 14 November 2019". democracy.tunbridgewells.gov.uk. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  22. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Speldhurst and Bidborough Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  23. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Park Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  24. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — St John's Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
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