Local government elections in Kent, England
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]
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 control | Years |
| 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]
Councillor | Party | From | To |
Paul Clokie | | Conservative | 1999 | 13 May 2010 |
Paul Bartlett | | Conservative | 13 May 2010 | 9 Nov 2010 |
Peter Wood | | Conservative | 9 Nov 2010 | 1 Mar 2013 |
Gerry Clarkson | | Conservative | 18 Apr 2013 | 7 May 2023 |
Noel Ovenden | | Ashford Ind. | 30 May 2023 | |
Council elections
Borough result maps
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2003 results map
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2007 results map
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2011 results map
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2015 result map
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2019 results map
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2023 results map
By-election results
1995-1999
Tenterden East By-Election 11 December 1997 Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | | 387 | 58.9 | -3.7 |
| Liberal Democrats | | 147 | 22.4 | -15.0 |
| Labour | | 123 | 18.7 | +18.7 |
Majority | 240 | 36.5 | |
Turnout | 657 | | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
2003-2007
Charing By-Election 16 February 2006[9] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Gerald Clarkson | 419 | 71.7 | +4.3 |
| Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Heuch | 126 | 21.6 | -11.0 |
| Labour | Malcolm Horton | 39 | 6.7 | +6.7 |
Majority | 293 | 50.1 | |
Turnout | 584 | 30.1 | |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
2011-2015
Beaver by-election 24 November 2011[10] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Cengizhan Cerit | 249 | 27.69 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Jack Cowen | 173 | 19.24 | |
| Ashford Independents | Laura Lawrence | 111 | 12.34 | |
| Green | Mark Reed | 26 | 2.89 | |
| Labour | Rebecca Rutter | 336 | 37.37 | |
Majority | 87 | 9.67 | |
Turnout | 899 | 20.5 | -13.25 |
| Labour hold |
Tenterden South by-election 12 July 2012 [11] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Dara Farrell | 36 | 5.92 | +5.92 |
| Conservative | Jill Hutchinson | 277 | 45.55 | -12.28 |
| Ashford Independents | Roy Isworth | 179 | 29.44 | -11.02 |
| UKIP | Thomas Taylor | 72 | 11.84 | +11.84 |
| Liberal Democrats | Christopher Took | 40 | 6.57 | +6.57 |
Majority | 98 | 16.11 | -1.26 |
Turnout | 608 | 31.13 | -17.48 |
| Conservative hold |
Beaver by-election 28 February 2013[12] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Jill Britcher | 296 | 35.83 | -1.54 |
| Liberal Democrats | Jack Cowen | 79 | 9.56 | -9.68 |
| Independent | John Holland | 34 | 4.11 | +4.11 |
| Ashford Independents | Palma Laughton | 85 | 10.29 | -2.05 |
| Conservative | Jane Martin | 158 | 19.12 | -8.57 |
| Green | Mark Reed | 19 | 2.3 | -0.59 |
| UKIP | Angharad Yeo | 155 | 18.76 | +18.76 |
Majority | 138 | 16.7 | +7.03 |
Turnout | 826 | 19.4 | -1.1 |
| Labour hold |
Saxon Shore by-election 2 May 2013 [13] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| UKIP | Christopher Cooper | 410 | 27.66 | |
| Conservative | Jane Martin | 759 | 51.21 | |
| Green | Geoffrey Meaden | 129 | 8.7 | |
| Labour | Thomas Reed | 174 | 11.74 | |
Majority | 349 | 23.54 | |
Turnout | 1482 | 35.67 | -16.98 |
| Conservative hold |
Wye by-election 6 March 2014 [14] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Ken Blanshard | 13 | 1.73 | -7.07 |
| Conservative | Ian Cooling | 240 | 31.95 | -6.82 |
| UKIP | Elaine Evans | 97 | 12.91 | +3.32 |
| Labour | Dylan Jones | 22 | 2.92 | -8.15 |
| Green | Geoffrey Meaden | 55 | 7.32 | +7.32 |
| Ashford Independents | Noel Ovenden | 323 | 43 | +4.23 |
Majority | 83 | 11.05 | |
Turnout | 751 | 41 | -14.46 |
| Ashford Independents 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] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Adrian Gee-Turner | 42 | 8.91 | +8.91 |
| Conservative | Alexander Howard | 110 | 23.35 | -20.27 |
| Ashford Independents | Christine Kathawick-Smith | 92 | 19.53 | +19.53 |
| Labour | Gordon Miller | 106 | 22.5 | -30.92 |
| Green | Thom Pizzey | 10 | 2.12 | +2.12 |
| UKIP | Harriet Yeo | 109 | 23.14 | +23.14 |
Majority | 1 | 0.21 | |
Turnout | 471 | 19.01 | -34.67 |
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Beaver by-election 4 August 2016[16] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| UKIP | Ryan Macpherson | 373 | 42.1 | +11.6 |
| Labour | Caroline Harris | 243 | 27.4 | -3.3 |
| Conservative | Jo Gideon | 240 | 27.1 | +0.2 |
| Green | Liz Wright | 31 | 3.5 | -3.8 |
Majority | 130 | 14.7 | |
Turnout | 890 | 21.3 | -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] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | James Galloway | 260 | 11.04 | |
| UKIP | Serge Goldenberg-Kosbab | 181 | 7.68 | |
| Green | Maria Pizzey | 99 | 4.2 | |
| Conservative | David Robey | 753 | 31.98 | |
| Labour | John Charles Suddards | 1052 | 44.68 | |
Majority | 299 | 12.7 | |
Turnout | 2354 | 56.81 | -0.29 |
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Bockhanger by-election 8 June 2017[18] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Euan Anckorn | 415 | 31.27 | -1.2 |
| Green | Steve Campkin | 97 | 7.3 | +7.3 |
| Conservative | Simon Howard-Smith | 697 | 52.52 | +12 |
| UKIP | Liah Macpherson | 113 | 8.51 | +8.51 |
Majority | 282 | 21.25 | +10.7 |
Turnout | 1327 | 64.07 | +1.92 |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Kennington by-election 25 October 2018[19] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Ashford Independents | Ian McAllister Anderson | 227 | 38.02 | +23.1 |
| Conservative | Nathan Iliffe | 247 | 41.37 | -6.6 |
| Labour | Dylan Jones | 85 | 14.23 | +6 |
| Green | Peter Morgan | 36 | 6 | +6 |
Majority | 20 | 3.35 | |
Turnout | 597 | 32.8 | -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] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Ashford Independents | Rachael Carley | 67 | 10.38 | +10.38 |
| Conservative | Charles Dehnel | 229 | 35.5 | -11.9 |
| Liberal Democrats | Adrian Gee-Turner | 70 | 10.85 | -7.8 |
| Green | Geoffery Meaden | 190 | 29.45 | +5.9 |
| UKIP | Philip Meads | 22 | 3.41 | +3.41 |
| Labour | Carly Ruppert Lingham | 17 | 2.63 | -7.7 |
| Independent | Sarah Williams | 49 | 7.59 | +7.59 |
Majority | 39 | 6 | |
Turnout | 645 | 32.52 | -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] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Ashford Independents | Trish Cornish | 247 | 60.2 | +60.2 |
| Labour | Garry Harrison | 29 | 7 | -12.9 |
| Conservative | Aline Hicks | 115 | 28 | -33.5 |
| Green | Thom Pizzey | 11 | 2.6 | +2.6 |
| Liberal Democrats | Samuel Strolz | 8 | 1.9 | -16.7 |
Majority | 132 | 32.1 | |
Turnout | 410 | 22.05 | -5.2 |
| Ashford Independents 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] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Trevor Brooks | 469 | 41.9 | |
| Independent | Garry Harrison | 105 | 9.4 | |
| Labour | Dylan Jones | 402 | 36 | |
| Green | Thom Pizzey | 70 | 6.2 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Jacqueline Stamp | 64 | 5.7 | |
Majority | 66 | 5.9 | |
Turnout | 1115 | 23.47 | -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] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Green | Geoffery Meaden | 273 | 51.8 | +20.8 |
| Liberal Democrats | Carol Wilcox | 15 | 2.8 | -8.6 |
| Conservative | Sarah Williams | 239 | 45.5 | +7.9 |
Majority | 34 | 6.4 | |
Turnout | 529 | 25.96 | -5.6 |
| Greens 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] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Ashford Independents | Barry Ball | 101 | 21.1 | -7 |
| Green | Dawnie Nilsson | 191 | 39.9 | +21.5 |
| Labour | Terry Pavlou | 23 | 4.8 | +4.8 |
| Conservative | James Ransley | 163 | 34.1 | -6.5 |
Majority | 28 | 5.8% | |
Turnout | 478 | 23.66 | -11.39 |
| Greens gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
The 2021 Highfield by-election was triggered by the death of Councillor Gerald White.
References
- ^ "Role of a Councillor". Ashford.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ "England council elections". BBC News Online. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Council minutes". Ashford Borough Council. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
- ^ legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Ashford (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1975. Retrieved on 19 November 2015.
- ^ "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Ashford (Electoral Changes) Order 2001. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
- ^ legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Ashford (Electoral Changes) Order 2017. Retrieved on 27 December 2022.
- ^ "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Ashford Borough Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ John, Bunnett (25 November 2011). "Declaration of Result of Poll - Election of a Borough Councillor for Beaver (Ashford) Ward" (PDF). Ashford Borough Council.
- ^ Election of a Borough Councillor for Tenterden South ashford.gov.uk
- ^ Election of a Borough Councillor for Beaver (Ashford) ashford.gov.uk
- ^ Election of a Borough Councillor for Saxon Shore ashford.gov.uk
- ^ Election of a Borough Councillor for Wye Ward ashford.gov.uk
- ^ Election of a Borough Councillor for Aylesford Green (Ashford) ashford.gov.uk
- ^ "Beaver Ward by-election: Ukip steals labour seat in Ashford". 4 August 2016.
- ^ Election of a Borough Councillor for Victoria (Ashford) ashford.gov.uk
- ^ Election of a Borough Councillor for Bockhanger (Ashford) ashford.gov.uk
- ^ Election of a Borough Councillor for Kennington (Ashford) Ward of Ashford Borough Council ashford.gov.uk
- ^ Election of a Borough Councillor for Downs North ashford.gov.uk
- ^ Election results ashford.gov.uk
- ^ "View the 2021 Beaver Ward Election results".
- ^ Declaration of results ashford.gov.uk
- ^ Declaration of by-election results ashford.gov.uk
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