News | Elections Blue is the colour for voters THEREwere no election shocks in Tonbridge and Malling which remains true blue to the Tories.
Conservative Tom Tundendhat predictably romped to victory in the ultra-safe parliamentary seat with 31,887 votes, notching up a majority of 23,734. The former journalist and Army intelligence officer inherited the seat from Sir John Stanley, who stepped down after four decades, polling 18,178 at the 2010 election. Mr Tugendhat, who has com-
pleted stints inAfghanistan and Iraq with the Army, said he was “ex- tremely humbled but delighted to be able to serve the people of Tonbridge and Malling”. Ukip’s Robert Izzardwas runner-
up, polling 8,153, while Labour fin- ished third, with Claire Leigh getting 7,604 votes. Five years of hard work in her con- stituency paid off for Conservative Tracey Crouchwhowas returned as MPfor Chatham andAylesford with almost twice her previous majority. She was also given the position of sports minister in the new Conser- vative Government.
Labour candidate and Medway councillor Tristan Osbornesaw the Labour vote fade from 14,161 in 2010 to 10,159 this time. The Lib Dems also saw their vote collapse, while Ukip increased its share of the vote with Ian Wallace polling 8,581 – a rise of 7,267 on the previous poll.
MP for Chatham and Aylesford Tracey Crouch, who has been made sports minister, and the new MP for Tonbridge and Malling, TomTugendhat
Although her seatwas considered
to be one of the key marginals, tar- geted heavily by both Labour and Ukip, Miss Crouch polled a thump- ing 21,614, more than 1,000 up on her previous result. The result saw her majority over Labour increase from 6,069 in 2010, when she won the seat from Labour, to 11,455.
Aformer head of public affairs for
Aviva, Miss Crouch (40) has won recognition as a popular MP. She said: “I have worked incredi-
bly hard for consituents during the last five years. I have occasionally stood up as an independent voice within Parliament and I thank peo- ple for putting their trust in me.”
Conservatives Sarah Barker and David Lettington and Lib Dem Trudy Dean
Conservatives tighten their grip on borough
CONSERVATIVES strengthened their hold on Tonbridge and Malling Council in the election on May 7, scooping 48 of the 54 seats – one more than last time. Despite their dismal national showing, the Liberal Democrats
held on to their stake in the borough, finishing with an unchanged total of four seats. Successes included Lib Dem stalwart Trudy Dean, who com-
pleted her political hat-trick by adding a borough seat in Larkfield North to those she already holds on Kent County Council andWest Malling Parish Council. Her colleague David Thornewell, chairman of East Malling and Larkfield Parish Council, finished fourth in the same ward, failing to gain a seat. Labour fared badly in the borough, losing its one seat in Snod-
land East, where Sue Bell and David Lettington cruised home for the Tories. And although Ukip gained 7% of the vote it was left empty-handed, while the Lib Dems, with just 1% more, took four seats. There are now two seats held by Independents, an increase of one. In Kings Hill, former parish council chairman Sarah Barker topped the poll for the Tories to make her borough debut, while the parish’s current chairman DaveWaller failed to gain a seat as an Independent. From a total borough electorate of 92,491 people, 64,514 (70%) turned out to vote on election day.
10 Malling May 2015
Here are the Tonbridge and Malling Councilward results in the area covered by the Downs Mail: *denotes retiring councillor AylesfordNorth andWalderslade (3) Michael Base (Con) 2,192; Sandra Hall (Con) 2,164; Allan Sulllivan* (Con); Thomas Shelley (Lab) 873; Rizwana Shelley (Lab) 865. Turnout 70% Aylesford South (2): Steve Hammond (Con) 1,428; Trevor Walker (Con) 1,253; Mandy Morrison (LD) 656. Turnout68% Ditton (2): BenWalker (Con) 1660; TomCannon (Con) 1536; Sara Hegarty (Lab) 580; Jo Makowski (Green) 428; Shakiba Shelley (Lab) 365. Turnout71% Downs and Mereworth (2): Ann Kemp* (Con) 1550;Matthew Balfour* (Con) 1536; Paul Spensley (Ukip) 635; Jan Prior (Green) 538. Turnout76% East Malling (2): Roger Roud (LD) 865; Daniel Markham (Con) 843; Michelle Tatton (LD) 800; ZeenaraNajam (Con) 594; Garry Harrison (Ukip) 476; Kathleen Garlick (Lab) 250; Sarah Palmer (Lab) 210; Charlotte Irving (Green) 154). Turnout 65% Hadlow and East Peckham (3): Jill Anderson* (Con) 2,204; Janet Sergison* (Con) 1,915; Howard Rogers*(Con) 1,910; Alan Willock (Ukip) 1,119; Calum Byrne (Green) 921. Turnout68% Kings Hill (3): Sarah Barker (Con) 2,719; Lee O’Toole (Con) 2,044; Piers Montague (Con) 1,865; Helen Brown (Ukip) 843; Dave Waller (Ind) 747; David Morfill (Lab) 673. Turnout73%
Full results: Chatham andAylesford Tracey Crouch (Con) 21,614; Tristan Osborne (Lab) 10,159; IanWallace (Ukip) 8,581; Thomas Quinton (LD) 1,360; Luke Balnave (Green) 1,101; John-Wesley Gibson (Christian People’s Alliance) 133; Ivor Riddell (Trade Union& Socialist Coalition) 125. Turnout 62.8%
Tonbridge and Malling Tom Tugendhat (Con) 31,887; Rob Izzard (Ukip) 8,153; Claire Leigh (Lab) 7,604; Mary Varrall (LD) 3,660; Howard Porter (Green) 2,366. Turnout 72%
LIST OF BOROUGH COUNCIL RESULTS
Larkfield North (2): Mike Parry-Waller* (Con) 996; Trudy Dean (LD) 987; Russ Taylor (Con) 933; David Thornewell (LD) 915; Janet Denbow (Lab) 266; JoyWharton (Lab) 182. Turnout68% Larkfield South (2): AnitaOakley* (LD) 1,056; Timothy Bishop* (LD) 847; Dougie Dick (Con) 721; Christopher Brown*(Con) 555; David Finn (Lab) 269; Jonathan Finn (Lab) 208; Samuel Dunstall (Green) 140. Turnout65% Snodland East and Ham Hill (2): Sue Bell (Con) 872; David Lettington (Con) 741; Jeff Tucker (Ukip) 544; Sean Henry (Lab) 535;Wayne Mallard (Lab) 513; Luke Chapman (LD) 153; Paul Rootes (LD) 116. Turnout55% SnodlandWest and Holborough Lakes (3): Barbara Brown* (Con) 1,408; David Keeley* (Con) 1,373; Steven King* (Con) 1,228; Paul Hickmott (Lab) 1,063; Jeffrey Hand (Lab) 776; Bryan Harrod (Lab) 767; Ryan Batty (LD) 225; Thomas Smith (LD) 194; Matthew Cradduck (LD) 192. Turnout 63% Wateringbury (1): Simon Jessel* (Con) 877; Helen Long (Green) 151; Jeremy Teasdale (Lab) 139. Turnout75% West Malling and Leybourne (3): Brian Luker* (Con) 1,608; Sophie Shrubsole* (Con) 1,524; Sasha Luck* (Con) 1,468; Philip Granger (Ukip) 761; Yvonne Smyth (LD) 671; Richard Baker-Howard (LD) 612; Richard Selkirk (LD) 578; Bob Ulph (Ind) 552; Gareth Henry (Lab) 395; Barry Chap- ple (Ind) 377; Stephen Jackson (Green) 335; Michael Mearns (Ind) 334. Turnout72%
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