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downsmail.co.uk


Elections |News Local vote a boost for Tories


THE map of Kent turned blue on May 4, proof that in the post-Brexit referendum climate, residents had bought into the much-chanted Tory mantra of “strong and stable” leadership. The Conservatives took 67 of the


81 seats, leaving the Liberal Democ- rats as an opposition of sorts at county hall, with just six. Perhaps the story of the day was


not the outright dominance of the victors, but how Ukip became so completely vanquished. All 17 of the seats they captured


on Kent County Council against the odds in 2013were lost. It will not have escaped them that


the surging support for the Euro- sceptic party four years ago had led to PM David Cameron calling the EU referendum, which he lost. Mr Cameron resigned and Theresa May – scenting four million Ukip votes could be hers – decided to win them over with a tough, un- compromising stance on theUKde- parture from the EU. Yet Ukip’s Eddie Powell had been


seen as a possible contender in Maidstone south-east, where Gary Cooke had beavered away for four years. In the end, the affable Mr Powell did not even come close. Cllr Cooke fought on local issues


– not least his opposition to Maid- stone Borough Council’s house- building programme and his


Archbishop’s debtwarning


ARCHBISHOP of Canterbury Justin Welby has voiced worries concerning social issues ahead of the general election on June 8. In a three-page letter to Angli-


cans and co-signed by Archbishop of York John Sentamu, he raised housing, the NHS and poverty as three areas to consider. He also warns of an economy


“over-reliant on debt". ArchbishopWelby calls on voters


to reflect on Christian heritage and “obligations to future generations" while calling on political leaders to "renew and re-imagine" the coun- try’s values. The letter also covers the need for home-building, the NHS and the government's Brexit negotiations. It says the election "is being con-


tested against the backdrop of deep and profound questions of identity. "Opportunities to renew and re- imagine our shared values as a country and a United Kingdom only come around every few gen- erations. "If our shared British values are


to carry the weight of where we now stand and the challenges ahead of us, they must have at their core, cohesion, courage and stabil- ity."


blamed the national picture and took comfort there are still elements of core Ukip support in and around south Maidstone Equally intriguingwasMaidstone


south where Liberal Democrat Brian Clarkwas incumbent but which the local Tory chairman Paul Cooper took handsomely. It had been on the Tories’ radar since 2013 (when the vote collapsed) and spent consider- able time and effort persuading his local support to turn out on the day. MrCooper’s majoritywas more than 300.


Cllr Gary Cooke at the count


crusade for a relief road linking the A274 and the A20 at junction 8. But he had been jittery about


Ukip, wondering what tricks Mr Powell had up his sleeve. None, as it turned out. Afterwards, Cllr Cooke said: “I


will continue to work full-time on behalf of all residents, whether they voted for me or not.” Housing numbers, traffic conges-


tion and Leeds-Langley relief road will be top of the agenda from day one. Ever-jolly Mr Powell, for his part,


Anythreat to the widely-respected Conservative Paulina Stockell – tar- geted by the Lib Dems’ Brian Mor- timer in Maidstone rural west – failed to materialise at all. The popular and well thought of


Jenny Whittle would be hard act to follow in the Maidstone rural east division but Shellina Prendergast not only won the seat but did so with a massive 70% of the vote. Her principal opponent Mark McGiffin of Ukip – brother of theTV present Carol –was more than 3,000 votes behind, a majority more akin to a parliamentary contest than a sin- gle division in a county election.


General Election


selections named THE candidates due to stand in the general election on June 8 have all now been named. All the main political parties are


represented with just one inde- pendent standing. They are:


MAIDSTONE &THEWEALD Helen Grant (Conservative) Emily Fermor (Liberal Democrat) Allen Simpson (Labour) Stuart Jeffery (Green Party) Yolande Kenward (Ind) PamWatts (Ukip)


FAVERSHAM&MID KENT Helen Whately (Conservative) David Naghi (Liberal Democrats) Alastair Gould (Green Party) Mark McGiffin (Ukip) Michael Desmond (Labour Party)


County council results are in


THE Kent County Council election on May 4 resulted in very few sur- prises with a landslide majority for the Conservatives. The Liberal Democrats - led by


Cllr Rob Bird - have become the op- position party. Group leader Trudy Dean decided to stand down. Ukip lost every one of the 17 seats


itwonin Kent in 2013 and members are bracing themselves for a poor show in the general elections in June.


These are the results for the rele-


vant Malling and Maidstone seats for the poll on May 4.


Malling Central: Trudy Dean 2,576 (52%- Lib Dem hold) ELECTED. Oth- ers: Dougie Dick Con 1,535 (35%); Sarah Palmer Lab 239 (5%); Helen Brown UKip 182 (4%).


Malling North: Sarah Hohler 2,512 (65%- Con hold) ELECTED. Others: Wayne Mallard Lab 763 (20%); Richard Selkirk Lib Dem 411 (11%); Howard Porter Green 158 (4%).


Malling North East: Peter Homewood 3,208 (69% - Con hold) ELECTED. Others: Darren Nicholls Lib Dem 620 (13%); Lola Ayeni Lab 594 (13%); Steve Jackson Green 217 (5%).


Malling Rural East: Matthew Balfour 3,230 (74% - Con hold) ELECTED. Others: Nicola Gibb Lib Dem 663 (15%); Jill Darby Green 450 (10%).


KCCRESULTS


THE Conservatives swept the boards on May 4 by winning all but 14 of the 81 seats in 72 divi- sions. Kent County Council's new political make-up is: Conservatives: 67 Liberal Democrats: 6 Labour: 5 Greens: 1


Independent: 2 Ukip, which won 17 seats in 2013, lost all of its KCCmembers.


Maidstone Central: Dan Daley 3,540 (22%- Lib Dem hold) ELECTED. Rob Bird 3,140 (20%- Lib Dem hold) ELECTED. Others: Alan Bartlett Con 2,746 (17%); Graham Jarvis Con 2,246 (14%); Keith Adkinson Lab 1,363 (9%); Paul Harper Lab 1,319 (8%); PamelaWatts UKip 647 (4%); Stuart Jeffery Green Party 470 (3%); Donna Greenan Green 444 (3%).


Maidstone North East: Ian Chittenden 2,232 (50% - Lib Dem hold) ELECTED. (Cheryl Taylor Maggio Con 1,411 (32%); Joanna Burns Lab 332, (7%); Nick Goddard UKip 310 (7%); Belinda Bassett Green 148 (3%).


Maidstone Rural East: Shellina Prendergast 3,482, (70% - Con hold) ELECTED. Others: Mark McGiffin UKip


472 (9%); Paul Wilby Lib Dem 458 (9%); Malcolm McKay Lab 397 (8%); Derek Eagle Green 201, (4%).


Maidstone Rural North: Paul Carter 3,042 (66% - Con hold) ELECTED. Others: Martin Cox Lib Dem 530 (11%); Tim Licence Lab 441 (10%); Gordon Newton UKip 408 (9%); Cia- ran Oliver Green 197 (4%).


Maidstone Rural South: Eric Hotson 2,912 (68% - Con hold) ELECTED. Others: Derek Mortimer Lib Dem 610, 14%; Stella Randall Lab 398, (9%); Caroline Jessel Green 356 (8%).


Maidstone RuralWest: Paulina Stockell 2,351 (49%) (Con hold) ELECTED. Others: Brian Mortimer Lib Dem 1,716, 36%;Martin Lack UKip, (7%); Richard Coates Lab 259 (5%); GeoffreyWilkinson Green 140 (3%).


Maidstone South: Paul Cooper 1,872 (42% - Con gain fromLib Dems) ELECTED. Others: Brian Clark Lib Dem 1,561 (35%);Michael HoggUKip 418 (9%); Patrick Coates Labour 371 (8%); IanMcDonald Green 101 (2%); Yolande Kenward Ind 82 (2%); Gary Butler Ind 46 (1%).


Maidstone South East: Gary Cooke 1496 (52% - Con hold) ELECTED. Others: Eddie Powell UKip 543 (19%); Dan Wilkinson Lab 496 (17%); David Naghi Lib Dem 247 (9%); Steven Cheeseman Green 107 (4%).


Maidstone East June 2017 23


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