2023 Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council election

An election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect councillors to Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council in Kent, England. This took place on the same day as other local elections across England. Boundary changes which took effect at this election saw the number of councillors reduced from 54 to 44 and the number of wards reduced from 24 to 19.

2023 Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council election

← 2019 4 May 2023 (2023-05-04) 2027 →
All 44 seats to Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council 23 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	35.8%
First party Second party Third party   Leader Matt Boughton[1] Anita Oakley April Clark Party Conservative Liberal Democrats Green Last election 39 seats, 46.9% 9 seats, 19.5% 2 seats, 11.5% Seats won 20 11 8 Seat change 19 2 6 Popular vote 32,304 19,808 16,621 Percentage 40.2% 24.6% 20.7% Swing 6.7% 5.1% 9.2%   Fourth party Fifth party   Leader Mike Taylor Party Labour Ind. Alliance Last election 1 seat, 8.0% 3 seats, 8.6% Seats won 3 2 Seat change 2 1 Popular vote 6,358 4,472 Percentage 7.9% 5.6% Swing 0.1% 3.0%
Winner of each seat at the 2023 Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council election
Leader before election Matt Boughton Conservative Leader after election Matt Boughton Conservative No overall control

The council went from having a Conservative majority to being under no overall control.^[2] The Conservatives and Independent Alliance formed a coalition after the election; with 22 councillors they had exactly half the seats on the council. At the subsequent annual council meeting on 17 May 2023 the Conservative leader Matt Boughton retained his position as leader of the council. The vote was initially tied at 22 votes both for and against. The new Conservative mayor, James Lark, used his casting vote in favour of Boughton remaining leader. Independent Alliance leader Mike Taylor was made the cabinet member for planning.^[3]

Summary

Election result

The overall result was as follows:^[4]

2023 Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council election
Party		Candidates	Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Conservative	44	20	0	4	19	45.5	40.2	32,304	–6.7
	Liberal Democrats	23	11	0	0	2	25.0	24.6	19,808	+5.1
	Green	18	8	2	0	6	18.2	20.7	16,621	+9.2
	Labour	19	3	2	0	2	6.8	7.9	6,358	–0.1
	Independent Alliance (Kent)	5	2	0	0	1	4.5	5.6	4,472	–3.0
	Independent	2	0	0	0		0.0	0.7	527	–3.4
	Reform UK	2	0	0	0		0.0	0.3	244	N/A
	Heritage	1	0	0	0		0.0	0.1	77	N/A

Ward results

The results for each ward were as follows, with an asterisk (*) indicating a sitting councillor standing for re-election.^[5][6]

Aylesford North & North Downs

Aylesford North & North Downs (3 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Roger Dalton*	953	45.9
	Conservative	Dave Davis*	909	43.8
	Conservative	Alex McDermott	737	35.5
	Labour	Stephen Beadle	661	31.9
	Liberal Democrats	Julia Bell	471	22.7
	Labour	Rizwana Shelley	329	15.9
	Liberal Democrats	David Young	321	15.5
	Labour	Thomas Shelley	315	15.2
	Independent	Jason Green	301	14.5
	Green	Em Perera	223	10.7
	Green	Mark West	195	9.4
	Reform UK	Rob Gailer	119	5.7
Turnout			2,075	29.4
Registered electors			7,071
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Aylesford South & Ditton

Aylesford South & Ditton (3 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Steve Hammond*	1,132	53.4
	Conservative	Rob Cannon*	975	46.0
	Conservative	Colin Williams*	975	46.0
	Liberal Democrats	Dan Markham	789	37.2
	Liberal Democrats	Trevor Walker	778	36.7
	Liberal Democrats	James Cox	700	33.0
	Labour	Julia Jenner	284	13.4
	Labour	Paul Wilson	241	11.4
Turnout			2,120	32.2
Registered electors			6,576
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Birling, Leybourne & Ryarsh

Birling, Leybourne & Ryarsh (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	Paul Boxall*	957	59.7
	Liberal Democrats	Bill Banks	870	54.2
	Conservative	Mary McKinlay	558	34.8
	Conservative	Sam Webb	543	33.9
	Labour	Deirdre Evans	120	7.5
Turnout			1,604	35.2
Registered electors			4,563
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

Borough Green & Platt

Borough Green & Platt (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Ind. Alliance	Mike Taylor*	1,233	75.6
	Ind. Alliance	Wendy Palmer*	1,199	73.5
	Conservative	Patrick Lohlein	319	19.6
	Conservative	Christian Wragg	291	17.8
Turnout			1,631	35.7
Registered electors			4,565
	Ind. Alliance win (new seat)
	Ind. Alliance win (new seat)

Bourne

Bourne (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Green	Steve Crisp	761	44.5
	Conservative	James Lark*	730	42.7
	Green	Bernice Catt	725	42.4
	Conservative	Piers Montague*	655	38.3
	Ind. Alliance	Sue Butterfill	355	20.8
Turnout			1,709	41.3
Registered electors			4,137
	Green win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Cage Green & Angel

Cage Green & Angel (3 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Green	Anna Cope*	1,828	62.3
	Green	Robert Oliver	1,737	59.2
	Green	Bethan Parry	1,639	55.9
	Conservative	Vivian Branson*	1,128	38.5
	Conservative	Jenny Lewis	1,087	37.1
	Conservative	Johurul Islam	983	33.5
Turnout			2,933	43.7
Registered electors			6,715
	Green win (new seat)
	Green win (new seat)
	Green win (new seat)

East Malling, West Malling & Offham

East Malling, West Malling & Offham (3 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	Trudy Dean*	1,831	62.4
	Liberal Democrats	Roger Roud*	1,620	55.2
	Liberal Democrats	Michelle Tatton*	1,598	54.5
	Conservative	David Thompson	695	23.7
	Conservative	Simon Slater	626	21.3
	Conservative	Joel Blacket	515	17.6
Turnout			2,402	36.2
Registered electors			6,629
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

East Peckham, West Peckham, Mereworth & Wateringbury

East Peckham, West Peckham, Mereworth & Wateringbury (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Sarah Hudson*	1,260	63.2
	Conservative	Matt Boughton*	1,201	60.2
	Green	Kim Winterbottom	377	18.9
	Green	Stephen Jackson	348	17.4
	Labour	Robin Potter	279	14.0
	Liberal Democrats	Suzanne Burdon	268	13.4
Turnout			1,995	40.0
Registered electors			4,991
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Higham

Higham (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Green	Lee Athwal	1,240	54.7	+34.3
	Conservative	Dennis King*	1,106	48.8	–10.1
	Green	Antony Burdon	1,101	48.6	N/A
	Conservative	Frixos Tombolis*	951	42.0	–3.6
Turnout			2,265	47.6	+10.9
Registered electors			4,757
	Green gain from Conservative
	Conservative hold

Hildenborough

Hildenborough (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Mark Rhodes*	1,011	52.6	–0.4
	Green	Kath Barton	928	48.3	+25.7
	Conservative	Steve Webster	812	42.2	–4.3
	Liberal Democrats	Helen Hobhouse	505	26.3	+11.3
	Labour	Michael Connor	282	14.7	+6.2
Turnout			1,923	44.8	+5.2
Registered electors			4,289
	Conservative hold
	Green gain from Conservative

Judd

Judd (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Green	Mark Hood*	1,633	79.0	+1.9
	Green	George Hines	1,562	75.6	+0.2
	Conservative	Holly Ware	358	17.3	–0.5
	Conservative	Paul Webster	321	15.5	+1.6
	Labour	Matthew Oliver	151	7.3	N/A
Turnout			2,066	44.1	–6.8
Registered electors			4,683
	Green hold
	Green hold

Kings Hill

Kings Hill (3 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Dan Harman*	1,085	56.8	+9.4
	Conservative	Christopher Brown*	1,048	54.8	+0.1
	Conservative	Kim Tanner*	1,047	54.8	+13.4
	Green	Richard Dowling	480	25.1	N/A
	Green	Louis Westlake	438	22.9	N/A
	Labour	Kathleen Garlick	258	13.5	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Nick Taplin	256	13.4	–7.8
	Labour	Sarah Palmer	234	12.2	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Ken Poege	234	12.2	–4.4
	Liberal Democrats	James Young	216	11.3	N/A
Turnout			1,911	27.6	+1.8
Registered electors			6,930
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

Larkfield

Larkfield (3 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	David Thornewell*	1,401	78.5
	Liberal Democrats	Anita Oakley*	1,385	77.6
	Liberal Democrats	Timothy Bishop*	1,372	76.9
	Conservative	Dougie Dick	371	20.8
	Conservative	Harry Noble	284	15.9
	Conservative	Edward Thackwell	272	15.2
Turnout			1,785	25.8
Registered electors			6,911
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

Pilgrims with Ightham

Pilgrims with Ightham (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Robin Betts*	987	53.0
	Conservative	Martin Coffin*	934	50.1
	Ind. Alliance	Tim Shaw*	908	48.7
	Ind. Alliance	Scott Millener	777	41.7
Turnout			1,864	40.9
Registered electors			4,588
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Snodland East & Ham Hill

Snodland East & Ham Hill (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Wayne Mallard	487	52.3	+11.9
	Conservative	Sue Bell*	445	47.8	–5.6
	Labour	Martin Aldridge	430	46.2	N/A
	Conservative	Brian Luker*	399	42.9	–5.4
Turnout			931	22.3	+0.6
Registered electors			4,182
	Labour gain from Conservative
	Conservative hold

Snodland West & Holborough Lakes

Snodland West & Holborough Lakes (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Paul Hickmott*	755	62.7	+10.6
	Labour	Angus Bennison	638	53.0	+10.0
	Conservative	David Gaunt	422	35.0	–15.0
	Conservative	Archie Bartlett	415	34.5	–14.5
	Heritage	Vicky Parker	77	6.4	N/A
Turnout			1,204	27.4	+0.9
Registered electors			4,394
	Labour hold
	Labour gain from Conservative

Trench

Trench (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Adem Mehmet	735	43.2	–2.2
	Conservative	Keith Tunstall	726	42.6	–2.4
	Green	Stacey Pilgrim	720	42.3	N/A
	Green	Chris Hill	686	40.3	N/A
	Labour	Callum Lake	173	10.2	–13.3
	Labour	Kathryn Parish	165	9.7	–13.2
	Liberal Democrats	Yvonne Brightmore	97	5.7	N/A
Turnout			1,703	40.8	+11.9
Registered electors			4,172
	Conservative hold
	Conservative hold

Vauxhall

Vauxhall (3 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Frances Hoskins*	1,487	63.2	–1.7
	Liberal Democrats	Garry Bridge*	1,306	55.5	–1.9
	Liberal Democrats	James Clokey	1,275	54.2	N/A
	Conservative	David Cain	612	26.0	–13.8
	Conservative	Michael Payne	603	25.6	–8.1
	Conservative	Roberick Tay	544	23.1	N/A
	Labour	Kerry Jordan-Daus	338	14.4	N/A
	Independent	Rachna Sinha	226	9.6	N/A
	Reform UK	Peregrine White	125	5.3	N/A
Turnout			2,352	37.8	+2.4
Registered electors			6,225
	Liberal Democrats hold
	Liberal Democrats hold
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

Walderslade

Walderslade

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Des Keers*	544	65.3
	Labour Co-op	Lola Oyemusi	218	26.2
	Liberal Democrats	Lisa Cox	71	8.5
Majority			326	39.1
Turnout			844	36.0
Registered electors			2,345
	Conservative win (new seat)

Byelections

There was a byelection in Judd ward on 4 July 2024, coinciding with the general election.^[7]