Swale Independents

The Swale Independents are a local political party based in the borough of Swale. It was founded in 2018 by the former leader of UKIP on Swale Borough Council, Mike Baldock.^[1][2][3]

Swale Independents
Leader	Mike Baldock
Founded	21 May 2018; 7 years ago (2018-05-21)
Headquarters	24 Station Road, Newington, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 7JS
Ideology	Localism
Colours	Orange   Green
Slogan	"Putting Local People First"
Kent County Council	0 / 81
Swale Borough Council	8 / 47
Website
www.swaleindependentsalliance.org
Politics of the United Kingdom Political parties Elections

They sit together with one independent on Swale Borough Council as "The Swale Independents Alliance".^[4]

History

At the 2019 Swale Borough Council election, the party elected 10 councillors. After the election, a "rainbow coalition" of the Swale Independents, Labour, Liberal Democrats, independents, and the Greens, was formed. This ended 17 years of Conservative control of the council.^[5][6][7]

In 2020, the party's leader, Mike Baldock, faced criticism for opposing new houses being built, despite being a landlord who owns three houses, and an acre of land, worth £1 million in total.^[8]

At the 2021 Kent County Council election, Baldock won a seat, becoming the party's sole representative on the council.^[9][10]

From April 2022 to May 2023, Baldock served as Swale Borough Council's leader.^[11][12]

At the 2023 Swale Borough Council election, the party won 11 council seats.^[13] Afterwards, they formed another coalition with Labour and the Greens.^[14]

In December 2023, Baldock resigned as deputy leader of Swale Borough Council, after a disagreement with the Labour group. He returned to the role just two weeks later.^[15][16]

In March 2024, Baldock was selected as the party's candidate for Sittingbourne and Sheppey in the 2024 general election.^[17] He came fourth with 7.9% of the vote.^[18]

In February 2025, four borough councillors left the party to join Reform UK, citing their fear that the UK is "heading for a Labour-run dictatorship". Mike Baldock called the move "a huge betrayal of the people who voted for them" and suggested that the defectors should resign and contest by-elections as Reform candidates.^[19][20]

Principles

The party supports Swale Borough Council changing from a cabinet system to a committee structure. It opposes whipping and the prioritisation of partisan interests over local people.^[21]