The Liberal Democrats have triumphed in Tunbridge Wells as Reform UK took control of Kent County Council.
Cranbrook was held by the Conservatives but only by 16 votes.
Across Kent, Reform UK won 57 seats, Liberal Democrats 12, Conservatives 5, Greens 5, Labour 2.
The Conservative's leader, Roger Gough (below), lost his seat in Sevenoaks North and Darent Valley. He described the Tory situation as “apocalyptic” just after midday today and added: “That is the only way I can describe it.”
A senior Tory texted: “This is about as close to wipeout as you’re ever going to see.”
The Conservatives won all six seats within the Tunbridge Wells Borough area in the last county vote in 2021 at the height of Boris Johnson's national popularity.
This time the Liberal Democrats were victorious, having last year taken overall control of the Borough Council and coming top in the General Election vote.
The Liberal Democrats won all 5 seats around the town, including Tunbridge Wells Rural, where the Conservatives were knocked into third place by Reform UK
The Liberal Democrat MP for Tunbridge Wells, Mike Martin, gave this reaction to Zac Daunt-Jones of West Kent Radio.
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Overall in the Sevenoaks Borough (which includes Swanley), Lib Dems won the town of Sevenoaks, while Reform won 4 seats and there was one surviving Conservative in Sevenoaks West.
On a visit to Tunbridge Wells on Wednesday, Lib Dem leader spoke to supporters..
Mark Ellis (pictured below) is one of the Liberal Democrats who was elected to a former Conservative seat, with a triumph in Tunbridge Wells North.
TUNBRIDGE WELLS NORTH (including Southborough)
| Election Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Mark Strafford Ellis |
Liberal Democrat | 2026 | 42% | Elected |
| Christopher Hoare |
Reform UK | 1071 | 22% | Not elected |
| Vivek Gautam |
Conservative | 614 | 13% | Not elected |
| Tom Connolly |
Labour | 571 | 12% | Not elected |
| Maria Gavin |
Green Party | 329 | 7% | Not elected |
| Kit Hawes-Webb |
Tunbridge Wells Alliance | 87 | 2% | Not elected |
| Joe Dore |
Independents for Tunbridge Wells | 70 | 1% | Not elected |
TUNBRIDGE WELLS WEST
| Election Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Joseph Moreland |
Liberal Democrat | 1869 | 35% | Elected |
| Richard Long |
Conservative | 1400 | 26% | Not elected |
| Rob Grindley |
Reform UK | 906 | 17% | Not elected |
| Jayne Angharad Sharratt |
Labour | 591 | 11% | Not elected |
| Stephanie Teresa Gandon |
Green Party | 345 | 6% | Not elected |
| Clare Lorraine Escombe |
Tunbridge Wells Alliance | 160 | 3% | Not elected |
| David James Kain |
Independents for Tunbridge Wells | 47 | 1% | Not elected |
TUNBRIDGE WELLS SOUTH
| Election Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Dale Brice |
Liberal Democrat | 2001 | 38% | Elected |
| John Russell Spence |
Reform UK | 1044 | 20% | Not elected |
| Sedat Zorba |
Conservative | 1031 | 19% | Not elected |
| Jeremy Audsley Clapham |
Green Party | 525 | 10% | Not elected |
| Nick Pope |
Tunbridge Wells Alliance | 458 | 9% | Not elected |
| Kate McAlpine |
Labour | 257 | 5% | Not elected |
TUNBRIDGE WELLS EAST
| Election Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colin Michael Sefton |
Liberal Democrat | 1690 | 37% | Elected |
| Andrew George Hobart |
Conservative | 950 | 21% | Not elected |
| Kris Niewolski |
Reform UK | 922 | 20% | Not elected |
| Suzie Wakeman |
Independents for Tunbridge Wells | 375 | 8% | Not elected |
| Alan James Bullion |
Labour and Co-operative Party | 302 | 7% | Not elected |
| Kate Sergeant |
Green Party | 271 | 6% | Not elected |
| Paul Motaz Johnson |
Tunbridge Wells Alliance | 75 | 2% | Not elected |
TUNBRIDGE WELLS RURAL
| Mark Gavin Munday |
Liberal Democrat | 1767 | 35% | Elected |
| Oliver James Kinkade |
Reform UK | 1500 | 30% | Not elected |
| Sarah Ann Hamilton |
Conservative | 1276 | 25% | Not elected |
| Alasdair James Milner Fraser |
Green Party | 272 | 5% | Not elected |
| Anne Priscilla Musker |
Labour | 141 | 3% | Not elected |
| Alison Valda Webster |
Tunbridge Wells Alliance | 81 | 2% | Not elected |
| Libby Richardson |
Independents for Tunbridge Wells | 41 | 1% | Not elected |
CRANBROOK
| Election Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claudine Jane Russell |
Conservative | 1442 | 29% | Elected |
| Lucie Gavrilova |
Reform UK | 1425 | 28% | Not elected |
| Ellen Neville |
Tunbridge Wells Alliance | 1107 | 22% | Not elected |
| Vivian Alice Widgery |
Liberal Democrat | 426 | 8% | Not elected |
| Helen Claire Yeo |
Green Party | 384 | 8% | Not elected |
| Gregory James Holder |
Labour | 187 | 4% | Not elected |
| Dan Littlechild |
Independents for Tunbridge Wells | 66 | 1% | Not elected |
Political Earthquake
Tonbridge Results
New Season Starts
Damage to Historic Train
Nature in Crisis
Funding "challenging"
Finches Farm
Funding Cuts
