title: Tunbridge Wells Borough Council elections
text: # Tunbridge Wells Borough Council elections
  
  One third of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in Kent, England, is elected each year, followed by one year without election. Since the last boundary changes in 2002, 48 councillors have been elected from 20 wards.
  
  ## Political control
  
  The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1973 has been held by the following parties:
  
  | Party in control | Years |
  | - | - |
  | Conservative | 1973–1994 |
  | No overall control | 1994–1996 |
  | Liberal Democrats | 1996–1998 |
  | Conservative | 1998–2021 |
  | No overall control | 2021–present |
  
  ### Leadership
  
  The leaders of the council since 1998 have been:
  
  | Councillor | Party | From | To |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | James Scholes | Conservative | 1998 | 21 May 2002 |
  | Len Horwood | Conservative | 21 May 2002 | 30 Jun 2004 |
  | Melvyn Howell | Conservative | 30 Jun 2004 | 23 May 2007 |
  | Roy Bullock | Conservative | 23 May 2007 | 19 Jan 2011 |
  | Bob Atwood | Conservative | 19 Jan 2011 | 6 May 2012 |
  | David Jukes | Conservative | 23 May 2012 | 5 May 2019 |
  | Alan McDermott | Conservative | 22 May 2019 | 26 May 2021 |
  | Tom Dawlings | Conservative | 26 May 2021 | 25 May 2022 |
  | Ben Chapelard | Liberal Democrats | 25 May 2022 | |
  
  ## Council elections
  
  * 1973 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
  * 1976 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election (new ward boundaries)
  * 1979 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
  * 1980 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
  * 1982 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
  * 1983 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
  * 1984 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
  * 1986 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
  * 1987 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election (borough boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)
  * 1988 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
  * 1990 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
  * 1991 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
  * 1992 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
  * 1994 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election (borough boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)
  * 1995 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election (borough boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)
  * 1996 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
  * 1998 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election — Con 27, LD 12, Lab 7, Ind 2
  * 1999 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election — Con 28, LD 12, Lab 7, Ind 1
  * 2000 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election — Con 31, LD 11, Lab 5, Ind 1
  * 2002 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election (new ward boundaries) — Con 34 LD 11, Lab 3
  * 2003 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election — Con 33, LD 12, Lab 3
  * 2004 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election — Con 35, LD 12, Lab 1
  * 2006 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election — Con 38, LD 9, Lab 1
  * 2007 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election — Con 41, LD 7
  * 2008 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election — Con 44, LD 4
  * 2010 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election — Con 42, LD 6
  * 2011 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
  * 2012 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election — Con 39, LD 6, Lab 1, UKIP 1, Ind 1
  * 2015 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
  * 2016 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
  * 2018 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
  * 2019 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
  * 2021 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
  * 2022 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
  
      (figures are the resulting councillors per party after the election)
  
  ## Borough result maps
  
  * 2006 results map
  * 2007 results map
  * 2008 results map
  * 2010 results map
  * 2021 results map
  
  ## By-election results
  
  ### 1997–2001
  
  Pantiles by-election 25 September 1997 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Liberal Democrats | | 510 | 51.7 | +2.9 |
  | | Conservative | | 377 | 38.2 | +3.0 |
  | | Labour | | 100 | 10.1 | -5.9 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 133 | 13.5 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 987 | | |
  | | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
  
  ### 2001–2005
  
  Cranbrook by-election 18 October 2001 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Independent | | 465 | 58.6 | +58.6 |
  | | Conservative | | 328 | 41.4 | -3.2 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 137 | 17.2 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 793 | 21.4 | |
  | | Independent gain from Liberal Democrats | Independent gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
  
  Southborough and High Brooms by-election 11 March 2004 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Conservative | Colin Bothwell | 465 | 41.0 | -4.5 |
  | | Labour | David Belchem | 429 | 38.6 | -7.1 |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Alan Bullion | 171 | 15.4 | +15.4 |
  | | UKIP | Victor Webb | 55 | 5.0 | +5.0 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 27 | 2.4 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,111 | 21.7 | |
  | | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
  
  St John's by-election 17 March 2005 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Conservative | Brian Ransley | 500 | 41.6 | +4.0 |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Joanna Au Brey | 390 | 32.5 | -9.4 |
  | | Labour | Maurice Knights | 244 | 20.3 | +11.7 |
  | | Green | Phyllis Leslie | 66 | 5.5 | -1.9 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 110 | 9.1 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,200 | 25.1 | |
  | | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
  
  ### 2005–2009
  
  Pembury by-election 30 June 2005 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Thomas Symondson | 699 | 50.0 | +16.2 |
  | | Conservative | Michael Tompsett | 657 | 47.0 | -10.7 |
  | | UKIP | Vitor Webb | 41 | 2.4 | +2.4 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 42 | 3.0 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,397 | 31.4 | |
  | | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
  
  Pantiles and St Mark's by-election 13 September 2007 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Conservative | Glenn Hall | 788 | 59.8 | -4.3 |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Jamie Johnson | 364 | 27.6 | +0.5 |
  | | Labour | Lorna Blackmore | 94 | 7.1 | +7.1 |
  | | UKIP | Victor Webb | 71 | 5.4 | -3.4 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 424 | 32.2 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,317 | 27.3 | |
  | | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
  
  ### 2009–2013
  
  St James by-election 7 October 2010 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Benjamin Chapelard | 649 | 62.0 | -2.9 |
  | | Conservative | Robert Rutherford | 294 | 28.1 | -7.0 |
  | | Green | Richard Leslie | 103 | 9.8 | +9.8 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 355 | 33.9 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,046 | 24.7 | |
  | | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
  
  Sherwood by-election 16 December 2010 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Conservative | Robert Backhouse | 422 | 47.6 | -0.4 |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Alan Bullion | 174 | 19.6 | -6.7 |
  | | Labour | Ian Carvell | 124 | 14.0 | -2.3 |
  | | UKIP | Victor Webb | 92 | 10.4 | +1.0 |
  | | English Democrat | Joanna Stanley | 75 | 8.5 | +8.5 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 248 | 27.9 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 888 | 18.6 | |
  | | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
  
  Pembury by-election 17 March 2011 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Claire Brown | 578 | 43.3 | +2.7 |
  | | Conservative | Robert Rutherford | 460 | 34.5 | -24.9 |
  | | UKIP | Victor Webb | 297 | 22.2 | +22.2 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 118 | 8.8 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,335 | 35.4 | |
  | | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
  
  ### 2013–2017
  
  Southborough North by-election 10 September 2015 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Conservative | Joe Simmons | 484 | 43.7 | -11.8 |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Trevor William Poile | 434 | 39.3 | +26.6 |
  | | UKIP | Will O'Shea | 188 | 17.0 | +1.6 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 49 | 4.4 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,105 | 34.2 | |
  | | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
  
  ### 2017–2021
  
  Culverden by-election 14 November 2019 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Liberal Democrats | Justine Victoria Rutland | 888 | 46.7 | +33.5 |
  | | Conservative | David Godfrey Elliott | 474 | 24.9 | -19.1 |
  | | Women's Equality | Liz Orr | 193 | 10.2 | N/A |
  | | Alliance | Rachel Sarah Bethan Daly | 180 | 9.5 | N/A |
  | | Labour | David James Adams | 99 | 5.2 | -14.3 |
  | | Green | Aimee Caroline Taylor | 67 | 3.5 | -7.5 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 414 | 21.8 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,901 | 32.1 | |
  | | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
  
  ### 2021-2025
  
  Speldhurst and Bidborough by-election 25 November 2021 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Alliance | Matthew Sankey | 788 | 49.8 |
  | | Conservative | Rowena Stanyer | 730 | 46.1 |
  | | Labour | Aleksander Klimanski | 65 | 4.1 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 58 | 3.7 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,583 | |
  | | Alliance gain from Conservative | Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing | |
  