Swale Borough Council election, 2011

Map of the results of the 2011 Swale Borough Council election. Conservatives in blue, Labour in red, Liberal Democrats in yellow and independent in light grey.

The 2011 Swale Borough Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of Swale Borough Council in Kent, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.^[1]

Background

For the 2011 election Swale switched to having the whole council elected every four years, from the previous system where a third of the seats were elected each year, followed by one year without an election.^[2] The decision was taken by the council in March 2010, after a consultation produced 162 responses in favour of the change and 136 responses against changing.^[2] As a result, all 47 seats on the council were contested with over 120 candidates standing at election.^[3]

Election result

The Conservatives remained in control of the council with 32 of the 47 seats, after a net loss of 1 seat.^[1] Labour increased to 13 councillors, the Liberal Democrats were reduced to 1 seat and the only independent councillor retained her seat.^[1][4]

Labour's Mark Ellen regained a seat in Sheerness East that he had lost at the 2010 election,^[5] while in Milton Regis Labour defeated the leader of the Liberal Democrat group Elvie Lowe who had represented the ward for 24 years.^[6] However the Conservatives took a seat from Labour in St Michaels ward, where the Conservative deupty mayoress Sylvia Bennett gained a seat on the council.^[5]

In West Downs the only independent councillor, Monique Bonney, held her seat defeating Conservative county councillor Mike Whiting by 41 votes.^[4] Meanwhile, the closest result came in Murston where both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors, Ed Gent and Dave Banks, took 420 votes after six recounts.^[5] Conservative Ed Gent took the seat after his name was pulled out of a hat and he was therefore given one extra vote.^[6] This meant Mike Henderson was the only Liberal Democrat to be elected after he held his seat in Davington Priory.^[7]

Following the election Roger Truelove became the new leader of the Labour group, replacing the leader for the previous 15 years Angela Harrison.^[8] The only Liberal Democrat councillor, Mike Henderson, meanwhile joined with the independent councillor Monique Bonney in the independent group on the council to ensure they both got positions on council committees.^[8]

Ward results

By-elections between 2011 and 2015

Kemsley

A by-election was held in Kemsley on 8 March 2012 after the death of Conservative councillor Brenda Simpson.^[11] The seat was held for the Conservatives by Mike Whiting with a majority of 72 votes over Labour candidate Richard Raycraft.^[11]

Sheppey Central

A by-election was held in Sheppey Central on 16 October 2014 following the death of Conservative councillor John Morris.^[12] The seat was gained for the UK Independence Party by David Jones with a majority of 507 votes over Conservative Tina Booth.^[12] David Jones became the second UK Independence Party councillor on Swale council after the defection of Adrian Crowther from the Conservatives in 2013.^[12]

References

Council elections in Kent
Kent County Council	1889 1892 1895 1898 1901 1904 1907 1910 1913 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1937 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 1961 1964 1967 1970 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017
Ashford Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015
Canterbury City Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015
Dartford Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015
Dover District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015
Gravesham Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015
Maidstone Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016
Medway Council	1997 2000 2003 2007 2011 2015
Sevenoaks District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015
Shepway District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015
Swale Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2015
Thanet District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015
Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016
Rochester-upon-Medway City Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 Abolished
Gillingham Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 Abolished
See also: Wards Boundary changes

(2010 ←)   United Kingdom local elections, 2011   (→ 2012)
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