by political editor Paul Francis, Chris Hunter
and Alan Smith

The Conservative leader of Tunbridge Wells council has lost his
seat to UKIP in a major shock.

Cllr Robert Atwood was defeated by just 46 votes in the Rusthall
ward as counting continued this morning.

The winning candidate, Piers Wauchope - a criminal
barrister and former Tory councillor in Camden - polled 533
votes against 487 for Mr Atwood, who had been leader for only a
year.

Labour’s attempt to mount an offensive in the borough brought
them just one victory.

It was the first time Labour had fielded a candidate in every
seat of the Tory heartland and the onslaught landed them a victory
in Southborough and High Brooms, where their candidate Alain Lewis
fought off Conservative candidate Nasir Jamil.

Another surprise came in Pembury where Independent Mike Tomsett
won one of the two seats up for grabs. The other was taken by
Conservative Paul Barrington-King.

The Conservatives managed to stop the rot at this point by
holding all their other seats, but the overwhelming feeling
was the party had been given more than just a black eye.

UKIP made a breakthrough on the council at the last elections in
Tunbridge Wells and now has two members.

A second leading Conservative has also lost his seat on
Tunbridge Wells. Cllr Brian Ransley was defeated by the Lib Dems in
Capel.

It comes after the County Town woke up to find nothing much had
changed after polling for the borough council elections
yesterday.

In an election marked by a very low turnout of just 29%, the
only significant difference was the return of a Labour candidate to
the council chamber after an absence of four years.

Labour took one seat with the election of Malcolm McKay in
Shepway South.

The Conservatives gained one seat from the Lib Dems in Heath
Ward and lost one to Labour, leaving them with no change overall on
30 seats.

The Lib Dems slipped two seats to 19 after they also lost Park
Wood to an Independent after deciding not to field a candidate.

Both Labour and the Independents gained one.

It means overall the Tories’ position remains unchanged with a
five seat majority over the combined total of opposition
parties.

Council leader Chris Garland survived his own election battle in
Shepway North, but with a much reduced majority.

He said: “I’m very pleased we have retained our position despite
the national situation. The low turnout however is
disappointing.”

Cllr Fran Wilson, the Lib Dem leader, felt her party had
suffered because of the national situation. She said: “It’s
frustrating, no matter how hard you work locally, people are still
swayed by the national politics.”

Newly elected Labour Cllr Malcolm Mackay said: “I’m delighted.
There will be more of us now that we have pushed open the
door.”

In Boughton Monchelsea, the former Independent leader Mike
Fitzgerald who retired at this election saw his nominated successor
Steve Munford easily win the seat with the biggest turnout of the
night, at 46%.

Both the Greens and Labour has been optimistic about wresting
Fant from Tory Stephen Paine, but it was not to be. After four
re-counts, Cllr Paine kept the seat with a 62 majority.

The Greens, UKIP and the National Front all failed to win a
seat.

The state of the parties in Maidstone

Conservative 30

Lib Dems 19

Independent 5

Labour 1

The results

Allington

Malcom Robertson (Lib
Dem) 1146

Barry Ginley (Con) 613

Wendy Hollands
(Lab) 266

Turnout: 36%

Barming

Fay Gooch (Ind)
722

Sue Black (Con) 182

Turnout: 46%

Bearsted

Richard Ash (Con) 1340

Steve Gibson (Lab) 396

Ciaran Oliver
(Green)
204

Geoffrey Samme (Lib Dem) 154

Turnout: 31%

Boughton Monchelsea and Chart Sutton

Steve Munford (Ind) 707

Andrew Le Hegarat (Con) 192

Gill Annan (Lab)
39

Turnout: 46%

Boxley

Wendy Hinder (Con) 1167

Michael Beckwith
(Lab) 357

Andrew Waldie (Green) 186

Turnout: 26%

Bridge

James Ross (Con) 443

Rob Field (Lib Dem) 407

Bruce Heald (Lab) 200

Robin Kinrade
(Green) 141

Turnout:
26%

Coxheath and Hunton

John Wilson (Con) 794

Martin Rabicano (Lib Dem) 638

Keith Woollven
(UKIP)
222

Stella Randall (Lab) 221

Denise Hay (Green) 114

Turnout:
34%

East

Martin Cox (Lib
Dem)
1060

Tony Dennison
(Con)
623

Hannah Patton
(Green) 312

Turnout:
30%

Fant

Stephen Paine
(Con)
610

Paul Harper (Lab) 548

Stuart Jeffery
(Green)
442

Irene Shepherd (Lib Dem) 311

Turnout: 28%

Headcorn

Richard Thick (Con) 1001

Penny Kemp (Ind) 417

Turnout:
36%

Heath (two seats)

Bryan Vizzard (Lib Dem) 499

Brian Moss (Con) 428

Mark Naghi (Lib
Dem)
369

Scott Hahnefeld
(Con) 349

Patrick Coates
(Lab)
217

Richard Coates
(Lab)
217

James Shalice (Green) 120

Turnout: 26%

High Street

Denise Joy (Lib
Dem)
649

Paul Butcher (Con) 374

Marianna Poliszczuk (Lab) 233

John Stanford
(UKIP)
176

Wendy Lewis
(Green)
113

Turnout:
23%

Marden and Yalding

Steve McLoughlin (Con)
1106

Edith Davis (Lab) 288

Ian McDonald
(Green)
199

Ralph Austin (Lib Dem) 179

Turnout:
30%

North

Jenni Paterson (Lib Dem) 907

Jeff Tree
(Con) 381

Keith Adkinson (Lab) 206

Turnout
27%

North Downs

Daphne Parvin
(Con)
442

Carol Vizzard (Ind) 115

Audrey Gardner
(Lab)
84

Sarah Goodwin (Green)
66

Turnout: 36%

Park Wood

Daniel Moriarty (Ind) 319

Debbie Fernandez (Lab)
276

Gary Cooke (Con) 214

Turnout:
18%

Shepway North

Christopher Garland (Con) 742

Jim Grogan (Lab) 595

Stephen Muggeridge
(Green)
167

Gary Butler (Nat
Front) 97

Turnout:
24%

Shepway South

Malcolm McKay 418

Bob Hinder (Con) 265

Geoff Licence (Ind) 260

Turnout:
21%

South

Ian Chittenden (Lib Dem) 1306

Vianne Gibbons
(Con) 757

Turnout:
32%