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Tories sweep Swale in election

A polling station
A polling station

by Emma Grove

The Conservatives have made a clean sweep of the borough with all of the seven seats up for grabs in the elections now blue.

Signs that a full Tory house was on the cards in the Kent County Council elections came early on in the count when Labour lost its hold of Sheerness.

Conservative candidate Ken Pugh grabbed the seat from Labour candidate Angela Harrison by more than 100 votes.

Mr Pugh said: "I feel elated, it's been a hard fight.

"We took the fight to the Labour stronghold and it has proved successful."

Mr Pugh also said one of his main policies will be to secure a town council for Sheerness.

Results for the other seats came in a steady blue stream with the Conservatives keeping hold of Sheppey, Faversham, Swale East, and Swale West.

Adrian Crowther (Con) kept hold of his Sheppey seat and Tom Gates (Con) kept his Faversham seat, while Andrew Bowles and Keith Ferrin (both Con) remain in their seats for Swale East and Swale West.

Mr Bowles said: "I'm pleased and relieved.

"It points to two things - the tremendous record of Conservatives at County Hall, allied to a widespread view that the current Labour Government in West Minster has run out of time, energy and ideas."

Of the two Swale Central seats up Labour lost one to the Conservatives who have hold of the other.

Roger Truelove (Lab) lost his Swale Central seat, and Brenda Simpson (Con), who held the other seat, was not standing this time round.

The two seats were taken by the former Mayor of Swale, Alan Willicombe, and Mike Whiting (both Con).

Mr Willicombe said: "I thought it would be a very close run campaign.

"Roger Truelove has been a very good councillor for Swale.

"I narrowly missed getting selected last time round and I am really grateful this time."

It now means all of the borough’s seven seats are Conservative

For full results click here and follow the links.

Full report in next week's Times Guardian

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