Reform UK has doubled its presence on a district council after gaining its second seat following a comfortable by-election win.

A poll for the Thanet District Council seat was held yesterday (October 30) following the resignation of former Garlinge representative, John Worrow, in September.

Darren Oxborrow will now sit alongside the only other Reform member at the local authority, Cllr Peter Evans.

With 781 ballots counted, Darren Oxborrow secured 44.6% of the vote (348 votes), with Conservative Kerry Boyd picking up 32% (250 votes) in a turnout of 21%.

Labour (62 votes), the Green Party (61 votes), the Liberal Democrats (36 votes) and independent candidate Ian Driver (24 votes) all polled only single-digit shares of the vote.

The vote swing contrasts starkly with the results of the election for the ward in 2023, which saw two members of the now-defunct Thanet Independents elected with a majority.

However, Ms Boyd closed the gap on her split of the vote compared to last time around.

Labour holds a majority with 31 seats on the 56-seat local authority - one fewer than was elected after Margate Central Cllr Rob Yates defected to the Greens in September.

Kent County Council leader Linden Kemkaran hailed the victory as “another excellent win for Reform in Kent”.

She earlier shared a picture of her with Cllr Oxborrow, describing him as a “fabulous” candidate.

While Reform continues to top opinion polls nationally (YouGov has the party on 27% as of October 27), the group has had a tumultuous month locally.

At the Reform-majority Kent County Council (KCC), five councillors - Bill Barrett, Robert Ford, Oliver Bradshaw, Brian Black and Paul Thomas - were thrown out of the party for allegedly bringing Nigel Farage's fledgling outfit into disrepute.

It relates to allegations they carried out “a pattern of dishonest and deceptive behaviour” in connection with the leak of a recent online meeting between KCC top councillors.

Cllr Barrett has already announced he will set up a rival group at County Hall called the Independent Reformers.

The KCC top table has been embroiled in controversy since The Guardian published a leaked video of leader Cllr Linden Kemkaran swearing and shouting during a virtual meeting.

In the video, which was published on October 18, she defended her decision-making over local government reorganisation, telling her members they would have to "f***ing suck it up" over her making key decisions.

Full elections for Thanet District Council are due in 2027.