Candidates Tun Wells

Most Tunbridge Wells residents will have 7 parties to choose from at the Kent County Council elections.

As well as the national parties, two local parties are vying for support in the vote on May 1st.  

One of the local parties is the "Tunbridge Wells Alliance", which was originally formed mainly to oppose the Borough Council's plans to borrow £100million to build new council offices and a theatre on Calverley Grounds.

Nick Pope of the Alliance, who lost his Borough Council seat last year (pictured below), is back on the scene.  He is standing for the county and also in the by-election in Park Ward for the vacant seat on the Borough Council.

The second local party is the "Independents for Tunbridge Wells" Party, which was formed when some members of the Tunbridge Wells Alliance objected to the Alliance going into coalition with the Liberal Democrats. 

The "Independents for Tunbridge Wells" are standing in all seats except Tunbridge Wells South, where Nick Pope is standing for the Alliance.

The Conservatives won all six seats within the Tunbridge Wells Borough area in the last county vote in 2021. This time the Conservatives  are battling to stop some of their voters defecting to Nigel Farage's party, Reform UK. 

The Liberal Democrats will be hoping to do well, having last year taken overall control of the Borough Council and coming top in the General Election vote. 

Labour have strong pockets of support in areas like Rusthall, High Brooms and Sherwood.

The Green Party will be hoping to win votes from those opposing the government's plans for increased house building - much of it likely in rural areas.

Here are all the candidates:
TUNBRIDGE WELLS NORTH  (Southborough & St John's)
(won by Cons last time* with 35% of vote, Labour second with 34%)
Tom Connolly, Labour;   Joe Dore, Independents for TW;  
Mark Ellis, Lib Dem;   Vivek Gautam, Cons;
Maria Gavin, Green;   Kit Hawes-Webb, TW Alliance;
Christopher Hoare, Reform UK

TUNBRIDGE WELLS WEST  (inc Bidborough & Rusthall)
(won by Cons last time* with 42% of vote, Lib Dems second with 29%)
Clare Escombe, TW Alliance;   Stephanie Gandon, Green;
Rob Grindley, Reform UK;   David Kain, Independents for TW;
Richard Long, Cons;   John Moreland, Lib Dems;
Jayne Sharratt, Labour

TUNBRIDGE WELLS SOUTH
(won by Cons last time* with 40%, Lib Dems second with 31%)
Martin Brice, Lib Dems;   Jeremy Clapham, Green;
Kate McAlpine, Labour;   Nick Pope, TW Alliance;
John Spence, Reform UK;    Sedat Zorba, Cons

TUNBRIDGE WELLS EAST (inc Pembury)
(won by Cons last time* with 48%, Lib Dems second with 23%)
Alan Bullion, Labour;   Andrew Hobart, Cons;
Paul Johnson, TW Alliance;   Kris Niewolski, Reform UK;
Colin Sefton, Lib Dems;   Kate Sergeant, Green;
Suzie Wakeman, Independents TW

TUNBRIDGE WELLS RURAL (inc Paddock Wood)
(won by Cons last time* with 47%, Lib Dems second with 23%)
Alasdair Fraser, Green;   Sarah Hamilton, Cons;
Oliver Kinkade, Reform UK;   Mark Munday, Lib Dems;
Anne Musker, Labour;   Libby Richardson, Independents for TW;
Alison Webster, TW Alliance

CRANBROOK (inc Hawkhurst & Benenden)
(won by Cons last time* with 52%, TW Alliance second with 23%)
Lucie Gavrilova, Reform UK;   Gregory Holder, Labour;
Dan Littlechild, Independents for TW;   Ellen Neville, TW Alliance;
Claudine Russell, Cons;   Vivian Widgery, Lib Dems;
Helen Yeo, Green

*NB refers to the last County wide election on 6th May 2021

Meanwhile the candidates in two Tunbridge Wells Borough Council by-elections also being held on May 1st are:
PARK WARD (seat held now by Lib Dems)
Richard Brown, Lib Dems;  Jeremy Clapham, Green;
Kate McAlpine, Labour;  Nick Pope; TW Alliance;
John Spence, Reform UK;   Sedat Zorba, Cons

ST JOHN'S (seat held now by Lib Dems)
Alan Bullion, Labour;   Simon Davidson, Lib Dems;
Joe Dore, Independents for TW;   Kit Hawes-Webb, TW Alliance;
Chris Hoare, Reform UK;  Alexander Lewis-Grey, Cons;
Kate Sergeant, Green