Thanet district election 2023: At the count

councilcount — The count is taking place at Dreamland

Today (May 5) the ballots are being counted for the district and town and parish council elections for Thanet.

The count is taking place at Dreamland due to the usual venue, Margate Winter Gardens, being shut.

Prior to the election Thanet council consisted of:

25 Conservative
15 Labour
7 Thanet Independents
5 Green and Independents
2 Independents
2 vacant seats

Results for districts across Kent are coming in today. Medway Council was the only authority to hold the count overnight. Labour has taken control of that council for the first time since 2003.

The count as it happens

In Thanet Labour has gained seats in Northwood and Westbrook where former council leader Ash Ashbee was visibly upset at the result. Greens have also gained in St Peter’s with former council tree officer Kevin Pressland taking a seat for the party.

In Kingsgate Conservative Bob Bayford has lost the seat he held for 32 years with Independent Alan Munns taking the vote.

Cllr Munns says he began to realise he may be elected after talking to people at the polling station yesterday.

He said he is now looking forward to taking on the role with ‘hot topics’ of traffic management during tourist season and beach management.

Results are coming in: (refresh to see new results)

Margate Central stays red with the re-election of Rob Yates and Helen Whitehead. Turn out 22.1%

Helen Whitehead	Labour Party	504	33%	Elected
Rob Yates	Labour Party	481	32%	Elected
Alanna McGill-Tagg	Green Party	245	16%	Not elected
Barry Scott Millen	Conservative Party Candidate	154	10%	Not elected
John Finnegan	Independent	138	9%	Not elected

Newington

Labour’s Rick Everitt and Pat Moore are elected. Turn out 19.2%

Election Candidate	Party	Votes	%	Outcome
Pat Moore	Labour Party	414	32%	Elected
Rick Everitt	Labour Party	393	30%	Elected
Trevor Shonk	Conservative Party Candidate	214	16%	Not elected
Ben Thomas Harris	Conservative Party Candidate	194	15%	Not elected
Phil Shotton	Green Party	94	7%	Not elected

St Peter’s brings a result of two Greens with Mike Garner and former council tree officer Kevin Pressland plus Conservative Paul Moore. Turn out 33.56%

St Peters Ward – results
Election Candidate	Party	Votes	%	Outcome
Mike Garner	Green Party	849	17%	Elected
Paul Moore	Conservative Party Candidate	664	14%	Elected
Kevin Raymond Pressland	Green Party	664	14%	Elected
Roy Dexter	Conservative Party Candidate	614	13%	Not elected
Ahsan Ashfaq	Conservative Party Candidate	595	12%	Not elected
Jason Harvey Evers	Labour Party	470	10%	Not elected
David Cooper	Labour Party	440	9%	Not elected
Matthew Thomas	Labour Party	381	8%	Not elected
Gail Anne Banks	Liberal Democrats	215	4%	Not elected

Northwood ward is all change with Labour’s Jim Driver, Will Scobie and Debra Owen-Hughes taking the seats, meaning Thanet Independents leader Stuart Piper loses his seat at council. Turn out 25%.

Northwood Ward – results
Election Candidate	Party	Votes	%	Outcome
Jim Driver	Labour Party	563	16%	Elected
Will Scobie	Labour Party	554	16%	Elected
Debra Owen-Hughes	Labour Party	553	16%	Elected
Keith Joseph Henry Clark	Conservative Party Candidate	312	9%	Not elected
David Barrie Spicer	Conservative Party Candidate	282	8%	Not elected
Sandra Caroline Spicer	Conservative Party Candidate	278	8%	Not elected
Rev. Stuart Piper	Thanet Independents	270	8%	Not elected
Lynda Piper	Thanet Independents	264	8%	Not elected
Christina Collins	Thanet Independents	230	7%	Not elected
Mike White	Green Party	119	3%	Not elected

Westbrook

Former council leader Ash Ashbee loses her seat as Labour’s John Edwards and Elysa D’Abbro take the votes. The former council leader was just three votes behind Labour’s John Edwards.

Turn out 30.5%

Westbrook Ward – results
Election Candidate	Party	Votes	%	Outcome
Elyssa Chiarina D’Abbro	Labour Party	451	24%	Elected
John Martin Edwards	Labour Party	385	20%	Elected
Ash Ashbee	Conservative Party Candidate	382	20%	Not elected
David Parsons	Conservative Party Candidate	283	15%	Not elected
Ken Watkins	Green Party	162	8%	Not elected
Mark Bray	Thanet Independents	160	8%	Not elected
Amelia Randall	Reform UK	93	5%	Not elected

Birchington North

The Birchington North seats are resoundingly Conservative with George Kup and Reece Pugh taking the poll with 908 and 873 votes respectively. Turn out was 43%.

Birchington North Ward – results
Election Candidate	Party	Votes	%	Outcome
George Kup	Conservative Party Candidate	908	26%	Elected
Reece Pugh	Conservative Party Candidate	873	25%	Elected
David Hart	Thanet Independents	384	11%	Not elected
Simon Nicholas Day	Thanet Independents	382	11%	Not elected
Colin Joseph Brown	Labour Party	379	11%	Not elected
Lucy Williams	Green Party	328	9%	Not elected
Mario Portelli	Labour Party	262	7%	Not elected

Kingsgate

The seat for Kingsgate is taken by Independent candidate Alan Munns with 366 votes. Former councillor Bob Bayford (Con) who has held the seat for more than 30 years polled 241 while Labour’s Howard Green took 128 votes. Turn out 42%.

Kingsgate Ward – results
Election Candidate	Party	Votes	%	Outcome
Alan Munns	Independent	366	50%	Elected
Robert William Bayford	Conservative Party Candidate	241	33%	Not elected
Howard Leonard Green	Labour Party	128	17%	Not elected

Thanet Villages

Conservatives Sam Bambridge, with 733 votes, and Abi-Leigh Barlow, 672 votes, and Green’s Abi Smith, 658 votes, take the seats. Turn out was 27%.

Central Harbour

All three councillors for Central Harbour retain their seats with Raushan Ara (Labour) polling 1157 votes, Tricia Austin (Green) on 852 and Becky Wing (Green) 937 votes. Turn out was 31%.

Birchington South

Birchington South stays blue with Emma Dawson, 699 votes, Phil Fellows,814 votes and Linda Wright on 726 votes taking the seats. Turn out was 31%

Westgate

Thanet Independent Bertie Braidwood retains his seat, polling 789 votes. David Donaldson (Labour) takes a seat with 525 votes and Conservative Matthew Scott retains his seat with 576 votes.

Garlinge

Thanet Independent group has taken both seats in Garlinge ward with John Dennis receiving 509 votes and John Worrow polling 581. Turn out was 29%

Beacon Road

Labour take the seats in Beacon Road ward with Joanne Bright polling 620 votes and Jenny Matterface 694 votes. Turn out was 34%

Dane Valley

Labour take all three seats with newcomer Jack Packman polling 719 votes, Martin Boyd on 709 and Ruth Duckworth on 754. Turn out was 24%.

Nethercourt

Nethercourt is a Labour hold with David Green taking 547 votes and Anne-Marie Nixey polling 574 votes. Turn out was 32%.

Viking

Independent councillor Ruth Bailey has lost her seat. The seats have gone to Kristian Bright (Labour) 786 votes, Roopa Farooki (Labour) 863 votes and John Nicols (Con) 786 votes. Turn out was 39%

Salmestone

Labour takes both seats at Salmestone ward with Leo Britcher on 470 votes and Katie Pope on 491 votes. Turn out was 23%

Eastcliff

Labour retains Eastcliff with Steve Albon, 741 votes, Corinna Huxley, 775 votes, and Helen Crittenden, 811 votes, taking the seats. Turn out was 25%

Cliftonville East

Conservatives retain Cliftonville East with newcomer Banny Manners -best known for beach clean volunteering – on 985 votes, Marc Rattigan taking 912 and Cedric Towning on 852. Turn out was 35%

Sir Moses Montefiore

Labour retain their seats with Pat Makinson taking 452 votes and Tony Ovenden polling 449 votes. Turn out was 31%

Bradstowe

Jill Bayford and George Rusiecki, both Conservative, take 524 votes and 525 votes respectively. Turn out was 40%

Cliftonville West

Labour retain the ward with Alan Currie, Heather Keen and Harry Scobie taking the votes. This means Labour also takes overall control of Thanet council for the first time since 2003 with 30 seats and just one ward left to declare

Cliffsend and Pegwell

Brenda Rogers and John Davis, Conservative, take the seats for Cliffsend and Pegwell with 571 and 516 votes respectively.

This means the make up of Thanet council is now Labour 30 seats, Conservative 17, Green 5, Thanet Independents 3, Independent 1.