Conservative candidate Liz Hurst has won the county council seat in the Birchington and Rural by-election.
The poll was called due to the death of sitting county councillor Ken Gregory last October.
Cllr Hurst is a Birchington parish councillor and also a business woman who runs a pet shop in the village.
The turn out for the election was low at just 17%.
Labour was second in the vote, UKIP trailed behind the Lib Dems and a small percentage of the poll went to Greens.
The vote was
Conservative Liz Hurst 2,534
Labour Pauline Farrance 856
Lib Dem Angie Curwen 561
UKIP Zita Wiltshire 357
Green Natasha Ransom 169
The Conservatives increased their share of the poll, compared to last year’s election, by 2% from 53% to 55%. Labour also increased its vote from 16% to 20%. The increases look to be due to a drop in UKIP support.
Labour county councillor Barry Lewis said the results showed a 2% swing to Labour from Conservative’s vote.
The district election count for Thanet Villages came next with Conservatives also taking that seat.
Results were
Conservative Reece Pugh 620
Lib Dem Angie Curwen 313
Labour Pauline Farrance 206
Green Natasha Ransom 66
Independent Sonya Smyth – 52
Turn out 23.11%
