Local Elections 2022: Results in Kent, Sussex and Essex

  • KENT

TUNBRIDGE WELLS

Tunbridge Wells District Council remains under no overall control.

Tunbridge Wells District Council had become a safe Tory seat but the party has been forced to run as a minority since last year.

A third of the council was up for election, 16 seats, and 10 were held by Conservative councillors, plus 1 vacancy left by a Tory.

Of these seats, 9 were lost to opposing parties, 4 to the Lib Dems, 3 by the Tunbridge Wells Alliance (TWA) and 2 to Labour.

This means the council is now as follows:

  • Liberal Democrats - 16

  • Conservatives - 13

  • Independent - 12

  • Labour - 7

Negotiations will now likely begin between the Lib Dems, Labour and the TWA over forming a coalition to run the authority.

  • Tunbridge Wells Lib Dem Group Leader Wendy Fitzsimmons reacts to the result:

MAIDSTONE

Maidstone Borough Council is now under no overall control.

18 of Maidstone's 55 seats were up for re-election. The Conservatives did have a majority of 5, but are now 1 short.

There are 55 Maidstone Borough Council councillors in total which are now as follows:

  • Conservative - 27

  • Liberal Democratic - 12

  • Independent - 6

  • Labour – 5

  • Maidstone Group – 4

  • Green Party - 1

  • SUSSEX

WORTHING

The Labour Party has gained control of Worthing Borough Council.

The Labour Party celebrates in Worthing after gaining control of the council. Credit: ITV News Meridian

Worthing has been one of the key battlegrounds in this election.

In the run up to the election, both Labour and the Conservatives had 17 seats. With 2 Liberal Democrats and 1 Independent.

In these elections, Labour won 10 seats to take its total to 23, with the Conservatives on 12 and one Independent. The council was previously under no overall control.

The make up is now as follows:

  • Labour - 23

  • Conservatives - 12

  • Lib Dem - 1

  • Independent - 1

A Labour win would have been unthinkable five years ago, when they had 0 councillors here.

  • Cllr Beccy Cooper, Labour & Cllr Kevin Jenkins, Conservative, react to the results:

HASTINGS

Hastings Borough Council is now under no overall control.

Labour have lost control of Hastings Borough Council. Labour have lost 3 seats and the Green Party has gained 3.

Following Thursday's election, the council is now as follows:

  • Labour - 15

  • Conservative - 12

  • Green - 5

ADUR

Adur District Council remains under Conservative control.

14 of Adur's 29 councillors were up for election in May.

Before the election, the Conservatives held power on the council with 19 seats, while Labour had 7 and the Green Party 1, with 2 Independent councillors.

Following Thursday's election, the council is now as follows:

  • Conservatives - 16

  • Labour - 9

  • Green - 2

  • Independent - 2

CRAWLEY

The Labour Party has gained control of Crawley Borough Council from the Conservatives.

A third of seats were being contested. The Labour Party has gained 2 seats, the Conservatives have lost 1, and an Independent has lost 1.

The council is now as follows:

  • Labour - 18

  • Conservatives - 17

  • Vacant - 1

Conservatives take a battering in the South as support for the party falters

  • ESSEX

There are local elections for nine councils in Essex including Basildon, Rochford, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock.

BASILDON

Basildon Borough Council remains under Conservative control.

14 of the 42 seats on the council were up for election.

The Conservatives won 10 seats, with Labour and the Independent Group taking 2 each.

The council is now as follows:

  • Conservatives - 25

  • Labour - 10

  • Independent Group - 5

  • Wickford Independents - 2

ROCHFORD

The Conservatives remain in control of Rochford District Council.

13 of the 39 seats on the council were up for election.

This south Essex council has been in Conservative control for two decades although the Liberal Democrats had a brief taste of power in 1994-98.

The Rochford District Residents have gained 4 seats, the Liberal Democrats have gained 2 and the Conservatives have lost 6 seats.

The council is now as follows:

  • Conservative - 21

  • Rochford District Residents - 10

  • Liberal Democrats - 5

  • Independent - 2

  • Green Party - 1

SOUTHEND-ON-SEA

Southend-on-Sea City Council remains under no overall control.

18 of the 51 seats on the council were up for election in May.

There are 8 independent councillors that have been elected - down from 10.

Southend was previously run as a joint administration by Labour, Lib Dems and Independents although the Conservative are the biggest single party.

The council is now as follows:

  • Conservative - 21

  • Labour - 16

  • Independent - 8

  • Liberal Democrats - 6

THURROCK

The Conservative Party has retained control of Thurrock Council.

16 of the 49 seats on the council were up for election in May.

The council is made up of 30 Conservative Councillors, 14 Labour (down from 15) and 5 Independents.

Thurrock is a unitary authority in Essex, meaning a single council runs all the local services.

The Conservatives won back an overall majority here at some point between the 2019 election and the 2021 election.

Labour lost their overall majority in 2014 after UKIP gained five seats. UKIP used to have a strong presence in Thurrock.

The council is now as follows:

  • Conservative - 30

  • Labour - 14

  • Independent - 5