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Tunbridge Wells

Every election cycle we have data for, most recent first.

8 cycles in our data
39.6% all-time seats elected below the quota (61 of 154)
23.4% all-time seats unfairly awarded (36 of 154 across 8 cycles)

Cycles

Council composition as of 2026

41 councillors, by party. One square per seat. Source: opencouncildata annual snapshot — reflects the council at the end of 2026 (after that year's elections, by-elections and defections). Hover any seat for the party.

Most recent election (2026)

In 2026, 15 seats were up across 13 wards. The table below shows what each party actually won — alongside what they would have won if the 15 seats had been shared in proportion to votes received (how, with caveats). The Δ column is the actual seat count minus the proportional seat count — positive numbers are parties First-Past-the-Post over-represented; negative are parties it under-represented.

PartyVotesVote %Seats won% of seatsProportional seatsProportional %Δ
Liberal Democrats16,65837.9%1173.3%746.7%+4
Conservative Party10,23523.3%213.3%426.7%-2
Reform UK9,27721.1%00.0%320.0%-3
Green Party4,1449.4%00.0%16.7%-1
Tunbridge Wells Alliance1,5633.6%16.7%00.0%+1
Labour Party1,0432.4%00.0%00.0%0
Independents for Tunbridge Wells9342.1%16.7%00.0%+1
English Democrats620.1%00.0%00.0%0
Independent270.1%00.0%00.0%0
Total43,943100.0%15100.0%15100.0%0

Vote share vs seats won

The top bar is each party's share of votes cast in this council. Below, one square per seat, coloured by the party that won it — first the actual First-Past-the-Post result, then what a proportional method would have produced from the same vote totals. Divergence between the bar and the actual grid is the indictment of the method.

Vote share
Actual seats
Proportional seats

Full ward-by-ward results for 2026 →

Composition history

One row per opencouncildata annual snapshot — the council at the end of each year (after that year's elections, by-elections and defections). Newest first; hover any seat for the party.

2026
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016

Ward by ward

Each row is a ward, each column a cycle. Each cell shows the top-of-poll candidate's party (swatch) and their share of valid ballots. Wards are matched by name across cycles — boundary reviews can mean a ward of the same name is a slightly different area in a later cycle.

Ward20162018201920212022202320242026
Benenden and Cranbrook52%50%43%49%43%43%
Brenchley and Horsmonden66%65%46%45%
Broadwater55%39%34%34%
Capel48%75%
Cranbrook, Sissinghurst and Frittenden64%46%
Culverden44%30%32%54%55%52%55%49%
Frittenden and Sissinghurst46%67%
Goudhurst and Lamberhurst61%39%40%42%
Hawkhurst and Sandhurst58%68%55%58%48%48%
Hawkhurst, Sandhurst and Benenden48%32%
High Brooms56%
Paddock Wood43%39%
Paddock Wood East44%46%48%36%
Paddock Wood West45%31%36%40%
Pantiles50%41%
Pantiles and St Mark's55%48%60%
Pantiles and St. Marks48%58%54%
Park51%34%48%36%37%39%49%48%
Pembury54%63%44%46%46%51%
Pembury and Capel47%30%
Rural Tunbridge Wells41%37%
Rusthall43%41%36%41%
Rusthall and Speldhurst33%34%
Sherwood46%39%34%51%53%37%43%36%
Southborough and Bidborough38%49%
Southborough and High Brooms52%62%50%52%60%54%
Southborough North51%53%44%42%
Speldhurst and Bidborough70%66%51%45%65%42%
St James'71%51%72%58%
St John's43%47%59%53%56%
St. James77%63%
St. Johns49%41%48%