← Tunbridge Wells (all cycles) · 7 May 2026 cohort
Tunbridge Wells 2026
Local elections held 7 May 2026.
Each race compares the marginal winner's share of valid ballots to the proportional quota — the share they'd need under any common proportional method. How the numbers are derived →
If votes were counted by party
Across the 13 wards in this cycle, parties received the vote totals below. The proportional column shows what each party would have won if the 15 seats had been shared out 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.
| Party | Votes | Vote % | Seats won | % of seats | Proportional seats | Proportional % | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 16,658 | 37.9% | 11 | 73.3% | 7 | 46.7% | +4 |
| Conservative Party | 10,235 | 23.3% | 2 | 13.3% | 4 | 26.7% | -2 |
| Reform UK | 9,277 | 21.1% | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 20.0% | -3 |
| Green Party | 4,144 | 9.4% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 6.7% | -1 |
| Tunbridge Wells Alliance | 1,563 | 3.6% | 1 | 6.7% | 0 | 0.0% | +1 |
| Labour Party | 1,043 | 2.4% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Independents for Tunbridge Wells | 934 | 2.1% | 1 | 6.7% | 0 | 0.0% | +1 |
| English Democrats | 62 | 0.1% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Independent | 27 | 0.1% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Total | 43,943 | 100.0% | 15 | 100.0% | 15 | 100.0% | 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.
Council composition: what this election replaced
Two opencouncildata snapshots: the council immediately after the 2026 election (current) and immediately before it (2025). Only ~⅓ of seats were contested in 2026 — most of the bench is unchanged, and the cycle's effect on the overall composition is what shifts.
Wards in this council
Sorted with the largest gap below the quota first. Click any ward to jump to its full result.
- Pembury and Capel · 1 seat · won at 29.7% · −20.3 pts below quota
- Hawkhurst, Sandhurst and Benenden · 1 seat · won at 31.7% · −18.3 pts below quota
- Rusthall and Speldhurst · 1 seat · won at 34.1% · −15.9 pts below quota
- Rural Tunbridge Wells · 1 seat · won at 37.4% · −12.6 pts below quota
- Paddock Wood · 1 seat · won at 39.4% · −10.6 pts below quota
- Pantiles · 1 seat · won at 41.0% · −9.0 pts below quota
- Cranbrook, Sissinghurst and Frittenden · 1 seat · won at 46.2% · −3.8 pts below quota
- Park · 1 seat · won at 48.2% · −1.8 pts below quota
- Culverden · 1 seat · won at 49.5% · −0.5 pts below quota
- Sherwood · 2 seats · won at 33.8% · above quota
- St John's · 1 seat · won at 55.5% · above quota
- St James' · 1 seat · won at 57.7% · above quota
- Southborough and Bidborough · 2 seats · won at 46.5% · above quota
Race results
Pembury and Capel · single-seat
Marginal winner Winning candidate's share of valid ballots. 29.7% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota Marginal winner's share minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = below; positive = above. −20.3 pts Valid ballots (est.) Estimated voters: total votes ÷ 1 seats. Source data does not publish a ballot count for this cycle. 3,142
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share of votes Candidate votes ÷ total votes cast in this ward. Matches the share the council publishes. | Below quota Each elected candidate's share of valid ballots minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = won the seat below the quota; positive = cleared it. | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Hayward | Independents for Tunbridge Wells | 934 | 29.7% | −20.3 pts | Elected |
| 2 | Nick Slessor-Pavely | Liberal Democrats | 916 | 29.2% | — | |
| 3 | Val Dachille | Reform UK | 659 | 21.0% | — | |
| 4 | Andrew Hobart | Conservative Party | 466 | 14.8% | — | |
| 5 | Sue Lovell | Green Party | 167 | 5.3% | — |
Hawkhurst, Sandhurst and Benenden · single-seat
Marginal winner Winning candidate's share of valid ballots. 31.7% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota Marginal winner's share minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = below; positive = above. −18.3 pts Valid ballots (est.) Estimated voters: total votes ÷ 1 seats. Source data does not publish a ballot count for this cycle. 2,977
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share of votes Candidate votes ÷ total votes cast in this ward. Matches the share the council publishes. | Below quota Each elected candidate's share of valid ballots minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = won the seat below the quota; positive = cleared it. | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ellen Neville | Tunbridge Wells Alliance | 943 | 31.7% | −18.3 pts | Elected |
| 2 | Rosanna Taylor-Smith | Conservative Party | 894 | 30.0% | — | |
| 3 | John Spence | Reform UK | 767 | 25.8% | — | |
| 4 | Michael Edward Appelbe | Liberal Democrats | 373 | 12.5% | — |
Rusthall and Speldhurst · single-seat
Marginal winner Winning candidate's share of valid ballots. 34.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota Marginal winner's share minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = below; positive = above. −15.9 pts Valid ballots (est.) Estimated voters: total votes ÷ 1 seats. Source data does not publish a ballot count for this cycle. 3,497
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share of votes Candidate votes ÷ total votes cast in this ward. Matches the share the council publishes. | Below quota Each elected candidate's share of valid ballots minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = won the seat below the quota; positive = cleared it. | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ian William Standing | Liberal Democrats | 1,192 | 34.1% | −15.9 pts | Elected |
| 2 | David Sumner | Conservative Party | 717 | 20.5% | — | |
| 3 | Rob Grindley | Reform UK | 655 | 18.7% | — | |
| 4 | Kit Hawes-Webb | Tunbridge Wells Alliance | 352 | 10.1% | — | |
| 5 | Greg Holder | Labour Party | 317 | 9.1% | — | |
| 6 | Stephanie Teresa Gandon | Green Party | 264 | 7.5% | — |
Rural Tunbridge Wells · single-seat
Marginal winner Winning candidate's share of valid ballots. 37.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota Marginal winner's share minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = below; positive = above. −12.6 pts Valid ballots (est.) Estimated voters: total votes ÷ 1 seats. Source data does not publish a ballot count for this cycle. 3,939
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share of votes Candidate votes ÷ total votes cast in this ward. Matches the share the council publishes. | Below quota Each elected candidate's share of valid ballots minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = won the seat below the quota; positive = cleared it. | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Knight | Conservative Party | 1,474 | 37.4% | −12.6 pts | Elected |
| 2 | Susan Hindle Barone | Liberal Democrats | 1,131 | 28.7% | — | |
| 3 | Dennis Deane | Reform UK | 987 | 25.1% | — | |
| 4 | Helen Claire Yeo | Green Party | 274 | 7.0% | — | |
| 5 | Anne Musker | Labour Party | 73 | 1.9% | — |
Paddock Wood · single-seat
Marginal winner Winning candidate's share of valid ballots. 39.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota Marginal winner's share minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = below; positive = above. −10.6 pts Valid ballots (est.) Estimated voters: total votes ÷ 1 seats. Source data does not publish a ballot count for this cycle. 3,033
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share of votes Candidate votes ÷ total votes cast in this ward. Matches the share the council publishes. | Below quota Each elected candidate's share of valid ballots minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = won the seat below the quota; positive = cleared it. | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christopher Digby | Liberal Democrats | 1,195 | 39.4% | −10.6 pts | Elected |
| 2 | Begnat Robichaud | Reform UK | 882 | 29.1% | — | |
| 3 | Lynne Scott | Conservative Party | 749 | 24.7% | — | |
| 4 | Trevor Tyrone Bisdee | Green Party | 207 | 6.8% | — |
Pantiles · single-seat
Marginal winner Winning candidate's share of valid ballots. 41.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota Marginal winner's share minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = below; positive = above. −9.0 pts Valid ballots (est.) Estimated voters: total votes ÷ 1 seats. Source data does not publish a ballot count for this cycle. 3,040
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share of votes Candidate votes ÷ total votes cast in this ward. Matches the share the council publishes. | Below quota Each elected candidate's share of valid ballots minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = won the seat below the quota; positive = cleared it. | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pamela Jean Wilkinson | Liberal Democrats | 1,246 | 41.0% | −9.0 pts | Elected |
| 2 | Daniel Dzenkowski | Conservative Party | 931 | 30.6% | — | |
| 3 | Kristof Niewolski | Reform UK | 531 | 17.5% | — | |
| 4 | Joe Mattei | Green Party | 232 | 7.6% | — | |
| 5 | Dominic Nutland Frankel | Labour Party | 100 | 3.3% | — |
Cranbrook, Sissinghurst and Frittenden · single-seat
Marginal winner Winning candidate's share of valid ballots. 46.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota Marginal winner's share minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = below; positive = above. −3.8 pts Valid ballots (est.) Estimated voters: total votes ÷ 1 seats. Source data does not publish a ballot count for this cycle. 2,655
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share of votes Candidate votes ÷ total votes cast in this ward. Matches the share the council publishes. | Below quota Each elected candidate's share of valid ballots minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = won the seat below the quota; positive = cleared it. | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexander Ellison | Conservative Party | 1,227 | 46.2% | −3.8 pts | Elected |
| 2 | Matthew Beattie | Reform UK | 674 | 25.4% | — | |
| 3 | Vivian Widgery | Liberal Democrats | 384 | 14.5% | — | |
| 4 | Paul Jeremy Keith Froome | Green Party | 370 | 13.9% | — |
Park · single-seat
Marginal winner Winning candidate's share of valid ballots. 48.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota Marginal winner's share minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = below; positive = above. −1.8 pts Valid ballots (est.) Estimated voters: total votes ÷ 1 seats. Source data does not publish a ballot count for this cycle. 3,144
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share of votes Candidate votes ÷ total votes cast in this ward. Matches the share the council publishes. | Below quota Each elected candidate's share of valid ballots minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = won the seat below the quota; positive = cleared it. | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richard William James Brown | Liberal Democrats | 1,515 | 48.2% | −1.8 pts | Elected |
| 2 | Michael Jerrom | Reform UK | 523 | 16.6% | — | |
| 3 | David Scott | Conservative Party | 497 | 15.8% | — | |
| 4 | Nick Pope | Tunbridge Wells Alliance | 268 | 8.5% | — | |
| 5 | Alasdair James Milner Fraser | Green Party | 250 | 8.0% | — | |
| 6 | Stephen Burgess | Labour Party | 91 | 2.9% | — |
Culverden · single-seat
Marginal winner Winning candidate's share of valid ballots. 49.5% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota Marginal winner's share minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = below; positive = above. −0.5 pts Valid ballots (est.) Estimated voters: total votes ÷ 1 seats. Source data does not publish a ballot count for this cycle. 2,835
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share of votes Candidate votes ÷ total votes cast in this ward. Matches the share the council publishes. | Below quota Each elected candidate's share of valid ballots minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = won the seat below the quota; positive = cleared it. | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Osborne | Liberal Democrats | 1,402 | 49.5% | −0.5 pts | Elected |
| 2 | Alex Dunn | Conservative Party | 685 | 24.2% | — | |
| 3 | Tina Seymour | Reform UK | 406 | 14.3% | — | |
| 4 | Mark McBennett | Green Party | 230 | 8.1% | — | |
| 5 | Aleksander Klimanski | Labour Party | 85 | 3.0% | — | |
| 6 | Ahsan Azam Ahmad | Independent | 27 | 1.0% | — |
Sherwood · 2-seat (bloc vote)
Marginal winner Voter-share estimate of the lowest-vote elected candidate. Comparable to the proportional quota. The raw vote share would be ~2× smaller. 33.8% Proportional quota 33.3% Below quota Marginal winner's share minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = below; positive = above. +0.5 pts Valid ballots (est.) Estimated voters: total votes ÷ 2 seats. Source data does not publish a ballot count for this cycle. 2,327
This is a 2-seat ward under bloc vote — each voter could cast up to 2 votes, so summing candidate votes overcounts voters by ~2×. We show share of votes (matches the council's published figure) and share of voters (est.) (raw share × 2, the figure comparable to the proportional quota). Why two columns →
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share of votes Candidate votes ÷ total votes cast in this ward. Matches the share the council publishes. | Share of voters (est.) Estimated share of voters who supported this candidate, comparable across single- and multi-seat wards. Each voter could cast up to 2 votes, so we approximate ballots as total votes ÷ 2. This is the figure compared against the proportional quota. | Below quota Each elected candidate's share of valid ballots minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = won the seat below the quota; positive = cleared it. | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Courtney Souper | Liberal Democrats | 847 | 18.2% | 36.4% | +3.1 pts | Elected |
| 2 | Andrew Wallace | Liberal Democrats | 787 | 16.9% | 33.8% | +0.5 pts | Elected |
| 3 | Chris Hoare | Reform UK | 592 | 12.7% | 25.4% | — | |
| 4 | Oliver Kinkade | Reform UK | 549 | 11.8% | 23.6% | — | |
| 5 | Christian Atwood | Conservative Party | 453 | 9.7% | 19.5% | — | |
| 6 | Kate Sergeant | Green Party | 445 | 9.6% | 19.1% | — | |
| 7 | Eben Phoebe Lenton | Green Party | 420 | 9.0% | 18.1% | — | |
| 8 | Ellis Wiggins | Conservative Party | 384 | 8.3% | 16.5% | — | |
| 9 | Tina Kesterton | Labour Party | 176 | 3.8% | 7.6% | — |
St John's · single-seat
Marginal winner Winning candidate's share of valid ballots. 55.5% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota Marginal winner's share minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = below; positive = above. +5.5 pts Valid ballots (est.) Estimated voters: total votes ÷ 1 seats. Source data does not publish a ballot count for this cycle. 1,885
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share of votes Candidate votes ÷ total votes cast in this ward. Matches the share the council publishes. | Below quota Each elected candidate's share of valid ballots minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = won the seat below the quota; positive = cleared it. | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ukonu Elisha Obasi | Liberal Democrats | 1,047 | 55.5% | +5.5 pts | Elected |
| 2 | Chris Pendleton | Reform UK | 293 | 15.5% | — | |
| 3 | Lewis Patrick Jenkins | Green Party | 254 | 13.5% | — | |
| 4 | Alexander Lewis-Grey | Conservative Party | 220 | 11.7% | — | |
| 5 | Lorna Blackmore | Labour Party | 71 | 3.8% | — |
St James' · single-seat
Marginal winner Winning candidate's share of valid ballots. 57.7% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota Marginal winner's share minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = below; positive = above. +7.7 pts Valid ballots (est.) Estimated voters: total votes ÷ 1 seats. Source data does not publish a ballot count for this cycle. 2,560
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share of votes Candidate votes ÷ total votes cast in this ward. Matches the share the council publishes. | Below quota Each elected candidate's share of valid ballots minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = won the seat below the quota; positive = cleared it. | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gavin Barrass | Liberal Democrats | 1,478 | 57.7% | +7.7 pts | Elected |
| 2 | Philip Dwyer | Reform UK | 365 | 14.3% | — | |
| 3 | Lucy Ann Miller | Green Party | 316 | 12.3% | — | |
| 4 | George Barr | Conservative Party | 271 | 10.6% | — | |
| 5 | Nick Maltby | Labour Party | 130 | 5.1% | — |
Southborough and Bidborough · 2-seat (bloc vote)
Marginal winner Voter-share estimate of the lowest-vote elected candidate. Comparable to the proportional quota. The raw vote share would be ~2× smaller. 46.5% Proportional quota 33.3% Below quota Marginal winner's share minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = below; positive = above. +13.2 pts Valid ballots (est.) Estimated voters: total votes ÷ 2 seats. Source data does not publish a ballot count for this cycle. 3,292
This is a 2-seat ward under bloc vote — each voter could cast up to 2 votes, so summing candidate votes overcounts voters by ~2×. We show share of votes (matches the council's published figure) and share of voters (est.) (raw share × 2, the figure comparable to the proportional quota). Why two columns →
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share of votes Candidate votes ÷ total votes cast in this ward. Matches the share the council publishes. | Share of voters (est.) Estimated share of voters who supported this candidate, comparable across single- and multi-seat wards. Each voter could cast up to 2 votes, so we approximate ballots as total votes ÷ 2. This is the figure compared against the proportional quota. | Below quota Each elected candidate's share of valid ballots minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = won the seat below the quota; positive = cleared it. | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimberley Louise Johnson | Liberal Democrats | 1,614 | 24.5% | 49.0% | +15.7 pts | Elected |
| 2 | Ash Shukla | Liberal Democrats | 1,531 | 23.3% | 46.5% | +13.2 pts | Elected |
| 3 | Stephen Humphreys | Reform UK | 719 | 10.9% | 21.8% | — | |
| 4 | Robert Mayall | Reform UK | 675 | 10.3% | 20.5% | — | |
| 5 | Richard Long | Conservative Party | 652 | 9.9% | 19.8% | — | |
| 6 | Jack Bradley | Conservative Party | 615 | 9.3% | 18.7% | — | |
| 7 | Maria Gavin | Green Party | 435 | 6.6% | 13.2% | — | |
| 8 | Iqbal Sidhu | Green Party | 280 | 4.3% | 8.5% | — | |
| 9 | Aaron James Brand | English Democrats | 62 | 0.9% | 1.9% | — |