← Swale (all cycles) · 1 May 2025 cohort
Swale 2025
Local elections held 1 May 2025.
How to read this page
Each race below shows the share of valid ballots the marginal elected candidate actually won, and compares it to the proportional quota: the share that would be needed to be guaranteed that seat under any proportional voting method (1 seats + 1). For a 1-seat ward the quota is 50%; for 2 seats, 33.3%; for 3 seats, 25%.
Where the actual winning share fell below the quota, we show the gap as points under par — the editorial indictment. Above-par results are just majority mandates and pass without comment. The voting method is the subject of every observation here. Named candidates appear as the public election record requires; the cause being audited is the voting method, not the individuals. See the methodology page for derivations.
If votes were counted by party
Across the 6 wards in this cycle, parties received the vote totals below. The proportional column shows what each party would have won if the 7 seats had been allocated to those vote totals in proportion (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 in this council, negative are parties it under-represented.
| Party | Votes | Vote % | Seats won | % of seats | Proportional seats | Proportional % | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reform UK | 19,210 | 44.2% | 5 | 71.4% | 4 | 57.1% | +1 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | 5,737 | 13.2% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 14.3% | -1 |
| Swale Independents | 5,083 | 11.7% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 14.3% | -1 |
| Liberal Democrats | 4,160 | 9.6% | 1 | 14.3% | 1 | 14.3% | 0 |
| Green Party | 3,621 | 8.3% | 1 | 14.3% | 0 | 0.0% | +1 |
| Labour Party | 3,362 | 7.7% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Independent | 1,557 | 3.6% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Labour and Co-operative Party | 707 | 1.6% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Total | 43,437 | 100.0% | 7 | 100.0% | 7 | 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.
Wards in this council
Sorted with the largest gap below the quota first. Click any ward to jump to its full result.
- Swale East · 1 seat · won at 35.6% · +14.4 pts below quota
- Sittingbourne South · 1 seat · won at 38.2% · +11.8 pts below quota
- Faversham · 1 seat · won at 43.6% · +6.4 pts below quota
- Swale West · 1 seat · won at 46.4% · +3.6 pts below quota
- Sittingbourne North · 1 seat · won at 48.6% · +1.4 pts below quota
- Sheppey · 2 seats · won at 48.9% · above quota
Race results
Swale East · single-seat
Marginal winner 35.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +14.4 pts below quota Valid ballots 5,555
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rich Lehmann | Green Party | 1,976 | 35.6% | Elected |
| 2 | Ryan Kidby | Reform UK | 1,755 | 31.6% | |
| 3 | Julien Peter Speed | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,318 | 23.7% | |
| 4 | Charles Alexander Gibson | Liberal Democrats | 269 | 4.8% | |
| 5 | Frances Rehal | Labour Party | 236 | 4.2% |
Sittingbourne South · single-seat
Marginal winner 38.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +11.8 pts below quota Valid ballots 4,542
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul William Webb | Reform UK | 1,735 | 38.2% | Elected |
| 2 | Tom Lee | Swale Independents | 1,281 | 28.2% | |
| 3 | Thomas Leeming | Conservative and Unionist Party | 620 | 13.7% | |
| 4 | Karen Anne Watson | Labour Party | 495 | 10.9% | |
| 5 | Lisa Jane Eades | Green Party | 205 | 4.5% | |
| 6 | Alexander Stennings | Liberal Democrats | 201 | 4.4% |
Faversham · single-seat
Marginal winner 43.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +6.4 pts below quota Valid ballots 6,313
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antony James Hook | Liberal Democrats | 2,750 | 43.6% | Elected |
| 2 | Jess David Valentine | Reform UK | 1,620 | 25.7% | |
| 3 | Rob Crayford | Labour and Co-operative Party | 707 | 11.2% | |
| 4 | Carol Ann Goatham | Green Party | 691 | 10.9% | |
| 5 | Ben Fisher | Conservative and Unionist Party | 541 | 8.6% |
Swale West · single-seat
Marginal winner 46.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +3.6 pts below quota Valid ballots 5,498
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richard Palmer | Reform UK | 2,550 | 46.4% | Elected |
| 2 | Mike Baldock | Swale Independents | 1,820 | 33.1% | |
| 3 | James Hogben | Conservative and Unionist Party | 565 | 10.3% | |
| 4 | Chrystabel Nhyiraba Appiah | Labour Party | 329 | 6.0% | |
| 5 | Marc Justin Wilson | Liberal Democrats | 234 | 4.3% |
Sittingbourne North · single-seat
Marginal winner 48.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +1.4 pts below quota Valid ballots 3,880
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Palmer | Reform UK | 1,885 | 48.6% | Elected |
| 2 | Ashley Wise | Labour Party | 758 | 19.5% | |
| 3 | Michael Rodger Dendor | Conservative and Unionist Party | 485 | 12.5% | |
| 4 | Derek William Carnell | Swale Independents | 357 | 9.2% | |
| 5 | Stephen Arthur Davey | Green Party | 236 | 6.1% | |
| 6 | Mary Zeng | Liberal Democrats | 155 | 4.0% |
Sheppey · 2-seat (bloc vote)
Marginal winner 48.9% Proportional quota 33.3% Difference −15.5 pts Valid ballots 9,422
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maxwell Stanley Harrison | Reform UK | 5,060 | 53.7% | Elected |
| 2 | Isabella Kathleen Kemp | Reform UK | 4,605 | 48.9% | Elected |
| 3 | Elliott Matthew Jayes | Swale Independents | 1,625 | 17.2% | |
| 4 | Mike Whiting | Independent | 1,557 | 16.5% | |
| 5 | Andy Booth | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,169 | 12.4% | |
| 6 | Mark Tucker | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,039 | 11.0% | |
| 7 | Dolley Jean Wooster | Labour Party | 851 | 9.0% | |
| 8 | Hayden Anthony Brawn | Labour Party | 693 | 7.4% | |
| 9 | Sam Banks | Green Party | 513 | 5.4% | |
| 10 | Linda Ann Brinklow | Liberal Democrats | 391 | 4.1% | |
| 11 | Frances Elizabeth Stennings | Liberal Democrats | 160 | 1.7% |