← Tunbridge Wells (all cycles) · 7 May 2026 cohort

Tunbridge Wells 2026

Local elections held 7 May 2026.

13 ward races

15 seats

13 elected below the proportional quota

86.7% of seats below quota

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 they'd need to clinch the 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 signed gap as points below quota (a negative number) — the editorial indictment. Above-quota results clear the bar 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 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.

Vote share

Actual seats

Proportional seats

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.

Current (2026)

Previous (2025)

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
Sherwood · 2 seats · won at 16.9% · −16.4 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
Southborough and Bidborough · 2 seats · won at 23.3% · −10.1 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
St John's · 1 seat · won at 55.5% · above quota
St James' · 1 seat · won at 57.7% · above quota

Race results

Pembury and Capel · single-seat

Marginal winner 29.7% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −20.3 pts Valid ballots 3,142

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	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%	—

Electorate 6,649 · Ballots cast 3,145 · Invalid 3 · EC ward code local.tunbridge-wells.pembury-capel.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Hawkhurst, Sandhurst and Benenden · single-seat

Marginal winner 31.7% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −18.3 pts Valid ballots 2,977

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	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%	—

Electorate 6,534 · Ballots cast 2,985 · Invalid 8 · EC ward code local.tunbridge-wells.hawkhurst-sandhurst-benenden.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Sherwood · 2-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 16.9% Proportional quota 33.3% Below quota −16.4 pts Valid ballots 4,653

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Courtney Souper	Liberal Democrats	847	18.2%	−15.1 pts	Elected
2	Andrew Wallace	Liberal Democrats	787	16.9%	−16.4 pts	Elected
3	Chris Hoare	Reform UK	592	12.7%	—
4	Oliver Kinkade	Reform UK	549	11.8%	—
5	Christian Atwood	Conservative Party	453	9.7%	—
6	Kate Sergeant	Green Party	445	9.6%	—
7	Eben Phoebe Lenton	Green Party	420	9.0%	—
8	Ellis Wiggins	Conservative Party	384	8.3%	—
9	Tina Kesterton	Labour Party	176	3.8%	—

Electorate 6,467 · Ballots cast 4,658 · Invalid 5 · EC ward code local.tunbridge-wells.sherwood.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Rusthall and Speldhurst · single-seat

Marginal winner 34.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −15.9 pts Valid ballots 3,497

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	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%	—

Electorate 7,260 · Ballots cast 3,511 · Invalid 14 · EC ward code local.tunbridge-wells.rusthall-speldhurst.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Rural Tunbridge Wells · single-seat

Marginal winner 37.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −12.6 pts Valid ballots 3,939

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	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%	—

Electorate 7,902 · Ballots cast 3,944 · Invalid 5 · EC ward code local.tunbridge-wells.rural-tunbridge-wells.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Paddock Wood · single-seat

Marginal winner 39.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −10.6 pts Valid ballots 3,033

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	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%	—

Electorate 7,052 · Ballots cast 3,039 · Invalid 6 · EC ward code local.tunbridge-wells.paddock-wood.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Southborough and Bidborough · 2-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 23.3% Proportional quota 33.3% Below quota −10.1 pts Valid ballots 6,583

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Kimberley Louise Johnson	Liberal Democrats	1,614	24.5%	−8.8 pts	Elected
2	Ash Shukla	Liberal Democrats	1,531	23.3%	−10.1 pts	Elected
3	Stephen Humphreys	Reform UK	719	10.9%	—
4	Robert Mayall	Reform UK	675	10.3%	—
5	Richard Long	Conservative Party	652	9.9%	—
6	Jack Bradley	Conservative Party	615	9.3%	—
7	Maria Gavin	Green Party	435	6.6%	—
8	Iqbal Sidhu	Green Party	280	4.3%	—
9	Aaron James Brand	English Democrats	62	0.9%	—

Electorate 7,437 · Ballots cast 6,594 · Invalid 11 · EC ward code local.tunbridge-wells.southborough-bidborough.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Pantiles · single-seat

Marginal winner 41.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −9.0 pts Valid ballots 3,040

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	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%	—

Electorate 6,770 · Ballots cast 3,047 · Invalid 7 · EC ward code local.tunbridge-wells.pantiles.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Cranbrook, Sissinghurst and Frittenden · single-seat

Marginal winner 46.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −3.8 pts Valid ballots 2,655

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	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%	—

Electorate 5,823 · Ballots cast 2,664 · Invalid 9 · EC ward code local.tunbridge-wells.cranbrook-sissinghurst-frittenden.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Park · single-seat

Marginal winner 48.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −1.8 pts Valid ballots 3,144

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	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%	—

Electorate 6,748 · Ballots cast 3,146 · Invalid 2 · EC ward code local.tunbridge-wells.park.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Culverden · single-seat

Marginal winner 49.5% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −0.5 pts Valid ballots 2,835

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	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%	—

Electorate 6,339 · Ballots cast 2,839 · Invalid 4 · EC ward code local.tunbridge-wells.culverden.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

St John's · single-seat

Marginal winner 55.5% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +5.5 pts Valid ballots 1,885

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	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%	—

Electorate 4,171 · Ballots cast 1,891 · Invalid 6 · EC ward code local.tunbridge-wells.st-johns.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

St James' · single-seat

Marginal winner 57.7% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +7.7 pts Valid ballots 2,560

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	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%	—

Electorate 6,042 · Ballots cast 2,567 · Invalid 7 · EC ward code local.tunbridge-wells.st-james.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index