# 2007 Gravesham Borough Council election

The 2007 Gravesham Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Gravesham Borough Council in Kent, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative Party gained overall control of the council from the Labour Party.

## Background

Before the election Labour had run the council since 1995 and since the 2003 election had 23 seats, compared to 21 for the Conservatives. The Conservatives had therefore needed to gain 2 seats to take control from Labour.

## Election result

The results saw the Conservatives gain control of the council from Labour, the first time the Conservatives had control of the council in 20 years. The Conservatives moved to 26 seats after winning 54% of the vote, while Labour dropped to 16 seats on a 40% vote share. Overall turnout at the election was 36.4%, up from 31% at the 2003 election.
The Conservative gains included taking all 3 seats in the wards of Painters Ash and Singlewell from Labour. The Conservatives also held the seats in Whitehill where the two sitting councillors, George Lambton and Derek Robinson, had stood as independents after being deselected by the Conservatives before the election. The leader of the Conservatives on the council, Michael Snelling, said "I am over the moon. I think we have exceeded our expectations.", while the Labour council leader, John Burden said he planned "to come back in four years' time".
The election in Meopham North was postponed after the death of one of the Conservative councillors Malcolm Burgoyne on 25 April. The delayed election in Meopham North was held on 21 June and saw the Conservatives hold both seats in the ward. The Conservative leader, Michael Snelling, was one of the two winners in Meopham North and as a result was able to then become the new leader of the council.
Gravesham Local Election Result 2007 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 28 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 61.9 | 54.8 | 13,786 | -0.5% |
| Labour | 16 | 0 | 7 | -7 | 38.1 | 35.5 | 8,918 | -7.5% |
| Liberal Democrats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.8 | 1,459 | +5.0 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 491 | +1.1 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 | 383 | +1.5 |
| Monster Raving Loony | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 114 | +0.5 |

## Ward results

Central (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Greta Goatley | 1,081 | | |
| | Conservative | Bronwen McGarrity | 1,041 | | |
| | Conservative | Samir Jassal | 998 | | |
| | Labour | Lana Aitchison | 727 | | |
| | Labour | Mukhtar Goraya | 667 | | |
| | Labour | Maureen Newell | 651 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,165 | 43 | +6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Chalk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Leslie Hills | 501 | 76.6 | +10.6 |
| | Labour | Colin Pritchard | 153 | 23.4 | −10.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 348 | 53.2 | +21.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 654 | 38 | +0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Coldharbour :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Susan Howes | 564 | | |
| | Labour | Rosemary Leadley | 535 | | |
| | Conservative | Murray Barrett | 383 | | |
| | Conservative | John Stubbings | 364 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,846 | 31 | +9 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Higham (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Patricia Oakeshott | 994 | | |
| | Conservative | Bryan Sweetland | 799 | | |
| | Labour | Eileen Rice | 251 | | |
| | Green | Gwen Easdown | 197 | | |
| | Labour | Leslie Howes | 190 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,431 | 41 | +4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Istead Rise (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Turner | 1,023 | | |
| | Conservative | Kenneth Jones | 1,013 | | |
| | Labour | Douglas Christie | 185 | | |
| | Labour | David Webber | 170 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,391 | 44 | +5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Meopham North (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Michael Snelling | 681 | |
| | Conservative | Laura Hryniewicz | 662 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Willis | 200 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gillian McGill | 178 | |
| | Green | Richard Crawford | 104 | |
| | Labour | Mary Williams | 59 | |
| | Labour | Pamela Sales | 57 | |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Lord Toby Jug | 31 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,972 | 29.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Meopham South and Vigo (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Leslye Boycott | 853 | | |
| | Conservative | Ray Collins | 767 | | |
| | Labour | Mark Waterfield | 209 | | |
| | Green | Ann Wakeman | 190 | | |
| | Labour | Colin Meredith | 162 | | |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Lord Toby Jug | 83 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,264 | 36 | +6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Note: The election in Meopham North was delayed to 21 June due to the death of a candidate.
Northfleet North (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ronald Bowman | 886 | | |
| | Labour | Tanmanjeet Dhesi | 849 | | |
| | Labour | Andrea Webb | 841 | | |
| | Conservative | Clarice Masterson | 437 | | |
| | Conservative | Eileen Tuff | 431 | | |
| | Conservative | Arthur Fitz-Simon | 417 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bruce Parmenter | 178 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Willis | 178 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Emily Slight | 166 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,383 | 32 | +11 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Northfleet South (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James Loughlin | 740 | | |
| | Labour | John Burden | 730 | | |
| | Labour | Narinder Thandi | 706 | | |
| | Conservative | John Nichols | 551 | | |
| | Conservative | Julia Burgoyne | 510 | | |
| | Conservative | Anne Welldon | 463 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gillian McGill | 192 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,892 | 31 | +5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Painters Ash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Harold Craske | 874 | | |
| | Conservative | Adrian Warburton | 812 | | |
| | Conservative | Peter Barbuti | 790 | | |
| | Labour | John Thompson | 779 | | |
| | Labour | Dick Target | 770 | | |
| | Labour | Harry Smith | 743 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Amanda Crane | 248 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Stevenson | 220 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mervyn McGill | 195 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,431 | 43 | +7 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Pelham (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Makhan Singh | 967 | | |
| | Labour | Jane Cribbon | 956 | | |
| | Labour | Derek Sales | 943 | | |
| | Conservative | Christopher Barnes | 759 | | |
| | Conservative | Doreen Fairbrother | 694 | | |
| | Conservative | Laura Hryniewicz | 658 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert McGill | 203 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jodi Parmenter | 148 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,328 | 39 | +6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Riverside (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Lyn Milner | 753 | | |
| | Labour | Richard Smith | 752 | | |
| | Labour | Lee Croxton | 738 | | |
| | Conservative | Juliet Baker | 469 | | |
| | Conservative | Heather Frost | 450 | | |
| | Conservative | Helen Skellorn | 447 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,609 | 29 | +4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Riverview :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Lambert | 777 | | |
| | Conservative | David Hurley | 726 | | |
| | Labour | Kenneth Green | 407 | | |
| | Labour | Robin McLauchlan | 378 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,288 | 36 | +1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Shorne, Cobham & Luddesdown (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alex Moore | 1,295 | 43.8 | |
| | Conservative | Robin Theobald | 1,255 | 42.4 | |
| | Labour | Rita Mitchell | 205 | 6.9 | |
| | Labour | Dorothy Riley | 203 | 6.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,958 | 48 | +8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Singlewell (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Sara Langdale | 786 | | |
| | Conservative | John Cubitt | 763 | | |
| | Conservative | Conrad Broadley | 750 | | |
| | Labour | Peggy Mersh | 633 | | |
| | Labour | Hopeton Robinson | 593 | | |
| | Labour | Stephen Webb | 569 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sheila Scott | 201 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,295 | 32 | +9 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Westcourt (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Colin Caller | 662 | | |
| | Labour | John Caller | 636 | | |
| | Conservative | Graeme Biggs | 613 | | |
| | Conservative | Thomas Ballard | 612 | | |
| | Labour | Brian Newell | 602 | | |
| | Conservative | Teresa Sweetland | 585 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,710 | 29 | +4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Whitehill (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Diane Marsh | 675 | | |
| | Conservative | Glen Handley | 670 | | |
| | Labour | Brian Francis | 382 | | |
| | Labour | Alfred Mersh | 371 | | |
| | Independent | Derek Robinson | 164 | | |
| | Independent | George Lambton | 153 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,415 | 40 | +3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Woodlands (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Dyke | 1,034 | | |
| | Conservative | Mick Wenban | 1,013 | | |
| | Conservative | Anthony Pritchard | 966 | | |
| | Labour | Carole Bowman | 356 | | |
| | Labour | Andrew Delapena | 329 | | |
| | Labour | Peter Leadley | 323 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Bigelow | 237 | | |
| | Independent | Ronald Stanford | 219 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,477 | 37 | +8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |