# 2023 Dartford Borough Council election

The 2023 Dartford Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect all 42 members of Dartford Borough Council in Kent, England.
This election took place alongside other local elections across England.
The council remained under Conservative majority control after the election.

## Changes since 2019 election

After Cllr Jonathon Hawkes, leader of the Labour Group, lost his seat in 2019, Cllr Sacha Gosine was elected as the new Leader of the Opposition. He was replaced by Cllr Kelly Grehan in 2022. Between 2019 and 2023, the Labour Group lost 3 councillors. Deputy Leader Cllr Adrian Oakley-Dow resigned from the party following the election of a new Deputy. Around this time, Cllr Romana Gosine was expelled by the party for an alleged "breach of the rules". Cllr Laura Edie left the Labour Party after criticising the national party's policies, and sat as a Green Party councillor for the remainder of her term. She was re-elected as a Green councillor in 2023.
In April 2021, 2 councillors from the Swanscombe and Greenhithe Residents Association, Cllrs Sue Butterfill and Anita Barham, left the party to form a new Independent Party Group. They later joined the Conservative Party. Cllr Barham stood as a Conservative candidate in Swanscombe in 2023, but was not elected.
Cllr Ann Allen died in October 2021, triggering a by-election in Maypole & Leyton Cross. Cllr Lucas Reynolds also stood down for personal reasons, triggering a by-election in Wilmington, Sutton-At-Hone & Hawley. Both seats were held by the Conservatives with large majorities.
In May 2022, it was announced that Cllr Laura Edie and Cllr Peter Harman (of the Swanscombe and Greenhithe Residents Association) had formed the Alliance Group together.
A by-election was also held in February 2023, once again in Wilmington, Sutton-At-Hone & Hawley, where the Conservative majority was increased.

## Summary
### Election result

2023 Dartford Borough Council election :
| Party | Candidates | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 42 | 29 | 1 | 1 | | 69.0 | 55.8 | 27,404 | +2.7 |
| Labour | 42 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 26.2 | 34.9 | 17,141 | +5.5 |
| Green | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2.4 | 4.2 | 2,069 | +3.6 |
| Residents | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 1,640 | –2.1 |
| Reform UK | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 1.0 | 503 | N/A |
| Britain First | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 0.3 | 168 | N/A |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 0.2 | 117 | –1.4 |
| Liberal Democrats | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 0.1 | 63 | –0.1 |

## Ward results

The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Dartford Borough Council following the close of nominations on 4 April 2023. The results for each ward were as follows:

### Bean & Village Park

Bean & Village Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Hammock* | 392 | 74.5 | −7.0 |
| | Labour | Graham Windram | 134 | 25.5 | +7.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 526 | 27.42 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Brent

Brent (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Rosanna Currans* | 840 | 63.4 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative | Peter Whapshott | 718 | 54.2 | −2.5 |
| | Labour | Sarah Crook | 359 | 27.1 | +4.4 |
| | Labour | Marian Benford | 355 | 26.8 | +5.8 |
| | Green | Claire Edie | 130 | 9.8 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Cullen O'Donnell | 63 | 4.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,324 | 30.33 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Bridge

Bridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Clement Quaqumey | 316 | 61.5 | −0.8 |
| | Labour | Peter Grehan | 198 | 38.5 | +16.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 514 | 19.93 | −5.17 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Burnham

Burnham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Matthew Davis* | 358 | 56.1 | +5.1 |
| | Labour | Amanda Cook | 280 | 43.9 | −5.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 638 | 28.94 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Darenth

Darenth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Paul Denman | 215 | 35.8 | −11.6 |
| | Labour | Catherine Stafford | 207 | 34.5 | +2.9 |
| | Independent | Tony Prentice | 117 | 19.5 | N/A |
| | Britain First | Nicholas Scanlon | 61 | 10.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 600 | 30.32 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Ebbsfleet

Ebbsfleet (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Danny Nicklen* | 615 | 55.3 | +17.5 |
| | Labour | Jonathon Hawkes | 535 | 48.1 | +8.5 |
| | Labour | Victoria Akintomie-Akinwamide | 507 | 45.6 | +7.0 |
| | Labour | Victoria Oguntope | 479 | 43.1 | +6.2 |
| | Conservative | Subhash Goswami | 406 | 36.5 | +9.9 |
| | Conservative | Edith Nwachukwu | 392 | 35.3 | +12.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,112 | 27.51 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Greenhithe & Knockhall

Greenhithe & Knockhall (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Residents | Peter Harman* | 623 | 51.7 | +8.0 |
| | Conservative | David Mote* | 499 | 41.4 | +2.9 |
| | Conservative | Carol Gale | 359 | 29.8 | +0.1 |
| | Residents | Dawn Johnston | 354 | 29.4 | −14.4 |
| | Conservative | Safiul Azam | 345 | 28.7 | +0.7 |
| | Residents | Elizabeth Wickham | 335 | 27.8 | −5.3 |
| | Labour | Lisa Bullock | 270 | 22.4 | +5.4 |
| | Labour | Joshua Grills | 224 | 18.6 | +5.7 |
| | Labour | James Ray | 205 | 17.0 | +4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,204 | 22.40 | |
| | Residents hold | Residents hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative gain from Residents | Conservative gain from Residents | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Heath

Heath (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Lloyd* | 910 | 62.5 | −0.9 |
| | Conservative | Patsy Thurlow* | 837 | 57.4 | +1.5 |
| | Labour | David Celino-Stock | 405 | 27.8 | +4.5 |
| | Labour | Sally Wainwright | 243 | 16.7 | −6.0 |
| | Reform UK | Michael Brown | 141 | 9.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,457 | 33.10 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Joyden's Wood

Joyden's Wood (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Brian Garden* | 1,131 | 80.6 | +6.4 |
| | Conservative | Marilyn Peters* | 1,067 | 76.0 | +1.8 |
| | Labour | Carole Jones | 253 | 18.0 | +5.3 |
| | Labour | Peter Summers | 245 | 17.5 | +7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,404 | 34.28 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Longfield, New Barn & Southfleet

Longfield, New Barn & Southfleet (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jeremy Kite* | 1,431 | 71.7 | +2.5 |
| | Conservative | Steven Brown* | 1,406 | 70.4 | +4.3 |
| | Conservative | Roger Perfitt* | 1,317 | 65.9 | +5.0 |
| | Labour | Timothy Cook | 388 | 19.4 | +6.7 |
| | Labour | Lacey Povey | 375 | 18.8 | +7.8 |
| | Labour | Allan Fisher | 327 | 16.4 | +4.5 |
| | Green | Alastair Humphreys | 256 | 12.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,997 | 36.36 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Maypole & Leyton Cross

Maypole & Leyton Cross :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Kyle Stealey* | 435 | 68.7 | −15.4 |
| | Labour | David Brooker | 198 | 31.2 | +15.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 633 | 29.3 | +2.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Newtown

Newtown (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Debbie Graham | 528 | 38.9 | −3.2 |
| | Green | Laura Edie* | 509 | 37.5 | +24.9 |
| | Labour | Jonathan Wynne | 401 | 29.5 | −9.7 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Mensah | 399 | 29.4 | −6.6 |
| | Conservative | Sheun Oke | 365 | 26.9 | −6.8 |
| | Green | Julian Hood | 348 | 25.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1355 | 33.18 | −2.02 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Green gain from Labour | Green gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### Princes

Princes (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ricky Jones* | 490 | 47.9 | +3.8 |
| | Labour | Alina Vaduva | 395 | 38.6 | +0.2 |
| | Conservative | Monjur Showkat | 388 | 38.0 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative | Rebecca Storey* | 386 | 37.8 | −0.8 |
| | Green | Ciara O'Hare | 76 | 7.4 | N/A |
| | Green | Kerry O'Hare | 60 | 5.9 | N/A |
| | Reform UK | Lou Sparrow | 49 | 2.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1021 | 24.73 | −6.77 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Stone Castle

Stone Castle (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Paul Cutler* | 518 | 56.0 | +11.5 |
| | Conservative | Lucy Canham* | 491 | 53.0 | +2.8 |
| | Conservative | John Burrell* | 440 | 47.5 | −0.3 |
| | Labour | Trevor Donnelly | 362 | 39.1 | +4.0 |
| | Labour | Pat Kelly | 320 | 34.6 | −0.1 |
| | Labour | Rachel Gogo | 315 | 34.1 | +5.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 925 | 17.10 | −7.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Stone House

Stone House (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tom Oliver* | 667 | 52.4 | +9.7 |
| | Labour | Rachael Anne | 556 | 43.7 | −2.4 |
| | Conservative | Milan Suter | 535 | 42.0 | +1.8 |
| | Labour | Karl Harris | 491 | 38.6 | +1.7 |
| | Green | Louise Maclean | 125 | 9.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1272 | 27.3 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Swanscombe

Swanscombe (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Emma Ben Moussa* | 732 | 61.2 | +21.6 |
| | Labour | Claire Pearce | 476 | 39.8 | +7.7 |
| | Conservative | Anita Barham* | 379 | 31.7 | −6.4 |
| | Residents | Lorna Cross | 328 | 27.4 | −10.7 |
| | Conservative | Santosh Patil | 125 | 10.4 | +1.0 |
| | Britain First | Paul Golding | 107 | 8.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,197 | 25.67 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour gain from Residents | Labour gain from Residents | Swing | | |

### Temple Hill

Temple Hill (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kelly Grehan* | 796 | 62.1 | +19.1 |
| | Labour | Alina Gaskin* | 737 | 57.5 | +15.6 |
| | Labour | Darren Povey | 704 | 55.0 | +15.0 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Denman | 393 | 30.7 | +3.8 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Shippam | 327 | 25.5 | +0.6 |
| | Conservative | Ganesh Malyala | 322 | 25.1 | +0.9 |
| | Reform UK | Barry Taylor | 102 | 8.0 | −17.4 |
| | Reform UK | Enrique Martin-Garcia | 93 | 7.3 | −16.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,281 | 21.14 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Town

Town (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Christopher Shippam* | 544 | 62.4 | +9.4 |
| | Conservative | Richard Wells* | 530 | 60.8 | +10.0 |
| | Labour | Justina Lambert | 309 | 35.4 | −1.9 |
| | Labour | Jiri Marek | 292 | 33.5 | −2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 872 | 23.83 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### West Hill

West Hill (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Julie Ozog* | 1,096 | 57.0 | +4.8 |
| | Conservative | Denzil Reynolds* | 1,062 | 55.2 | +4.9 |
| | Conservative | Drew Swinerd* | 969 | 50.4 | +3.1 |
| | Labour | Robert Celino-Stock | 632 | 32.9 | +0.7 |
| | Labour | Suyi Michelli | 600 | 31.2 | +0.3 |
| | Labour | Sandra Woodeson | 580 | 30.2 | ±0.0 |
| | Green | Garry Turner | 374 | 19.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,923 | 33.04 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Wilmington, Sutton-at-Hone & Hawley

Wilmington, Sutton-at-Hone & Hawley (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Holt* | 1,270 | 68.3 | +8.2 |
| | Conservative | Eddy Lampkin* | 1,162 | 62.5 | +6.1 |
| | Conservative | Av Sandhu | 1,047 | 56.3 | +4.5 |
| | Labour | Abigail Jones | 449 | 24.1 | +8.2 |
| | Labour | Raymond Kelleher | 414 | 22.3 | +5.7 |
| | Labour | Geoffrey Prout | 375 | 20.2 | +5.3 |
| | Green | Richard Moore | 191 | 10.3 | N/A |
| | Reform UK | Marc Mason | 118 | 6.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,860 | 30.54 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

## Changes 2023-2027
### By-elections
#### Greenhithe and Knockhall

Greenhithe and Knockhall by-election: 21 November 2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Reform UK | Michael Brown | 284 | 31.2 | N/A |
| | Residents | Dawn Johnston | 251 | 27.6 | –17.2 |
| | Green | Sacha Gosine | 150 | 16.5 | N/A |
| | Labour | Peter Summers | 113 | 12.4 | –7.0 |
| | Conservative | Edith Nwachukwu | 112 | 12.3 | –23.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 33 | 3.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 914 | 16.1 | –6.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,662 | | |
| | Reform UK gain from Residents | Reform UK gain from Residents | Reform UK gain from Residents | Reform UK gain from Residents | Reform UK gain from Residents |