# 2025 Kent County Council election

The 2025 Kent County Council election is due to take place on 1 May 2025 to elect members to Kent County Council in Kent, England. All 81 seats will be elected. This will be on the same day as other local elections. Kent County Council asked for the election to be postponed under the devolution programme but this was rejected, so the election will go ahead as planned.

## Background

In the 2021 election, the Conservatives won 62 seats, giving them a majority and control of the council. The Labour Party were the second biggest party with 7 seats, followed by the Liberal Democrats with 6 seats and the Greens with 1 seat. Mike Baldock of the Swale Independents was elected in Swale West.
Several by-elections took place between the 2021 and 2025 elections:
Conservative Green Liberal Democrat Residents Reform UK
By-elections :
| Division | Date | Incumbent | Winner | Cause |
| Wilmington | 27 January 2022 | Ann Allen | Av Sandhu | Death |
| Hythe West | 2 March 2023 | Andy Weatherhead | Jenni Hawkins | Resignation |
| Sheppey | 5 May 2023 | Cameron Beart | Mike Whiting | Death |
| Maidstone Central | 6 July 2023 | Dan Daley | Chris Passmore | Death |
| Swanscombe and Greenhithe | 21 November 2024 | Peter Harman | Thomas Mallon | Death |
In March 2024, councillor Trevor Shonk of Ramsgate left the Conservative Party to join the Thanet Independents. Later that month, councillor Mike Whiting of Sheppey was suspended from the Conservatives following a drink driving conviction and sat the rest of his term as an independent.
In the 2024 general election, the Labour Party won 10 of the Kent seats from the Conservatives (Ashford, Chatham and Aylesford, Dartford, Dover and Deal, Folkestone and Hythe, Gillingham and Rainham, Gravesham, Rochester and Strood, Sittingbourne and Sheppey and East Thanet), while retaining Canterbury. The Liberal Democrats won Tunbridge Wells from the Conservatives, who retained Faversham and Mid Kent, Maidstone and Malling, Herne Bay and Sandwich, Sevenoaks and Tonbridge while winning the new Weald of Kent seat. Overall, of the Kent seats, the Labour Party won 11, the Conservative Party won 6 and the Liberal Democrats won 1.
In October 2024, councillor Barry Lewis of Margate was deselected by the Labour Party for the upcoming election citing "concerning comments" and allegations of election betting, leading him to leave the party and serve the rest of his term as an independent. In January 2025, councillor Dirk Ross of Ashford South left the Conservative Party to sit as an independent.

## Previous council composition

| After 2021 election | After 2021 election | After 2021 election | Before 2025 election | Before 2025 election | Before 2025 election |
| Party | Party | Seats | Party | Party | Seats |
| | Conservative | 62 | | Conservative | 57 |
| | Labour | 7 | | Labour | 6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 6 | | Liberal Democrats | 6 |
| | Green | 4 | | Green | 5 |
| | Reform UK | 0 | | Reform UK | 3 |
| | Swale Ind. | 1 | | Swale Ind. | 1 |
| | Heritage | 0 | | Heritage | 1 |
| | Independent | 0 | | Independent | 2 |
| | Swanscombe & Greenhithe Residents' Association | 1 | | Swanscombe & Greenhithe Residents' Association | 0 |

### Changes

* October 2021: Ann Allen (Conservative) dies – by-election held January 2022
* January 2022: Av Sandhu (Conservative) wins by-election
* November 2022: Andy Weatherhead (Conservative) resigns – by-election held March 2023
* January 2023: Cameron Beart (Conservative) dies – by-election held May 2023
* March 2023: Jenni Hawkins (Green) gains by-election from Conservatives; Dan Daley (Liberal Democrats) dies – by-election held July 2023
* May 2023: Mike Whiting (Conservative) wins by-election
* July 2023: Chris Passmore (Liberal Democrats) wins by-election
* March 2024: Trevor Shonk (Conservative) joins Thanet Independents; Mike Whiting (Conservative) suspended by party
* August 2024: Peter Harman (Swanscombe & Greenhithe Residents' Association) dies – by-election held November 2024
* October 2024: Barry Lewis (Labour) suspended from party
* November 2024: Thomas Mallon (Reform UK) gains by-election from Residents' Association
* January 2025: Dirk Ross (Conservative) leaves party to sit as an independent
* March 2025: Trevor Shonk (Thanet Independents) and Dirk Ross (independent) join Reform UK; Becki Bruneau (Conservative) joins Heritage Party

## Results by division
### Ashford

Ashford Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate |
| | Green | Steve Sitton |
| Majority | Majority | Majority |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout |
Ashford East :
| Party | Party | Candidate |
| | Green | Steve Campkin |
| Majority | Majority | Majority |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout |
Ashford Rural East :
| Party | Party | Candidate |
| | Green | Pat Marsh |
| Majority | Majority | Majority |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout |
Ashford Rural South :
| Party | Party | Candidate |
| | Ashford Ind. | Heather Hayward |
| Majority | Majority | Majority |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout |
Ashford Rural West :
| Party | Party | Candidate |
| | Green | Vanessa Hutchinson |
| Majority | Majority | Majority |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout |
Ashford South :
| Party | Party | Candidate |
| | Green | Gwen Protheroe |
| Majority | Majority | Majority |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout |
Tenterden :
| Party | Party | Candidate |
| | Green | Guy Pullen |
| Majority | Majority | Majority |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout |