# 2000 Maidstone Borough Council election

The 2000 Maidstone Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2000 to elect members of Maidstone Borough Council in Kent, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.
After the election, the composition of the council was
* Liberal Democrat 22
* Conservative 16
* Labour 12
* Independent 5

## Campaign

Before the election no party had a majority, with the Liberal Democrats the largest party on the council. Asylum seekers was reported as being a big issue in the election, after a rise in council tax from Kent County Council was partly put down to asylum seekers in the county. The Conservative party said it was boosted in the election by pledges of a "crackdown" made by the national party leader William Hague.

## Election result

Overall turnout in the election was 27.1%.
Maidstone Local Election Result 2000 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Liberal Democrats | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 36.8 | 31.4 | 7,155 | -1.0% |
| Conservative | 6 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 31.6 | 45.9 | 10,463 | +8.7% |
| Labour | 4 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 21.1 | 17.6 | 4,012 | -8.4% |
| Independent | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.5 | 4.0 | 920 | +0.5% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 229 | +0.1% |

## Ward results

Allington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Cynthia Robertson | 1,188 | 68.5 | −4.4 |
| | Conservative | Valerie Parker | 397 | 22.9 | +8.7 |
| | Labour | Richard Coates | 149 | 8.6 | −4.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 791 | 45.6 | −13.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,734 | 30.0 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Barming :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Paul Oldham | 883 | 90.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Shona Stevens | 59 | 6.1 |
| | Labour | Patrick Coates | 33 | 3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 824 | 84.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 975 | 52.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Bearsted :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Richard Ash | 1,251 | 76.4 | +9.3 |
| | Labour | Jeanne Gibson | 213 | 13.0 | −3.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sheila Chittenden | 173 | 10.6 | −5.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,038 | 63.4 | +13.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,637 | 32.2 | +0.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Boughton Monchelsea :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Michael Fitzgerald | 433 | 50.2 |
| | Conservative | Frank Holding | 377 | 43.7 |
| | Labour | Jacqueline Lyons | 52 | 6.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 56 | 6.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 862 | 41.5 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | |
Boxley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Michael Yates | 1,062 | 67.2 |
| | Labour | Stephen Gibson | 278 | 17.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Doherty | 240 | 15.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 784 | 49.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,580 | 25.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Bridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Merello D'Souza | 668 | 39.6 | +2.6 |
| | Conservative | Derek Nicholson | 546 | 32.3 | +4.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Trevor Matthews | 403 | 23.9 | −7.0 |
| | Green | Ian McDonald | 71 | 4.2 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 122 | 7.2 | +1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,688 | 26.4 | +3.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Coxheath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian Mortimer | 573 | 53.8 |
| | Conservative | Alan Larcombe | 419 | 39.3 |
| | Labour | Susan Burfield | 73 | 6.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 154 | 14.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,065 | 34.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Detling :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Daphne Parvin | 440 | 83.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Bartrick | 53 | 10.0 |
| | Labour | Raymond Huson | 35 | 6.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 387 | 73.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 528 | 34.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Patrick Sellar | 834 | 54.5 | +1.7 |
| | Conservative | Scott Hahnefeld | 544 | 35.5 | +3.0 |
| | Labour | Karen Forbes | 153 | 10.0 | −4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 290 | 18.9 | −1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,531 | 25.6 | −0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Farleigh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Williams | 385 | 57.0 |
| | Conservative | Bryan Ransom | 290 | 43.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 95 | 14.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 675 | 45.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Headcorn :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Jenefer Gibson | 1,011 | 75.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Fryd | 224 | 16.7 |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Stevens | 106 | 7.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 787 | 58.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,341 | 36.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Watson | 700 | 49.5 | −1.3 |
| | Labour | John Tolputt | 361 | 25.5 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Parker | 352 | 24.9 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 339 | 24.0 | −2.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,413 | 24.0 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | | |
High Street :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Clive English | 514 | 49.9 | +6.4 |
| | Conservative | Alex Hunter | 241 | 23.4 | +2.9 |
| | Labour | Leonard Burfield | 236 | 22.9 | −9.4 |
| | Green | Sheila Kennedy | 39 | 3.8 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 273 | 26.5 | +15.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,030 | 22.1 | −2.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Marden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Elizabeth McGannan | 487 | 41.2 |
| | Conservative | Simon Anthonisz | 445 | 37.6 |
| | Labour | Michael Casserley | 172 | 14.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Patricia Gerrish | 77 | 6.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 42 | 3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,182 | 31.2 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | |
North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jennifer Paterson | 762 | 59.3 | +2.2 |
| | Conservative | John Brooks | 341 | 26.5 | −2.9 |
| | Labour | Keith Adkinson | 136 | 10.6 | −0.6 |
| | Green | James Shalice | 46 | 3.6 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 421 | 32.8 | +5.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,285 | 22.9 | −2.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Park Wood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Morrison | 497 | 57.4 | −4.5 |
| | Conservative | Sandra Nahab | 239 | 27.6 | +6.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jeanne Harwood | 102 | 11.8 | −1.7 |
| | Green | David Currer | 28 | 3.2 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 258 | 29.8 | −11.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 866 | 18.7 | +0.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Shepway East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Daniel Murphy | 281 | 41.1 | −13.9 |
| | Conservative | Claire Watts | 274 | 40.1 | +16.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Chittenden | 129 | 18.9 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7 | 1.0 | −30.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 684 | 16.1 | −0.5 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Shepway West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Frances Brown | 394 | 48.0 | −17.0 |
| | Conservative | Peter Veal | 381 | 46.5 | +11.5 |
| | Green | Stephen Muggeridge | 45 | 5.5 | +5.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13 | 1.6 | −28.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 820 | 18.8 | −0.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alan Chell | 970 | 51.5 | +8.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sarah Gould | 739 | 39.2 | +1.2 |
| | Labour | Rosemary Long | 175 | 9.3 | −9.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 231 | 12.3 | +7.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,884 | 27.9 | +1.9 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |