Shepway local elections

Shepway District Council in Kent, England is elected every four years. Since the last boundary changes in 2003, 46 councillors have been elected from 22 wards.^[1]

Political control

Since the first election to the council in 1973 political control of the council has been held by the following parties:^[2]

Shepway Council election, 1999

Shepway Council election, 2003 (boundary changes reduced the number of seats by 10)^[3]

St Mary in the Marsh By-Election 22 August 1996
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour		593	47.9
	Conservative		429	34.7
	Liberal Democrat		215	17.4
Majority			164	13.2
Turnout			1,237	54.8
	Labour hold		Swing

Folkestone Central By-Election 4 September 1997
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour		278	42.2	+12.2
	Conservative		222	33.7	+5.1
	Liberal Democrat		158	24.0	-17.1
Majority			56	8.5
Turnout			658	20.8
	Labour gain from Liberal Democrat		Swing

Harbour By-Election 22 February 2001
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat		387	43.0	+8.2
	Labour		273	30.4	-14.3
	Conservative		239	26.6	+6.1
Majority			114	12.6
Turnout			899	26.5
	Liberal Democrat gain from Labour		Swing

Hythe North By-Election 22 February 2001
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative		480	51.9	-12.6
	Liberal Democrat		369	39.9	+17.0
	Labour		75	8.1	-4.5
Majority			111	12.0
Turnout			924	38.6
	Conservative hold		Swing

Morehall By-Election 22 February 2001
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat		424	36.3	+0.5
	Conservative		407	34.8	+4.0
	Labour		339	29.0	-4.5
Majority			17	1.5
Turnout			1,170	32.7
	Liberal Democrat gain from Labour		Swing

Morehall By-Election 5 April 2001
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat		598	57.0	+57.0
	Conservative		451	43.0	-27.8
Majority			147	14.0
Turnout			1,049	34.7
	Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative		Swing

Folkestone Central By-Election 7 February 2002
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative		358	61.5	+25.7
	Labour		224	38.5	+0.7
Majority			134	23.0
Turnout			582	19.6
	Conservative hold		Swing

Folkestone Park By-Election 27 June 2002^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat		1,003	58.3	+14.8
	Conservative		653	37.9	-5.6
	Labour		65	3.8	-9.3
Majority			350	20.4
Turnout			1,721	36.1
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing

St Mary's in the Marsh By-Election 24 October 2002
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat		401	37.4	+17.4
	Conservative		365	34.0	-1.6
	Labour		262	24.4	+0.0
	UKIP		44	4.1	+4.1
Majority			36	3.4
Turnout			1,072	46.5
	Liberal Democrat gain from Labour		Swing

New Romney Coast By-Election 2 October 2003^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Ann Birchmore	550	48.1	+15.4
	Conservative	Derek Morgan	502	43.9	-9.5
	Labour	Albert Ryder	91	8.0	-5.9
Majority			48	4.2
Turnout			1,143	41.8
	Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative		Swing

Romney Marsh By-Election 2 October 2003^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Simon Ashworth	349	50.6	-5.6
	Liberal Democrat	Sylvia Oiller	273	39.6	+15.3
	Labour	Adrian Cirket	68	9.9	-9.6
Majority			76	11.0
Turnout			690	40.7
	Conservative hold		Swing

Folkestone East By-Election 22 April 2004
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative		575	52.5	+33.9
	Liberal Democrat		352	32.1	-30.9
	Labour		169	15.4	-3.0
Majority			223	20.4
Turnout			1,096	37.0
	Conservative gain from Liberal Democrat		Swing

New Romney Town By-Election 29 September 2005^[6]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Stephenson	560	66.2	+19.0
	Labour		175	20.7	-18.1
	Liberal Democrat		111	13.1	-0.8
Majority			385	45.5
Turnout			846	33.5
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Folkestone Harvey Central By-Election 13 October 2005^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Philip Martin	409	53.4	+16.7
	Labour		237	30.9	+8.5
	Liberal Democrat		120	15.7	-21.8
Majority			172	22.5
Turnout			766	23.7
	Conservative gain from Green		Swing

Hythe West By-Election 4 June 2009^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Neil Matthews	589	39.6	+22.1
	Conservative	Paul Peacock	483	32.5	-26.4
	UKIP	Barbara Johnson	255	17.2	+5.9
	BNP	Harry Williams	94	6.3	+6.3
	Shepway Independents	Colin Tearle	65	4.4	+4.4
Majority			106	7.1
Turnout			1,486	46.1
	Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative		Swing

Romney Marsh By-Election 4 June 2009^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Toby Clifton-Holt	430	58.7	-10.3
	Shepway Independents	Graham Snell	121	16.5	+16.5
	Liberal Democrat	Sally Matthews	114	15.6	-0.9
	Labour	Douglas Suckling	68	9.3	-5.3
Majority			309	42.2
Turnout			733	41.0
	Conservative hold		Swing

New Romney Coast By-Election 12 November 2009^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Shane Lawrence	452	51.4	+2.2
	Liberal Democrat	Brian Wright	333	37.9	-12.9
	UKIP	Wendy Nevard	94	10.7	+10.7
Majority			119	13.5
Turnout			879	30.7
	Conservative hold		Swing