town hall, royal tunbridge wells

Full results from all the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council 2012 elections

Conservative leader of true blue Tunbridge Wells Borough Council faced a humiliating defeat at the hands of Ukip in the county’s biggest surprise of the local elections.

Bob Atwood - credited with calming the ship after a huge internal battle within the Tory party - lost by around 50 votes to Ukip’s Piers Wauchope in the Rusthall ward.

He said: “I’m shocked but not surprised. I just feel sorry that the people of Rusthall now have two councillors they will come to regret have elected.”

The other Rusthall seat, not up for election yesterday, was already Ukip.

A triumphant Mr Wauchope said: “I was quietly confident about a month ago, less so a week ago when I heard the Labour candidate was doing well, and quite shaky yesterday. But I’m delighted.”

Mr Wauchope is no stranger to local politics - he was a former London councillor in Camden.

It was the second blow for the Tories in Tunbridge Wells - earlier this morning they saw cabinet member Brian Ransley lose his seat and Labour make an early gain.

Results as they happen:

Capel

Hugh Patterson (Lib Dems) 340 (50 per cent) ELECTED

Brian Ransley (Con) 298 (44 per cent)

Thomas Devlin (Lab) 42 (six per cent)

St James’

Ben Chapelard (Lib Dem) 790 (62 per cent) ELECTED

James Tansley (Con) 213 (17 per cent)

Jaimi Lallu (Lab) 156 (12 per cent)

Naz Mian (Ukip) 115 (nine per cent)

Southborough & High Brooms

Alain Lewis (Lab) 630 (41 per cent) ELECTED

Nasir Jamil (Con) 604 (40 per cent)

Christine Marshall (Ukip) 193 (13 per cent)

Marguerita Morton (Lib Dems) 96 (six per cent)

Brenchley & Horsmonden

Jane March (Con) 917 (74 per cent) ELECTED

Kevin Kerrigan (Lab) 318 (26 per cent)

Goudhurst & Lamberhurst

Barry Noakes (Con) 708 (71 per cent) ELECTED

Simon Fowler (Lab) 205 (21 per cent)

Edward La Coste (Ind) 86 (nine per cent)

Broadwater - 2 seats

Barbara Cobbold (Con) 555 (28 per cent) ELECTED

Chris Woodward (Con) 477 (24 per cent) ELECTED

Alex Green (Lib Dem) 222 (11 per cent)

Malcolm Dow (Ukip) 220 (11 per cent)

Clive Brewer (Lab) 208 (10 per cent)

Chris Jeffery (Lib Dem) 161 (eight per cent)

Graham Munn (Lab) 155 (eight per cent)

Rusthall

Piers Wauchope (UKIP) 533 (38 per cent) ELECTED

Robert Atwood (Con) 487 (35 per cent)

Alex Britcher (Lab) 263 (19 per cent)

Vic Bethell (Lib Dems) 103 (seven percent)

Benenden & Cranbrook

Sean Holden (Con) 1089 (73 per cent) ELECTED

Stephen Brown (Lab) 397 (27 per cent)

Culverden

Dr Ronen Basu (Con) 746 (47 per cent) ELECTED

Patricia Theophanides (UKIP) 231 (15 per cent)

Richard Leslie (Green) 216 (14 per cent)

Veronica Kelly (Lab) 213 (13 per cent)

Ian William (Lib Dem) 182 (11 per cent)

Hawkhurst & Sandhurst

Beverley Palmer (Con) 717 (53 per cent) ELECTED

William Orpin (Ukip) 263 (20 per cent)

Keith Brown (Lib Dems) 217 (16 per cent)

Kim Watts (Lab) 148 (11 per cent)

Pantiles & St Marks

Len Horwood (Con) 1047 (67 per cent) ELECTED

Lorna Blackmore (Lab) 333 (21 per cent)

Eileen Gayler (Ukip) 194 (12 per cent)

Park

Peter Bulman (Con) 852 (48 per cent) ELECTED

Nick Maltby (Lab) 378 (21 per cent)

Rachel Sadler (Lib Dem) 327 (18 per cent)

June Moore (Ukip) 233 (13 per cent)

Pembury (2 seats)

Mike Tompsett (Ind) 836 (26 per cent) ELECTED

Paul Barrington-King (Con) 736 (23 per cent) ELECTED

Lynn Hine (Con) 506 (15 per cent)

Colin Nicholson (Ukip) 505 (15 per cent)

Paul Beard (Lib Dems) 312 (10 per cent)

Margaret Morgan (Lab) 229 (seven per cent)

Isobel Kerrigan (Lab) 145 (four per cent)

Sherwood

Frank Williams (Con) 594 (42 per cent) ELECTED

Christopher Hoare (Ukip) 421 (30 per cent)

Ian Carvell (Lab) 261 (19 per cent)

Alan Bullion (Lib Dems) 123 (nine per cent)

Speldhurst & Bidborough

Julian Stanyer (Con) 1011 (63 per cent) ELECTED

Peter Fasey (Ukip) 221 (14 per cent)

Ann Tyler (Lab) 212 (13 per cent)

Robert Baldock (Lib Dem) 164 (10 per cent)

St John’s

David Scott (Con) 662 (41 per cent) ELECTED

Lesley Herriot (Lib Dem) 554 (34 per cent)

Timothy Rich (Lab) 244 (15 per cent)

Joyce Matthews (Ukip) 148 (nine per cent)