Tories hold Whitstable

Mike Harrison and Mark Dance held onto their seats in Whitstable

They secured two seats in Herne Bay – and Whitstable is next on the list for members of the UK Independence Party. The group ousted the two sitting Tories in Herne Bay in the Kent County Council elections and came second in Whitstable.

As town Tories Mark Dance and Mike Harrison admitted they had feared for their seats, Ukip's soon-to-be chairman, Jim Gascoyne, said the party had big plans. He said:

"We came second in Whitstable so that is next for us, then right on to Westminster. The route to Parliament is along the Kent coast and then up the Thanet Way. It is wonderful to have two county councillors in Herne Bay to join the rest around Kent. The march to Westminster really starts here."

Councillors Dance and Harrison held on to their seats, with 2,732 and 2,666 votes respectively, beating Ukip's Mike Bull and Howard Farmer into second place with 2,476 and 2,435 votes.

Labour candidates Christopher Cornell and Rita O'Brien polled 1,813 and 1,781 votes, while Green Party candidates Pat Marsh and Jolyon Trimingham polled 566 and 600 respectively. The Liberal Democrats received the fewest votes, with 529 for Jonathan Dearth and 343 for Kevin McNamara. Mr Dance said:

"It has been a harrowing day. But we as a Whitstable team have done what we have always done and what we will continue to do. We don't change direction because there is an election."

He said when Mr Farmer came second in the Seasalter by-election they were concerned about the KCC result. Mr Dance added:

"We had no idea how it would go. But we are delighted to have won and to retain control of the council."

Mr Harrison said:

"It has been a super fight. There was a real risk that the council's £2 billion budget would have been in the hands of people who did not know what they were doing. We have all been given a lesson, we must never be complacent, and Mark and I are not."

Mr Farmer said he was pleased with the amount of votes they achieved. He said:

"Both their candidates admitted to me they were scared. They poured resources into the seat which we were not able to do but I think we did very well and I'm grateful to everyone who voted or helped with the campaign."

Mr Bull added:

"I am disappointed because of course we would have liked to have won. But this has brought us to the forefront of people's minds and next time there is an election we hope to build on this. We were hoping for a council seat here and that would have been a stepping stone to Parliament. But UKIP is now a household name and we have to be pleased with that."

Overall, the Tories retained their majority on the council, the composition of which is now: Conservative 45 (-29), Ukip 17 (+17), Labour 13 (+11), Lib Dem 7 (no change), Green 1 (+1), Residents Association 1 (+1), Independent 0 (-1).

thisiskent 10th May 2013