Kent election results 2023: Conservatives lose control of Medway

The Conservatives have lost control of Medway Council in Kent for the first time in more than 20 years.

Labour secured 33 seats, which was enough to take control of the council. The Conservatives have 22 and there are four independents.

All 55 council seats in the unitary authority were up for election, along with four new seats created by boundary changes.

Medway was previously held by the Conservatives with a majority of 11.

Medway Labour leader Vince Maple told BBC Radio Kent the result was "historic" for the area.

"We've had a result tonight that I don't think we even expected," he said.

"We've never had since the creation of Medway Council a Labour majority council."

He added that he believed the "poor financial management" by the local Conservatives and the economic outlook nationwide was what helped his party win.

Earlier in the night the outgoing Conservative leader, Alan Jarrett, conceded they had lost control of the authority, blaming boundary changes and dissatisfaction with the national Conservative Party.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said there had been a Tory administration for most of the time since the authority was formed in 1998, so "it's a very disappointing night for us".

He said he would tell the Conservative government in Westminster to "get their act together on a number of fronts", including "getting their grip on the economy, being clearer about housing requirements and a really big issue here is access to GP provision".

By Charlotte Wright, Political Editor, BBC South East

Labour activists in Medway were crying tears of joy when the seats were announced that gave them the majority on the council.

This was the result they had been dreaming of.

Not since the early days of Tony Blair's premiership have they had local authority control here in Medway.

In the weeks leading up to polling day, they told me this year was their best chance of winning.

They've been helped by national dissatisfaction with the Tories, a change in some ward boundaries and hard work on the doorstep.

The question is, does it end here for Labour? Can Labour convert their success tonight into seats at the next general election?

Sarah Lieberman, senior politics lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University, said: "This is a big deal.

"It is so far the only seat in England that has made that complete switch from being held by the Conservatives to being held by Labour."

She added: "It's an indication that the voting general public are maybe a little bit jaded after 13 years of Conservative control."