Green Party takes overall control of Hastings Borough Council

On Friday (May 8), votes were tallied for the Hastings Borough Council elections.

The council holds half-out elections every two years, with one out of two seats in each of the borough’s 16 wards up for grabs.

This arrangement means the council has a baseline position no matter the outcome once the votes are tallied. On the morning of the count, this baseline position was: nine Green Party councillors; three Labour councillors; two Conservative councillors; and one independent.

With the election of a further nine Green Party councillors, six Reform councillors and one Independent, the council is now formed of: 18 Green Party councillors; six Reform councillors; three Labour councillors; two Conservatives; and two Independents.

This means the Greens now have an overall majority on the borough council, having been running a minority administration for several years. Going into the election with no councillors, Reform UK are now the council’s second biggest group.

There are also eight county council divisions in Hastings, all of which are represented by a single councillor. An election took place in all eight seats.

Going into the election, the town’s county council seats were held by: three Conservative councillors; three Labour councillors; one Green Party councillor; and one Reform UK councillor.

They are now held by: six Green Party councillors and two Reform councillors.

Borough council election candidates

Ashdown Louise Chantal, Labour and Cooperative Party: 202 Michael Justinian Edwards, The Conservative Party Candidate: 363 Daniel Kendrick, Reform UK: 628 Marie Louise Parfitt, Green Party: 407 Robert John Wakeford, Liberal Democrat: 95 CON LOSS, REFORM GAIN 2024 result: Conservative (Sorrell Marlow-Eastwood).

2022 result: Conservative (Mike Edwards).

Baird Liam Atkins, The Conservative Party Candidate: 151 Rick Dillon, Labour Party Candidate: 128 Jack Philp McCree, Reform UK: 438 Will Rumfitt, Green Party: 492 Mike Turner, Independent: 335 IND LOSS, GREEN GAIN 2024 result: Green (Yunnis Smith).

2022 result: Labour (Mike Turner). Labour councillor, incumbent Mike Turner had been sitting as an Independent. Braybrooke Yoong Kam, Reform UK: 353 Archie Lauchlan, Green Party: 1,232 Josh Matthews, Labour Party Candidate: 364 John Richard Waterfall, The Conservative Party Candidate: 138 LAB LOSS, GREEN GAIN

2024 result: Green (Mark Etherington) 2022 result: Labour (Margi O’Callaghan)

Castle Charlie Cooke, The Conservative Party Candidate: 125 Steph Fawbert, Green Party: 1,404 Judy Rogers, Labour Party Candidate: 333 Graeme White, Reform UK: 336 LAB LOSS, GREEN GAIN

2024 result: Green (Becca Horn) 2022 result: Labour (Judy Rogers)

Central St Leonards Alex Dudley, Reform UK: 378 Caroline June Kerswell, The Conservative Party Candidate: 107 Trevor Redmond, Labour and Cooperative Party: 334 Solly Solamito, Green Party: 1,303 GREEN HOLD

2024 result: Green (Adele Bates) 2022 result: Green (Tony Collins)

Conquest Rob Drew, Reform UK: 607 Ian James Gillam, Green Party: 444 Hugh Philip Nicholson, Labour Party Candidate: 235 Stewart Gregory Rayment, Liberal Democrat: 87 Roger Streeten, The Conservative Party Candidate: 398 LAB LOSS, REFORM GAIN

2024 result: Conservative (Paul Foster) 2022 result: Conservative (John Rankin).

While elected as a Conservative, John Rankin had been sitting as a Labour councillor.

Gensing Shane Atkins, The Conservative Party Candidate: 95 Amanda Christabel Jobson, Green Party: 1,436 Jet Rankin, Reform UK: 365 John Williams, Labour Party Candidate: 274 GREEN HOLD

2024 result: Green (Paula Warne) 2022 result: Green (Amanda Jobson). Hollington Matthew Clifford Ainsworth, The Conservative Party Candidate: 135 Will Chapman, Reform UK: 484 Andrea Cowhig, Independent: 197 Angela Liliet Harris, Labour and Cooperative Party: 261 Justin Lee Wynne, Green Party: 196

IND LOSS, REFORM GAIN

2024 result: Labour (Danuta Kean). 2022 result: Labour (Paul Barnett) While elected as a Labour councillor, previous incumbent Paul Barnett had been sitting as an Independent.

Maze Hill Rob Cooke, The Conservative Party Candidate: 268 Lee Joseph Grant, Liberal Democrat: 44 Rosie Murphy, Reform UK: 499 Tim John Cairns Shand, Labour and Cooperative Party: 223 Karen Simnett, Green Party: 969

CON LOSS, GREEN GAIN

2024 result: Green (Darren Mackenzie) 2022 result: Conservative (Andy Patmore) Old Hastings James Edward Bacon, Labour Party Candidate: 640 Steve Foot, Reform UK: 387 Mike Frith, Green Party: 1,064 Ray Molloy, The Conservative Party Candidate: 124

LAB LOSS, GREEN GAIN

2024 result: Green (Julia Hilton) 2022 result: Labour (James Bacon)

Ore Wojciech Duczmal, Reform UK: 471 Kim Forward, Labour and Cooperative Party: 167 Clem McCulloch, Green Party: 874 Brett Reginald McClean, The Conservative Party Candidate: 113 Vicky Wilson, Independent: 70 IND LOSS, GREEN GAIN

2024 result: Green (Jo Walker) 2022 result: Labour (Simon Willis) While elected as a Labour councillor, previous incumbent Simon WIllis had been sitting as an Independent.

Silverhill Craig Steven Andrew, The Conservative Party Candidate: 213 Ian Moore, Reform UK: 492 Margi O’Callaghan, Labour and Cooperative Party: 327 Dulcie Reynolds, Green Party: 610 Nigel Sinden, Independent: 265

IND LOSS, GREEN GAIN

2024 result: Labour (Billie Barnes) 2022 result: Labour (Nigel Sinden) While elected as a Labour councillor, incumbent Nigel Sinden had been sitting as an Independent.

St Helens (note: two seats are available in this ward) Andy Batsford, Independent: 544 Stephen Scott Butterton, The Conservative Party Candidate: 229 Peter Anthony Clarke, Reform UK: 572

Shaun Dowling, Green Party: 490 Barney Green, Labour Party Candidate: 320 Bob Lloyd, Liberal Democrat: 164 Helen Martin, Labour and Cooperative Party: 311 Howard Martin, The Conservative Party Candidate: 249 Jessica Townsend, Green Party: 462 Hazel Edith Vanbergen, Reform UK: 460 IND HOLD LAB LOSS, REFORM GAIN

2024 result: Labour (David Whitehill)

2022 result: Labour (Andy Batsford) Tressell Ingrid Kristina Kathleen Allan, Labour Party Candidate: 129 Glenn Haffenden, Green Party: 921 Ricky Hodges, Reform UK: 409 Shelley Lee, The Conservative Party Candidate: 51

GREEN HOLD

2024 result: Green (Natalie Gaimster)

2022 result: Green (Glenn Haffenden) West St Leonards Matthew Joseph Beaver, The Conservative Party Candidate: 220 Emma Joliffe, Green Party: 346 Derek Lawrence, Reform UK: 506 Eve Montgomery, Liberal Democrat: 50

Anna Sabin, Labour Party Candidate: 370

CON LOSS, REFORM GAIN

2024 result: Labour (Trevor Webb)

2022 result: Conservative (Matthew Beaver)

Wishing Tree John Cannan, Independent: 153 Wendy Cooke, The Conservative Party Candidate: 137 Melanie Kavanagh, Green Party: 263 Mal McDermott, Libertarian Party UK: 18 John Rankin, Labour Party Candidate: 365 Doreena Ross, Reform UK: 516 IND LOSS, REFORM GAIN

2024 result: Labour (Helen Kay)

2022 result: Labour (John Cannan)

While elected as a Labour councillor, incumbent John Cannan had been sitting as an Independent.