By the numbers by-elections

Crunching the numbers ahead of elections in Rochester and Gillingham

Editor’s note: Three Medway Council seats are up for grabs in by-elections next month, and we wanted to investigate the history of the wards and the chances for each party standing. To do this, we’ve drafted in Alan Collins, founder of Medway Elects, an incredible website that tracks the full electoral history of our towns. He analyses past elections and what might happen in this one.

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By the numbers by-elections

by Alan Collins

What could be better than a by-election?

Obviously, two by-elections. On the same day. Electing three councillors.

Following the announcement shortly before Christmas that Medway’s three new(ish) members of parliament (Lauren Edwards, Rochester and Strood; Naushabah Khan, Gillingham and Rainham; and Tristan Osborne, Chatham and Aylesford) were standing down from the council to focus on their parliamentary duties, voters in their former wards of Gillingham South and Rochester East & Warren Wood are being called on to elect their successors.

Both elections are offering an eclectic mix of the usual suspects together with a slate of no-hopers. In other words: democracy in action.

It may be the last time we see democracy in action for Medway Council. As covered extensively by Local Authority, the government’s plans for devolution, being led here in Kent by Kent County Council and Medway Council, would likely see every authority in the county abolished and replaced with unitaries of at least 500,000 people. If, as proposed, the new councils are introduced in 2028, Medway’s elections slated for 2027 are likely to be cancelled (Medway did not elect any councillors to Kent County Council in 1997 when the founding of Medway Council was in progress).

So, for what might end up being the last time, let’s take a look at these upcoming elections to Medway Council.