History

The thirty-two London boroughs were established in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. They are the principal authorities in Greater London and have responsibilities including education, housing, planning, highways, social services, libraries, recreation, waste, environmental health and revenue collection. Some of the powers are shared with the Greater London Authority, which also manages passenger transport, police and fire.^[1]

Since its formation, Kingston upon Thames has been under Liberal Democrat control, Conservative control and no overall control. The Liberal Democrats have controlled the council since 2002, apart from the period between 2014 and 2018 when the Conservatives had an overall majority. The Liberal Democrats regained control in the most recent election in 2018, where they won 39 seats with 51.7% of the vote and the Conservatives won the remaining nine seats with 30.6% of the vote. The Labour Party lost both seats they were defending and received 11.9% of the vote across the borough.^[2]

Council term

A Liberal Democrat councillor, Sharon Falchikov-Sumner, left her party in 2018 after the council voted to close their last residential care home. She joined the Green Party in February 2019.^[3] In March 2020, the council leader Liz Green was successfully challenged by Caroline Kerr, a Liberal Democrat councillor who was first elected in 2018.^[4] A Liberal Democrat councillor for Chessington South, Tricia Bamford, resigned in December 2020 due to a change in her family circumstances.^[5] A by-election to replace her was not held until 6 May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The by-election, which was contested by thirteen Official Monster Raving Loony Party candidates, was won by the Liberal Democrat candidate Andrew MacKinlay.^[6] Mackinlay had previously served as the Labour MP for Thurrock.^[7] In September 2021, the Liberal Democrat councillor Jon Tolley left his party due to policy disagreements with the council executive.^[8] He announced that he wouldn't contest the next election, saying "I think we were lying to the public" about the demolition of a leisure centre in his ward.^[9] Kerr announced her resignation as council leader in October 2021.^[10]

As with most London boroughs, Kingston upon Thames was electing its councillors under new boundaries decided by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, which it produced after a period of consultation. The number of councillors remained at 48, but the commission produced new boundaries following a period of consultation, with ten three-member wards and nine two-member wards.^[11]

Alexandra

Berrylands

Canbury Gardens

Chessington South & Malden Rushett

Coombe Hill

Coombe Vale

Green Lane & St James

Hook & Chessington North

King George's & Sunray

Kingston Gate

Kingston Town

Motspur Park & Old Malden East

New Malden Village

Election was postponed due to the death of Mary Jean Clark^[13]

Norbiton

Old Malden

St Mark's & Seething Wells

Sharron Sumner was elected in 2018 in Alexandra ward as a Liberal Democrat, but resigned from the council in early 2022.

Surbiton Hill

Tolworth

Tudor

Green Lane & St James