Kent Lib Dems Name Cheriton, Sandgate & Hythe East as 2025 Target Gain

Kent Lib Dems have named Cheriton, Sandgate & Hythe East division as their first target seat for the next Kent County Council elections in May 2025.

In naming the seat their first target, Kent Lib Dem Leader Antony Hook said:

"I am delighted that Cheriton, Sandgate & Hythe East has been designated as the Liberal Democrats first target seat for the next County Council elections.

"The local Lib Dem team is working hard all year round. They came agonisingly close to electing a Lib Dem county councillor last year, which local people really need.

"It is a clear two horse race between the Lib Dems and the Conservatives and we will win. Kent Lib Dem County Councillors are delighted to give the local team our support. I will be asking Lib Dem members and supporters across Kent to help us win this division.

"The county council spends hundreds of millions and controls key services but lets local people down. Liberal Democrats will shake things up and put people first.

"It is a scandal that even though Conservatives won less than half of the votes across Kent in 2021, the archaic 'first past the post' electoral system gives with three-quarters of the seats on Kent County Council. Opposition parties won more votes than the Conservatives but only got a quarter of the seats. This is an undemocratic kick in the teeth to Kent's people. We need a new voting system where number of seats is based directly on the number of votes each party gets from the public. Until we get that reform, targeting key seats is essential."

Tim Prater, the 2021 Lib Dem candidate for Cheriton, Sandgate & Hythe East, said:

"In 2021 we were within 21 votes of taking the seat from the Conservatives, which would have been a stunning result. We got 2,122 votes: more than I've ever had in any one election before, and I was humbled by the support.

"We were one of the closest seats in the county. I'm delighted that the Kent Lib Dems have responded by making Cheriton, Sandgate and Hythe East their first target seat to gain for the May 2025 elections.

"2025 sounds a long way away. But we're going to make the case that Liberal Democrat Councillors are simply better for our area, work harder, and keep local residents in touch. A good, local Lib Dem County Councillor for our area would represent us better than a Tory who doesn't live or work here.

"We ran a good campaign in 2021. We'll run a better one in 2025."