Shepway's Kent County Council Liberal Democrat Candidates Announced

The Shepway Liberal Democrats have nominated candidates for all six of the Shepway divisions for the 4th May 2017 elections to Kent County Council. Nominations were submitted and accepted on Friday 31st March.

Cheriton, Sandgate and Hythe East candidate Tim Prater is looking forward to the election campaign. He commented:

"The Liberal Democrats have had some difficult years, but it certainly feels like a corner has been turned locally and nationally.

"Party membership has soared, reaching over 87,000 nationally - over double our membership in 2014.

"And in by-election after by-election since May last year it has been the Liberal Democrats that have been making the gains and winning the seats - including seeing Sarah Olney seize Richmond Park and becoming the new MP for Richmond Park."

The nominated Liberal Democrat candidates in Shepway are:

• Elham Valley - Ross Clark
• Folkestone East - Lynne Beaumont
• Romney Marsh - Ted Last
• Folkestone West - Gary Fuller
• Cheriton, Sandgate and Hythe East - Tim Prater
• Hythe West - Neil Matthews

The 6 divisions for Kent County Council in Shepway have been redrawn by the Boundary Commission for England since the last elections, and are in some instances significantly different even if the division names are similar to previous names. The detailed report on the new boundaries for the Kent County Council elections are on the Boundary Commission for England website (Shepway reccomendations are on page 26), with the six divisions described as:

• Cheriton, Sandgate & Hythe East: This division includes the parished area of Cheriton, the parishes of Saltwood and Sandgate and the eastern part of the parish of Hythe.
• Elham Valley: This division includes the parishes of Acrise, Elham, Elmsted, Hawkinge, Lyminge, Monks Horton, Newington, Paddlesworth, Postling, Sellindge, Stanford, Stelling Minnis, Stowting and Swingfield.
• Folkestone East: This division includes the parished areas of East Folkestone around the Canterbury and Dover roads and East Cliff.
• Folkestone West: This division includes the parished areas of West Folkestone and Morehall.
• Hythe West: This division includes the western part of Hythe parish and the parishes of Dymchurch and Lympne.
• Romney Marsh: This division includes the parishes of Brenzett, Brookland, Burmarsh, Ivychurch, Lydd, New Romney, Newchurch, Old Romney, Snargate and St Mary in the Marsh.