Council leader to face challenge at the ballot box
Independent candidate to stand for election
The leader of Maidstone council has a fight on his hands if he wants to be returned to represent East Ward at the borough elections in May.
Martin Cox, a Liberal Democrat, has represented the ward for the past 10 years.
At the last election that he fought, in 2016, he was returned with 987 votes, more than double that of his nearest rival, Conservative Steven Sheppard on 464.
But back then, Ukip was splitting the Tory vote. Furthermore, this time, Cllr Cox has a new adversary.
Kate Hammond, a vocal critic of Maidstone Borough Council’s massive housing programme, is standing as an Independent. A married mother of two, Mrs Hammond is the chairman of the Save Our Heathlands group, which is opposed to the council’s plans for a 4,000 home garden village at Lenham Heath.
She might more readily have been expected to stand for election in Lenham, but Maidstone is only a electing a third of its councillors this year, and there
is no election in Lenham.
Mrs Hammond said: “There is no better seat to contest than the council leader’s.
“As leader, Cllr Cox will have to defend the council’s record. “The crazy house-building in the borough is being mismanaged alarmingly, but I’m not convinced that any of the other political parties would do any better.
“It is time for change, we need to put people back in control of their destinies.
“I’ve seen in Lenham what 4,000 houses might do to a community and this is a council
which no longer listens to people.”
She added: “I have never belonged to a political party and I have nothing against Martin Cox personally, but he’s the guy in charge and he has to be held accountable.”
Other candidates contesting East Ward are Harprit Sing (Con), Marlyn Randall (Lab) and James Shalice (Green).
Polling will be in Thursday, May 6.
The full list of candidates in the 19 wards being contested for Maidstone can be found by visiting tinyurl.com/candidatesKM.