PARTY VOTES: Shellina Prendergast v Patrik Garten for county council candidacy

Wednesday 11th November 2020

TWO Tories go head to head tonight to become the candidate to fight Kent County Council's Maidstone rural east seat at next May's election.
The division, normally a shoo-in for the Conservatives, will be contested by Shellina Prendergast and Patrik Garten.
Cllr Prendergast, who has been involved in some high profile campaigns including opposition to a lorry park, is a former borough councillor who quit MBC to concentrate on her county duties, sparking a by-election won by Karen Chappell-Tay.
She has also made her feelings plain about over-development in the borough.
Cllr Garten, a borough councilllor for the North Downs ward, lives in Kingswood and is an ardent a supporter of the relief road for Leeds and Langley.
In a stirring speech on Monday night, he criticised the Liberal Democrat / Labour 'alliance' for its handling of Government housing allocations.
He told borough members: "Residents are angry at us that all our good intentions will only provide a bodged Local Plan which may be worse than having none at all."
Cllr Prendergast had been deselected by the local party but won the right run against Cllr Garten on appeal.
The result of the virtual ballot is likely to be known by 7pm.

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