UKIP candidates at the Ashford and Tenterden count

by political editor Paul Francis

The Conservatives have retained control of Kent County Council at the eleventh hour.

A Tory gain in Sandwich clinched them the 43rd seat needed to keep overall control.

But UKIP was the fly in the ointment, with party members celebrating a hugely successful election results day... with seven victories in Thanet alone.

UKIP gained seats in Tunbridge Wells east from the Conservatives, in Folkestone North East and Folkestone South from the Conservatives, and in Folkestone West from the Lib Dems.

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The make-up of Kent County Council

Conservative - 45

UKIP - 17

Labour - 13

Lib Dem - 7

Green - 1

Ind - 1

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Recent gains have included Swale West, Swale Central, Sheppey and Romney Marsh.... the last one by just 20 votes.

Swale West was a particular upset, as it was taken from Tory veteran Keith Ferrin, and Swale Central was a shock as it was the seat of education cabinet member Mike Whiting (pictured below).

In Birchington, UKIP also claimed victory against sitting Tory Michael Jarvis.

The average swing to UKIP has been 9%.

A victorious Andrew Bowles after retaining his Swale East seat

Meanwhile, Labour have gained Ashford South and Deal from the Conservatives.

Swanley in the Sevenoaks district has returned a Conservative hold and the Lib Dems have gained Maidstone South.

And in Dartford North Labour has gained the seat from the Conservatives, and they have also won Dover town.

Meanwhile the Greens have had their first victory, gaining Hythe from the Tories.

In Sheerness, Labour have gained the seat from the Tories.

"i do think that the conservative party has made too many concessions. too many conservatives in high places are acting and talking like liberal democrats" – kcc leader paul carter

But there was no upset in Maidstone Rural, where KCC leader Paul Carter retains his seat.

It's claimed the Conservative vote is about half what it was in 2009.

But KCC leader Paul Carter said he was delighted the party had retained overall control.

He said: "I am enormously relieved. I knew it was going to be difficult.

"The Conservative vote in coastal areas where it has always been quite marginal was a disaster."

But he took at side swipe at some Conservatives.

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The election results so far

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He added: "I do think that the Conservative party has made too many concessions.

"Too many Conservatives in high places are acting and talking like Liberal Democrats.

"They need to have a long hard think, particularly about areas where there has had to be compromise.

"The Conservative party and the Prime Minister need to articulate what they would do if they weren't in a coalition. '

He added that the Conservative party nationally needed to refocus its policies on issues like immigration and an EU referendum.

An ecstatic Ukip leader Nigel Farage said the Kent result exceeded his wildest expectations.

He said: "This is a sea change in British politics.

"In my wildest dreams I did not think we would get this share of the vote.

"The Westminster elite will tell you that this is a mid term protest vote but the reality is that the real big issues that we are confronting are so important that if they really do not change, they will continue to get trampled on in places like Kent.

"We are connecting with the decent people of Kent and have made big big gains. "

In total, some 84 seats were up for grabs.