| Election Name: | 2017 Kent County Council election |
| Country: | Kent |
| Type: | Parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Party Colour: | yes |
| Previous Election: | 2013 Kent County Council election |
| Previous Year: | 2013 |
| Next Election: | 2021 United Kingdom local elections |
| Next Year: | 2021 |
| Seats For Election: | All 81 seats to Kent County Council |
| Majority Seats: | 41 |
| Election Date: | 4 May 2017 |
| Party1: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Seats Before1: | 44 |
| Seats1: | 67 |
| Seat Change1: | 23 |
| Party2: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Seats Before2: | 7 |
| Seats2: | 7 |
| Party3: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Seats Before3: | 13 |
| Seats3: | 5 |
| Seat Change3: | 8 |
| Party4: | Green Party of England and Wales |
| Seats Before4: | 1 |
| Seats4: | 1 |
| Party5: | Swanscombe and Greenhithe Residents Association |
| Seats Before5: | 1 |
| Seats5: | 1 |
| Party6: | UK Independence Party |
| Seats Before6: | 17 |
| Seats6: | 0 |
| Seat Change6: | 17 |
| Map Size: | 300px |
| Council control | |
| Posttitle: | Council control after election |
| Before Election: | Conservative |
| After Election: | Conservative |
The 2017 Kent County Council election was held on 4 May 2017 as part of the 2017 local elections in the United Kingdom.[1] All 81 councillors were elected from 72 electoral divisions, each of which returned either one or two county councillors by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office. The Conservative Party retained control. UKIP, previously the second-largest party on the council, lost all their seats.
The Liberal Democrats regained status as the second largest party, which they had been from 2009 to 2013. A notable triumph for Liberal Democrats was Antony Hook winning the Faversham division, which had been considered a "safe" Conservative seat. Antony Hook's campaign increased the Liberal Democrat vote share from 4% in 2013 to a winning 43%. Faversham also saw the largest turnout of any seat. The Labour Party lost seats, including those of their Leader Roger Truelove and previous leaders Gordon Cowan and Dr. Mike Eddy. The Labour vote share also fell but they retained status as 3rd party.
Ward boundary changes took effect at this election after a review of the county by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.[2] [3] Kent saw a large turnover of councillors. Of the 81 councillors elected in 2017, 39 had not served in the previous council.
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There are five single-member constituencies and one multi-member constituency within the District of Swale, which elect a total of seven councillors to Kent County Council. The electoral map of Swale was redrawn as a result of boundary changes which saw the old Swale Central multi-member ward split to create Sittingbourne North and Sittingbourne South, both single member divisions. Sheerness and Sheppey Divisions were merged to create the new Multi-member Sheppey Division. Swale District includes the Division of Faversham which saw Liberal Democrat Antony Hook winning the Faversham division, which had been considered a "safe" Conservative seat. Antony Hook's campaign increased the Liberal Democrat vote share from 4% in 2013 to a winning 43%. Faversham also saw the largest turnout of any seat. Boundary changes meant that Below are the results:[4]
There are five single-member constituencies and one multi-member constituency within the District of Tonbridge and Malling, which elect a total of seven councillors to Kent County Council. Below are the results:[5]