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\t\tAn unlikely challenger could disrupt things in Kingston upon Thames\t<\/p>\n\t\t\tThursday 23 April 2026 2:16 am
\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Updated:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\t\tWednesday 22 April 2026 9:34 pm\n\t<\/p>\n
\t\tAn unlikely challenger could disrupt things in Kingston upon Thames\t<\/p>\n
In the Lib Dems\u2019 leafy heartlands, campaigns have included demands for an M&S. But a third runner has entered the traditional two-horse race with the Tories in Ed Davey\u2019s own backyard \u2013 the Kingston Independent Residents Group.<\/p>\n
Kingston upon Thames is both the geographic and the spiritual home of the Liberal Democrats.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The leafy south west London borough is represented in the House of Commons by party leader Ed Davey, who has stood as a candidate for the Kingston and\u00a0 Surbiton constituency since the 1990s.<\/p>\n
The Lib Dems also control a whopping 88 per cent of the 48-strong borough council, after scooping up 47.9 per cent over the vote at the 2022 local elections.<\/p>\n
The key issues concerning locals feel very Lib Demeseque. Local news reports are awash with stories about people opposing planning applications to build things, and one councillor even launched a campaign<\/a> to get M&S to open a new branch.<\/p>\n But despite the fact that the Lib Dems have controlled Kingston upon Thames council for most of the last 30 years, their continued success is far from guaranteed.<\/p>\n Shake-up on the cards in Kingston upon Thames<\/p>\n The party had a majority in the council for 12 years after 2002 but were defeated in 2014 after a swing to the Conservatives. The Lib Dems returned to victory in 2018 but it would not take a landslide for the Conservatives, who won 25.4 per cent of the vote last time round, to massively increase their share of councillors from the three who won seats last time.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tRead more<\/p>\n \t\t\tLondon Local Elections 2026: Who will win in Ealing?<\/a><\/p>\n Council tax is a key issue and it could favour the Tories. A change in the government\u2019s funding model means wealthy areas like Kingston stand to lose out from central funding, with the borough having to raise rates to plug the gap.\u00a0<\/p>\n This year, council tax will go up by \u00a3120, or 4.8 per cent, for the average Band D property, one of the highest hikes in the UK and well above the London average. The pain felt by households could be enough to trigger a swing to the Conservatives, traditionally regarded as the party of lower taxes.<\/p>\n The traditional Lib Dem-Tory two horse race is being joined by a third runner: the Kingston Independent Residents Group, a local party which was founded in 2017.<\/p>\n The KIRG won 5.7 per cent of the vote in 2022, which delivered the party just one seat \u2013 but it has since managed to pick up several more after a series of byelections.\u00a0<\/p>\n No one is predicting a KIRG takeover in 2026. But if the local party can claw a few more seats, it might be just enough to deprive either the Lib Dems or the Tories from securing an overall majority, which would make KIRG a key powerbroker in the council.<\/p>\n City AM is previewing local election votes taking place in every London borough. Click here<\/a> for a full overview of May 7.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tRead more<\/p>\n