Almost half the Conservative councillors on Kent County Council (KCC) may not stand at next year’s election. At least 20 and possibly more than 25 members will not seek re-election in May 2025, it is understood. At its height, KCC’s Tory group had 61 of the 81 seats at Sessions House, Maidstone, but shed two in the past year. The high departure rate creates an extra headache for the ruling party, as incumbency brings a better chance of retaining a division. But the Conservatives will fight the election against the backdrop of a hammering to Labour at the general election and having made tens o…
