Photo: John Fielding from Norwich, UK · CC BY 2.0Labour holds a majority on Thanet District Council
Ramsgate is run by Thanet District Council and Kent County Council, with Ramsgate parish council for local matters. Labour has a majority on Thanet District Council. Reform UK has a majority on Kent County Council. Its MP is Ms Polly Billington (Labour), member for East Thanet.
£2,513
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Ramsgate’s politics has changed since 2021
A majority on Thanet District Council
Labour holds a majority on Thanet District Council: 30 of its 56 seats as elected. The Conservatives hold 17, the Greens 4, Reform UK 2, Thanet Independents 2 and independents 1. Who’s in charge ↓
Kent in 2025
Kent County Council, which runs schools, social care and roads, has a Reform UK majority at the May 2025 election: Reform UK won 56 of 82 seats. Kent ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Ramsgate is £2,514 for 2026–27; Thanet District Council keeps 11% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 56% in ten years, in line with England’s 56%. Council money ↓
Written from the data on this page: Democracy Club results since May 2021, the UK Parliament Members API and MHCLG council tax.
Who holds the seats on Ramsgate’s councils
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 29 of Thanet’s 56 or 42 of Kent’s 82 seats to run the council alone.
- Labour30
- Conservative17
- Green4
- Reform UK2
- Thanet Independents2
- Independent1
Latest election: May 2023.
- Reform UK56
- Liberal Democrat12
- Conservative6
- Green6
- Labour2
Latest election: May 2025.
Seats are counted from election results: each ward’s most recent winners until its seats are filled. Councillors who have since changed party or resigned aren’t reflected, and which parties lead the council, and who is leader, comes from the council itself.
Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), elections since May 2021; seats per ward from its EveryElection.
Two tiers of council, and a parish tier
Ramsgate has two tiers of council: the county runs the big services, the district the local ones.
Local matters: allotments, play areas, halls, footpaths and benches; it is consulted on planning and adds a precept to the council tax bill. A town council is a parish council by another name.
100% of Ramsgate’s residents · Band D precept £91
Bins and recycling, planning, housing, environmental health, leisure, and collecting council tax.
Website ↗Schools, social care, roads and transport, libraries and waste disposal.
Website ↗Who to ask
From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: in two-tier areas the district or borough runs local services and the county the big ones.
Councils from ONS lookups (wards and councils May 2026, parishes 2025), names and websites from GOV.UK’s local council finder; parish councils from MHCLG’s 2026–27 list of precepting parishes.
From the parish to Westminster
Every elected tier that speaks for Ramsgate, from the most recent elections.
- 1Town or parishParish tierRamsgate parish council
- 2Thanet District Council7 wards · 17 councillorsLabour 13 · Green 2 · Conservative 2 · all 17
- 3Kent County Council1 division · 2 councillorsTrevor ShonkTerry Mole
- 4Police and crime commissionerKent Police · elected May 2024Matthew Scott
- 5House of CommonsEast Thanet
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. Tap an MP’s name for their contact page on parliament.uk.
17 councillors for 7 wards
Wards with at least 2% of the town’s residents, or half their own inside it. Each shows who won its most recent elections, newest first, until its seats are filled.
- Raushan AraLabour · May 2023
- Becky WingGreen · May 2023
- Tricia AustinGreen · May 2023
- Helen Brenda CrittendenLabour · May 2023
- Corinna Frances HuxleyLabour · May 2023
- Stephen AlbonLabour · May 2023
- Jim DriverLabour · May 2023
- Will ScobieLabour · May 2023
- Debra Owen-HughesLabour · May 2023
- Pat MooreLabour · May 2023
- Rick EverittLabour · May 2023
- Pat MakinsonLabour · May 2023
- Tony OvendenLabour · May 2023
- Anne-Marie NixeyLabour · May 2023
- David GreenLabour · May 2023
- Brenda Marilyn RogersConservative · May 2023
- John William DavisConservative · May 2023
Show as a table, with Kent County Council’s 1 division (2 councillors)
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Harbourall in Ramsgate · 8,401 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | Raushan AraBecky WingTricia Austin | May 2023 |
| Eastcliffall in Ramsgate · 8,286 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | Helen Brenda CrittendenCorinna Frances HuxleyStephen Albon | May 2023 |
| Northwoodall in Ramsgate · 6,599 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | Jim DriverWill ScobieDebra Owen-Hughes | May 2023 |
| Newingtonall in Ramsgate · 5,705 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Pat MooreRick Everitt | May 2023 |
| Sir Moses Montefioreall in Ramsgate · 5,081 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Pat MakinsonTony Ovenden | May 2023 |
| Nethercourtall in Ramsgate · 4,836 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Anne-Marie NixeyDavid Green | May 2023 |
| Cliffsend and Pegwellmostly in Ramsgate · 2,993 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Brenda Marilyn RogersJohn William Davis | May 2023 |
Kent County Council: county divisions
| Division | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramsgate EDall in Ramsgate · 41,901 residents2 seats · May 2025 | 2 | Trevor ShonkTerry Mole | May 2025 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Thanet District Council’s website lists who sits now.
Results from Democracy Club’s candidates database (CC BY 4.0; elections since May 2021) and ward seats from its EveryElection, matched to ONS wards (May 2026) and county divisions (May 2025).
Thanet council election, May 2023
Results in the wards that make up Ramsgate, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
7 wards voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.
No election is scheduled yet for Ramsgate’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗5,257 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
3,657 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
3,425 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
Every ward’s result (4 more)
1,309 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
2,100 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
2,097 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
2,736 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Ramsgate is in East Thanet constituency
The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond Ramsgate).
42,713 votes for candidates · majority 6,971
Labour, MP since 4 July 2024.
turnout in July 2024: 42,713 votes from 74,927 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 6,971 of 42,713 votes (16.3%): wider than in 58% of England’s 543 constituencies.
MPs and results: UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0); constituencies from ONS (2024 boundaries). Percentages are of valid votes; turnout is votes cast over the electorate.
Ramsgate’s Band D council tax is £2,514 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
Thanet District Council keeps £279.15 of a Band D bill (11%); the rest goes to the Ramsgate parish council, Kent County Council, the Kent police and crime commissioner and the Kent Fire and Rescue Authority.
Band D since 1993
Thanet’s Band D bill has risen 56% in ten years, from £1,600.79 in 2016–17, in line with England’s average (56%). It was £528.75 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in Ramsgate, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.
Kent’s councils
Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included; the 11 nearest of 13. Bars start at £2,200.
Council budgets per resident, 2026–27
Show as a table, with Kent
| Thanet + Kent | Ramsgate’s councils | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £505 | £492 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £262 | £266 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £56 | £49 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £48 | £41 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £145 | £132 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £47 | £49 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £19 | £29 | £26 |
| Public health | £58 | £61 | £78 |
| Running the council | £70 | £74 | £59 |
| Other | £-12 | £6 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,199 | £1,200 | £1,234 |
Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Both tiers added: Thanet per its residents plus Kent per the county’s. Schools are left out: academies are paid for directly by government, so council school budgets depend on how many schools have converted. Kent and England: all their councils together. Police, fire and transport authorities aren’t included.
Band D: MHCLG Band D council tax 2026–27 (each authority’s own figure, excluding parish precepts) and Council Tax statistics for town and parish councils 2026–27; since 1993–94, MHCLG’s area averages including parishes.
Having a say in how Ramsgate is run
It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.
gov.uk ↗Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.
WriteToThem ↗GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.
gov.uk ↗Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.
thanet.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
thanet.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Ramsgate is run
Which council runs Ramsgate?
Ramsgate is run by Thanet District Council and Kent County Council. The county council runs schools, social care and roads; the district runs bins, planning and housing.
Does Ramsgate have a town council?
Yes: Ramsgate has its own parish-tier council (Ramsgate parish council; town councils are parish councils by another name), which adds £91 to a Band D bill in 2026–27.
Who is the MP for Ramsgate?
Ms Polly Billington (Labour) is the MP for East Thanet, which covers Ramsgate.
How many councillors does Ramsgate have?
17 ward councillors represent Ramsgate’s 7 wards, and 2 county councillors its county divisions.
When are the next elections in Ramsgate?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Ramsgate’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Ramsgate?
Band D council tax in Ramsgate is £2,513 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls Thanet District Council?
Labour has a majority: 30 of 56 seats as elected. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who controls Kent County Council?
Reform UK has a majority: 56 of 82 seats as elected.
Who won the 2023 council election in Ramsgate?
In Ramsgate’s wards on 4 May 2023, Labour 13 · Green 2 · Conservative 2 of the 17 seats up. Labour had the largest share of votes, 48.5%.
Sources: ONS ward, county division, parish, constituency lookups (Census 2021 output areas; Open Government Licence v3.0) · GOV.UK local council finder · Democracy Club candidates (CC BY 4.0) and EveryElection · UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0) · MHCLG Band D council tax, parish precepts and Revenue Account budgets 2026–27 (OGL v3.0) · ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.