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Raising the Red Ensign is a simple but powerful gesture. We're calling on KCC to make this an annual event with maritime charities & unions, and to actively promote maritime careers to young people using local assets like the National Maritime Training Centre at Gravesend.

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As the Gateway to the UK, Kent relies heavily on ports like Dover, Folkestone, Sheerness & Ramsgate. KCC has a duty to visibly champion these workers and ensure operators adhere to high standards of fair pay, safe conditions, and job security. ⚓️

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Our merchant seafarers are the unsung heroes of our economy. This entirely civilian workforce transports over 90% of the UK’s imports, including half our food and fuel. Crews face dangerous conditions and long periods away from home to keep our supply chains moving. 🌊

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This Thursday is #MerchantNavyDay. The Kent Lib Dems have formally requested that Kent County Council flies the Red Ensign to honour our seafarers. Disappointingly, this tradition at County Hall has been dropped since Reform took power in May 2025. Time to bring it back! 🚢

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Over 1,600 local people engaged with NHS plans, showing strong support for protecting services. NHS leaders must listen to residents, back families, and protect IVF access. 📄 Read our full 4-page submission letter below:

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We are also demanding fairness for female same-sex couples. Currently, they are required to self-fund expensive private IUI rounds before qualifying for NHS IVF—a financial barrier not placed on heterosexual couples. This inequality must end.

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We are urging NHS Kent and Medway to: 🔹 Retain eligibility up to age 40, with 2 funded cycles and 4 embryo transfers. 🔹 Reject cuts to 1 cycle or dropping the age cap to 38, which would lock dozens out of care. 🔹 Ensure parity and fair funding across our region.

For many, having children is life’s most important milestone. Infertility takes a massive emotional toll—fertility care is essential healthcare, not a luxury. NICE recommends 3 funded cycles for women under 40. Kent offers only 2, so local access is already below national clinical guidance.

Antony Hook @antonyhook.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Today is the final day of NHS Kent & Medway’s IVF consultation. My @LibDems colleagues & I on Kent County Council have formally submitted our response. Our message to NHS chiefs is simple: protect NHS-funded fertility care and stop proposed cuts across Kent. 🧵👇

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Government could choose to apply more resources to enforcement of offences that have long been created.

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Antony Hook @antonyhook.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Hold up. Employing people with no right to work in the UK is already an offence with a max sentence of 5y. It can also carry heavy financial criminal and civil penalties See: Penalties for employing illegal workers - GOV.UK share.google/WPVATmaSsM2T...

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Antony Hook @antonyhook.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

A key thing about #Clacton is that Reform themselves have said there will likely be two by-elections. People, including Reform supporters, can vote Binface this time to send a message. They can vote differently in the second by-election.

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Antony Hook @antonyhook.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

This is what Farage was saying in 2019. How things change?

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Antony Hook @antonyhook.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Most of us were glad to see the Royal Marines interdict a Russian sanctions evading ship. But not the Reform leader at Kent County Council. At this rate, I think they took down the 🇺🇦 to replace with a 🇷🇺 at County Hall.

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As we fight to protect this vital care, the last thing Kent needs is Reform councillors attacking IVF patients and callously suggesting parenthood is a privilege some don't deserve. We will keep standing up for families and fair NHS funding. 🔶

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Yet at Kent County Council we had to challenge NHS bosses over cuts to Kent & Medway IVF. They are stopping all IVF for women over 38 and halving it for those under 37. This turns IVF into a luxury based on the ability to pay, rather than medical need. We've asked the Sec of State to intervene.

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Having children is a profound life experience, and for many, the most important thing they will ever do. It is heartbreaking for couples who struggle to conceive naturally. Providing NHS medical support—including IVF—is the right, compassionate thing to do.

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Antony Hook @antonyhook.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

🚨 These remarks today from Reform’s Bridget Porter are utterly outrageous. Watch her comments below. The Reform Party must denounce this immediately and remove the whip, or the public will rightly assume these views represent their party as a whole. 👇

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Umm... that's a relief... I think

Antony Hook @antonyhook.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Why is there a shortage of people working in publicly funded criminal law? Well, the state paying people *SEVEN YEARS* after they do some work work might be a factor. The software said "received with thanks" on my behalf. I had my own words.

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‘Reform leader is simply wrong on school breakfast clubs’

School breakfast clubs have been under attack from Reform but I felt someone needed to defend them. (Not my choice of photo 😐 but hopefully the words make sense) www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/re...

kentonline.co.uk

The leader of the opposition at County Hall has taken aim at KCC boss Linden Kemkaran over her views on school breakfast clubs.

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As a Crown Prosecutor I rec'd, a couple of times, MPs of challenging why I was prosecuting someone. I would reply politely with confirmation of the charges and extracts from the opening or sentencing notes that had been read in court. Their letters could not influence my decisions and never did.

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In most cases where counsel advises a sentence was Unduly Lenient, the AG will refer it to the Court of Appeal. It is very unlikely that political correspondence will prosecutorial process at all. A sentence either meets the ULS test or it does not. An MP's opinion is irrelevant.

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Indeed, the Code for Crown Prosecutors and the Farquharson Guidelines are explicit that prosecutors have a role in sentence, mainly to assist the court with the law and relevant guidelines. If the sentence meets the test of Undue Leniency then counsel will draft an advice which will go to the AG

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My main observation is that politicians are extremely unlikely to influence this process. The prosecution team, counsel, the reviewing lawyer and (police) officer in the case will be alert to a lenient sentence. They do not fall asleep after securing conviction.

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I see a number of politicians weighing in on the referral to the Court of Appeal of the sentence of two boys for rape. I don't wish to comment on a case that is sub judice but can shed a bit of light on the process having been in in criminal law, both in private practice and in-house for the CPS.

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I was talking to fellow councillors about planting more trees to cool local streets in the future. It reminded me of Marshal Lyautey asking to plant some oaks. His gardener said, "But Monsieur, they'll take a hundred years to mature." He replied, "In that case, plant them this afternoon!"

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This goes to Full Council on 21 May. If pushed through, Kent’s democracy will be diminished from July. We won't let this attempt to silence the opposition and shield a failing administration go unchallenged. 🛡️ #Kent #KCC #LocalDemocracy 6/6

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Perhaps most chillingly, they are rewriting the Council’s Constitution. They want to delete our stated purpose to "improve the quality of life of the people of Kent." Why? They won't say. They seem under instruction to dismantle transparency, but can't explain the logic. 5/6

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It doesn’t stop at speaking times. Reform also blocked a review of the "call-in" process, which is vital for the Scrutiny Committee to hold the administration to account. When asked why they were voting down a more effective scrutiny process, Reform members stayed silent. 4/6

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The excuse? They claim they need to "save time" in meetings that last all day. Yet, at the same meeting, they proposed adding the National Anthem and the Lord’s Prayer to the proceedings. Reform wants less debate on the issues that matter, and more performance. 3/6

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Reform has voted to slash the time I have to respond to the Council Leader’s reports. I currently get 6 minutes to address her 10-minute report (plus her 6-minute right of reply). They want to cut me to 5. They aren't cutting the Leader's time—only our right to challenge her. 2/6

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Democracy in Kent is under attack from a Reform administration that is clearly terrified of scrutiny. They are moving to quiet the opposition while prioritising songs and prayers over policy discussion. It is a bizarre and anti-democratic shift for our county. 🧵 1/6

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If you ask Green and LD supporters to help you "stop Reform" then if you win you have to "stop Reform" in the council chamber, and work with other parties. Badenoch's position is illogical and incoherent.

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Antony Hook @antonyhook.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Badenoch punishing Worcs Conservatives for working with Greens and Lib Dems to keep Reform out of power is odd. Across England, local Cons have fought elections recently saying "vote for us to keep Reform out" - asking other parties to vote for them tactically.

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I feel we know which political group she'd be in now

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I'm seeing increased talk about proportional representation, which is good. It will obv make multi-party administrations more likely. But PR will also make such coalitions easier to manage. The electoral risks for coalition partners will be less severe under PR.

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Reform Watch? Certainly has been plenty to watch (with dismay)!

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On each of those values we are the opposite of Reform, who lead the polls.

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I think our target audience is clearer than it's been in the past. I'd define it as "people across a broad centre who want progress but reject populism and simplistic solutions." The values are rationality, personal freedom, opportunity, anti-disctimination, internationalism, environmentalists.

I think many members follow who the preponderance of MPs endorsements, so you aren't alone in that view

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From talking to MPs and, more publicly, the winner has often been the person with the most MPs' support. (Ming, Nick, Ed, Vince were all who the MPs wanted, I believe, possibly Jo too).

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The policy advisers team has/is expanding and the newly elected FPC is very strong, so hopefully conditions are set for more good policy to emerge.

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