Petition KCC to Review and Improve their response to 5th September Dover protest

Rights groups fear tactic of ‘domicide’ trialled in Gaza, where entire areas are made uninhabitable, is being used again

Laws: don't ya just love 'em? 'Specially those laws designed to protect that which is most important in life. People, planet, democracy, etc. Laws such as councils not influencing people during an election, a law known colloquially as Purdah. It is a pretty serious one to break. A ruling party using public resources to to influence an election to increase their grip on control.

With all the talk about Labour's 'Burnham Block' and high-profile Reform candidates, bookmakers have an eye on the Green Party.

Drought, heatwaves, hurricanes, and wildfires are arriving sooner than we imagined according to scientists

I have just discovered that Cllr Kemkaran is spreading doubt and conspiracy theories about Covid-19 vaccinations. This is from the Guardian: "Linden Kemkaran, who runs Kent county council, suggested in September that the party should hold an inquiry into whether Covid vaccines were linked to cancer, even though there is no medical evidence to back up the notion." It is truly appalling for someone who has no noted medical qualifications to use her platform to spread such misinformation and doubt.

The shocking failure of leadership, transparency, and democracy continues apace under Reform at KCC. The refusal to answer my question on savings was frankly pathetic. This was my initial question: "The Council is forecast to be £46.5m overspent this year, with Adult Social Care forecasting an overspend of £51m including £21m of savings for 2025/26 that have not been achieved. The Leader has also previously announced £40m savings across various other service areas while the real the spending pressure on the Council is Adult Social Care.  

You couldn't make it up. Cllrs Cannon and Forecast claim they want lower taxes and then they vote against providing 100% council tax reduction for those on the lowest incomes while suggesting that they should get a job. Personally I am proud that we will be able to ensure that those on the lowest income won't face enforcement for non-payment of council tax that they can't afford. The level of struggle that many face is shocking and I want to do everything in my ability to help them.

This week I faced a vote of no confidence brought by the Conservatives. Apparently it is the first time this has happened at Maidstone Borough Council. Their motion fell 28 votes to 14. It was a pretty nasty affair. A few of the said that their problem was with me, not the administration, i.e. it was personal rather than political. They made comments about the way I lead rather than whether what I have done has been successful.

It's been over a year in the making so far but we are about to clear a hurdle in the plans for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). This was hatched a few weeks after the general election (it wasn't in Labour's manifesto) and next week Kent Council's need to submit our proposals for how councils will be structured across Kent from 2028.

I never thought that a simple letter that took just minutes to write would put Maidstone on the international map! I wrote the letter below to the Home Secretary calling for a pardon for the women murdered as a result of the Witchcraft Act and it has made national and international news. I've been on Politics Live, ITN, BBC Politics SE, and CNN (see below).

One of the nice things we get to do as councillors is meet the team that do the amazing work keeping our roads clean. On Friday a group of us visited the 'depot' to chat to staff. I particularly like the latest campaign an work to stop and prosecute fly tippers "Don't mess with Maidstone". We are using hi-tech surveillance to catch these criminals and we prosecute where we can.

What a bust cabinet meeting last night! Cllr Claire Kehily's motion to honour the murdered 17th century witches received full support (the trial was bigger than the one in Pendle). I will also be writing to the Home Secretary calling for a posthumous exoneration of these women. We agreed (just about as Tony Harwood, Clive English and Stephen Thompson were not happy about the wording) our plans for £500k investment in nature recovery.