Column: South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay – Security, social media and Ramsgate

Craig Mackinlay

There are events which bring opposing sides together and can, with a will, bring a lasting legacy. We saw that with the tributes in Parliament and across the nation following the brutal murder of Sir David Amess MP. On that Friday 15th October I was similarly holding my MP surgery appointment as doubtless hundreds of MPs across the country were as well. It is what we do. Whilst our staff can deal with many queries from constituents and signpost most towards help, in some cases nothing else but a face-to-face meeting with their MP will do. The most natural response following a request from a constituent is to say ‘yes’. We’re in a people facing role and it is constituents who put us in the role that we’re privileged to serve in. Having spoken to equivalent national Parliament representatives across many parts of the world, there is always some incredulity that MPs in the UK actually meet their constituents in this way and are out and about in public without a bullet-proof vest.

I always recall a chat over an agreeable lunch with an Athenian couple that we met whilst on a Greek island some years ago; they were similarly on holiday. After usual pleasantries, conversation moved onto what I did in the UK. The chap was somewhat taken aback that I was there simply as a holidaymaker with my wife and he wondered where my security detail was?

That’s not a way of life that I wish for but thought has to turn a little towards that. The murder of Jo Cox was an indicator of what we face in political life in the UK, but now an attrition rate of 2 MPs out of 650 in 5 years, and nearly 3 in 10 years if the vicious attempt on Stephen Timms MP is included makes the role of MP a higher risk enterprise. Might this put off colleagues form standing again? Will it deter people who’d make great future MPs from putting themselves forward as candidates? The answer is probably yes. The health of our country’s democracy was damaged at that church in Leigh-on-Sea; this was an attack on us all.

There is much talk as to what role social media plays in fuelling the background of raised levels of hate towards politicians and each other. Vitriolic keyboard warriors seemingly inhabit every corner of Twitter, Facebook and other platforms. I feel sure that when this period of human history is written social media will be deemed probably the worst invention of the age with wasted time, bullying, hate and viciousness top of the negative attributes. Trolling by foreign regimes stoking up lies and hate through anonymous accounts are further activities that are commonplace. The new Online Harms Bill will try to address some of these issues but will never be foolproof. If you want to disagree with me or colleagues – feel free to do so, but opposition is best expounded without expletives and threats. We can all do our bit to dial down towards a friendlier and cohesive community.

We look towards the Budget this week. The big local question is whether Ramsgate’s £20 million ‘Levelling up’ bid will be successful? Whilst this Covid period has focused on spending, I’m always keen on the tax measures, the other side of the ledger. It will come as no surprise from me to hear that I favour low taxes to encourage people and businesses to thrive and to make the UK a magnet for investment. In short, making a bigger pie and taking a lower tax percentage from it makes better sense than shrinking the pie and trying to take more from it. That policy starts a spiral towards failure.

The issue of Manston remains unresolved. I alluded to my criticism of Ramsgate Town Council in my previous pieces. I am fully aware that Manston, airport or not, is a binary issue that has mixed opinions across the community. I still find it incredible that the Town Council, knowing this to be a divisive issue, felt able (and I have doubts about the constitutional basis of the Council doing so) to give £10,000 of local Ramsgate ratepayers money to back a legal action for one side. That action was successful but even now, the Council has not asked for our money back and is willing to let it ride for possible future legals.

Ramsgate Town Council levies £80.64 for a Band D property, up from £38.43 in 2015/16; an eye-watering 110% increase over those six years and has more than doubled its budget across that time from £460k to £950k. I hardly need highlight that council tax and such precepts are enforceable in court. Ramsgate is now way out in front as the highest levy on households of all Thanet parishes and town councils. I’m all in favour of services being provided at the closest level to residents being served but Ramsgate Town Council now needs to rein in and do what people expect of it and keep away from divisive politics on the back of hard-working local taxpayers.

A response from Ramsgate Town Council

Ramsgate Town Council is pleased to report that Craig Mackinlay MP has agreed to meet with us, a request we made to help build bridges and promote better working together for the town.

Unfortunately, Craig has raised several concerns regarding the governance of Ramsgate Town Council recently, which we’re keen to correct. For example, although it is correct that the town council’s precept has increased since 2015/16, that is because the number of assets and services provided by the town council has increased significantly, a fact that was well known to the rate payers at the last election, and there will be no refund from the funds contributed to the Judicial Review regarding Manston.

We welcome the opportunity to allay Craig’s concerns and stress that if there’s ever anything that he wants to know about the activities of the Town Council, he’s welcome to ask. We also look forward to hearing what projects Craig is currently working on for the benefit of Ramsgate residents.

66 Comments

      • I fully agree with Craig, I think Ramsgate Town Council need to be fully investigated not only over the robbing taxpayers of £10,000 plus interest to help “ friend” Jenny Dawes but also on other matters. Anyone who thinks Manston Airport is a dead duck must be Quackers.

        • Ann

          As you believe RTC should be investigated for doing what they said they would when campaigning to be elected.
          I guess you would also like to see TDC investigated for spending our money in support of manston and RSP. Think you will find TDC has spent alot more of our money in trying to get manston open.
          Also TDC should be investigated for spending over 800k fighting bullying claims which an independent report says that bullying is going on.
          The CEO says it’s nothing to do with her lol.
          Mackinlay of course wont say anything against his tory mates will he

        • Ann, tens of thousands of pounds were donated to pay for the Judicial Review, including several thousands donated by me! This is because should the DCO be granted, and Manston re-open it will devastate all of the properties, and businesses in the CT11 Postal zone. Dirty old cargo planes flying over Ramsgate harbour 2 or more an hour, less than 300 meters high, flying up Ramsgate High Street, will bring people to their knees with the noise, and air pollution. The DCO can only be granted if its considered there is a Need in the national interest for a cargo airport (no passenger carrier is envisaged) There is No Need, as there is plenty of spare capacity in the Midlands, and elsewhere, which are better located geographically! Every time I see Mackinlay in the press a chocolate tea pot comes to mind!

          I recently had a letter printed in a national newspaper asking “What is the point of MP’s surgeries?” because most people attending will have concerns about local housing, the poor roads, litter, social care, schools etc which would be dealt with by District, and County Councillors, not by an MP! MP’s are elected to hold the government to account, involving some 24 ministries, like Defence, the Home Office, International Trade, etc. Although many people may hold opinions about these, they won’t be going to see their MP about any concerns they may have, will they? So whats the point of MP’s surgeries?

    • This cut will hurt the most vunerable people in our society. A deliberate attack on the poor. Absolutely disgraceful.

      • What “cut” is that?

        Anyway, Thanet has LOTS of job vacancies at the moment. A good chance for “the poor” to improve their circumstances.

        • Peter what a despicable comment. If you are as knowledgable as you pretend, you would know that most poor are already working, in miserably low paid jobs, many more have young children and work won’t cover their childcare, and many many more (particularly in Thanet) are disabled and unable to work. Meanwhile many extremely wealthy do everything they can to avoid paying their taxes by offshoring them, a practice this government actively encourages. You slavishly follow a horrible Conservative meme if you think that the poor are workshy layabouts. How about you try to live on benefits, and then see how you are affected when you lose that £20. And then explain to me why the government throws billions at oil companies, Trident, and the very wealthy.

          • RR who hides behind an alias, you know absolutely nothing about me, nor my circumstances, either past or present.

            After being raised so poor that my main meals were often bread and dripping or toast with sugar, and doing 3 paper rounds at once by the age of 12, I’ve been on benefits many times over the decades, and in between that done jobs such as washing up in hotels, cleaning toilets in a sports centre, labouring on building sites and sweeping up at a market… and these were mostly in the pre-minimum wage days. They were also under both Tory and Labour governments, and I was so broke I sometimes cycled to these jobs for 10 or more miles each way – in the winter, and in the dark. I NEVER became a victim though, nor blamed anyone else for my plight.

            If I was a little younger and on benefits, I would jump at the chance of working at somewhere like Thanet Earth or loading shelves in a warm and comfortable supermarket…. jobs that I would consider relatively cushy in comparison to many other things I’ve done, and use them as a stepping stone (references!) to better myself further.

            Right RR, tell me YOUR story.

        • You would certainly like the warmth in mass polluter, anti-union & worker/human rights abuser Thanet Earth Peter-seems to be hotter than batting all day at Sabina Park.

    • It has been.
      Cllr Stuart Piper raised a complaint.
      It was rejected.
      £10,000 well spent, because it’s resulted in a faulty decision by the SoS not being carried out.

      Mackinlay refers to “divisive politics” – but that’s exactly what he’s just done.

    • Penelope, have you any idea what you’re talking about? The money was well spent and sitting in a very public account where it will be used to help prevent politicians avoiding the legal requirements. Be very grateful that Britain has such care about abuse of power. If you don’t like it you might want to try a country where the government can ignore the laws that it has enacted (oh wait, is that Britain too?)

  1. The Speaker of the House of Commons, Lyndsey Hoyle,has called for an end to hatred of MPs.

    Perhaps, the Speaker of the House of Commons should put his own house in order before lecturing the public.

    When PM, David Cameron called asylum seekers a “swarm” and “a bunch of migrants”. How many asylum seekers and refugees were verbally assaulted afterwards?

    Priti Patel encouraged the booing of the English Football team for “taking the Knee”. How many racists and fascsits were emboldened afterwards?

    How is it an MP can be elected PM with a record of Islamophobia, homophohia and racism in the person of the present PM?

    What MPs vote on matters. Their votes to wage war have real consequences. Their votes on cuts have real consequences.

    For the record I don’t support going around killing your local MP. However, there are real material reasons why MPs are loathed.

    • Exactly-the governments language & behaviour regarding the poor, immigrants/refugees & recently the non-vaccinated has been appalling.

      We have a home secretary who despite never having even been to the Folkestone Barracks where refugees were being housed in abysmal covid super spreading conditions blamed them for the rioting/fire & not the obvious fact that you cannot herd people into intolerable conditions & not expect a backlash at some point-she & the government then stuck two fingers up at the legal proceedings & findings about the conditions & said they would do as they pleased & let’s not even get started on her insane immigration ideas.

      A government who said they can break the law if they so wish/suits their purposes to & who showed all throughout this pandemic they could & still are flouting the laws they demand everybody else abides by & the guidance.

      Everybody has been quick to beatify David Amess & tell us what a wonderful person he was, but go to they work for you & have a look at his terrible voting record for over 20 years & you see what sort of person he really was-from not wanting women to have the right to determine what they do with their own body to voting against finding work for young long term unemployed people, to voting against plans to reduce environmental impact.

      Yes it was terrible what happened to him, but again one might ask exactly what has changed in the five years since Jo Cox was murdered & why clearly nothing has, or why they need to see constituents face to face-when for the last 18 months they have been able to solve peoples issues without this happening via other forms of communication.

  2. Surprised Mackinlay didnt comment on the report into TDC and the nearly 800k legal bill they have built up to defend themselves against bullying claims etc. Even though the report says bullying etc is taking place.

    Oh wait TDC is tory lead

  3. If the Conservatives hadn’t systematically reduced spending on local councils, the poor, the disabled and disadvantaged then councils wouldn’t be needing to look elsewhere. A group of British millionaires have said higher taxes on the rich are needed. Are you going to pay your share Mr Mackinlay?

      • The same reason some companies got the contracts for PPE in the pandemic.

        Torys have lots of friends in high places in these companies and I guess help fund the tory party. Torys arent going to p’s off their mates and their funding buddies.

      • To be fair to Craig, he didn’t, he voted against the government on this one. Sir Roger Gale, on the other hand ……

        • MP Craig Mackinlay is among the MPs who rejected amendments to the Environment Bill put forward by the House of Lords.

          (Clarification: Mr Mackinlay voted against government on one of the amendments

      • I think you’ll find he actually didn’t . One of the few Tories to vote to stop it.

        And no, before you try, I don’t like Mackinlay, but I will respect someone when they do the right thing, regardless of if it is a rarity or common practice.

        • Thanet Egg, Mackinlay has done “the right thing” to give him his due, he has bought property in Thanet, so he informed me, so helping with the housing crisis here, so give him his due, because he didn’t have to, he lives in Chatham, so he must be renting it out then.

  4. Craig is being deliberately divisive. He knows full well that RTC made the donation in accordance with the correct governance.

    What he fails to explain is his rabid support of TDC pouring thousands upon thousands of pounds on endless reports trying to get his pet aviation project going. Here is a man with a clear conflict of interest given he also owns an airline that he conveniently forgot to tell the house about.

    Let us also not forget his founding UKIP cloak and that of Ash Ashbee, also another councillor happy to jump ship when the former UKIP administration admitted that when facing the facts Manston didn’t add up.

    Craig, I’d like my money back from all the failed reports in Manston please.

    And for you to stop sowing sour community relations.

    IOTN I assume you’ll offer RTC the right to reply from this potentially libellous piece?

  5. In reality the amount of foreign accounts hurling abuse is very minute & not anonymous-the majority are UK based people using their real names-but of course the Tories love snooping-this MP has himself voted many times for more surveillance on UK citizens & many people need to remain anonymous online for many reasons-all this would do is punish them.

    Perhaps he might like to look at how he & most in parliament behave both there, on their social media & in the world of television interviews & newspaper columns-towards each other & the public with the language & tone they use. He also might like to look at his voting record & those of his friends to see just why people have such dislike or even hatred towards him & his party.

    Not surprisingly he doesn’t mention Southern Sewage-265 of his ‘green’ party just voted against an amendment to stop water companies dumping raw sewage into the sea.

  6. It’s called “democracy” isn’t it? A majority on a Council voting in favour of something they believe will benefit the people in their Wards, I hardly see what’s wrong with that. And if it stuffs it to a couple of MPs who have a significant vested interest in Manston re-opening – Maga Airlines, anyone?? – then so much the better. For someone not wanting division, that’s one hell of a divisive comment.

  7. Another Tory gaslighting. It’s despicable they are using the death of a colleague to shield against people (quite rightly) asking why the majority of TORY MPs voted to allow the continuation of sewage to be discharged into our rivers and sea. You only had to look at the posts on Twitter to see all the pictures of MPs grinning as constituents tweeted pictures of their MPs who had voted down the amendment. We are royally peeved off. And as for Craig’s comments on RTC, he needs to remember that the majority of cllrs were elected in on an anti-airport stance. They commissioned the report as they are protecting their constituents, something Craig needs to be mindful of as he is in charge of an area of high deprivation which relies on UC top up, something his party has just reduced. Plus the free school meals debacle that resulted in HMG being shamed into a another U-turn following a footballer standing up for the people they should be supporting. Shame on you Craig.

  8. Ann, are you a climate change denier too? They are another bunch that ignore the expert evidence and persude themselves that they know better. Just as C Mackinlay spouts complete rubbish about heat pumps, electric cars etc. His subject is accountancy, and he doesn’t even understand that given his comments in court.

  9. Peter Checksfield, thank you for your story, but it doesn’t address a single point I made. However you have been on benefits so I’m sure you appreciated the support you received,and as (I’m guessing) it predates 12+ years of Tory austerity I’m sure you were better supported than present day claimants.

    • Nope, wrong again. The “austerity” years have been better, thanks to that minimum wage – and the fact that, in real terms, things are so much cheaper these days (a random example: I bought my first VHS Recorder in 1981 at a cost of £500 on Hire Purchase when I was earning £40 per week, yet nowadays entertainment is free at a click of youtube!).

      • Amazing how expensive new technology was when it came out-500 quid in 1981 was insane money. Think we got our first VHS in 1983 & it was 100-200 quid.

  10. Minimum wage doesn’t help much if you haven’t got a wage, and not many seriously poor can afford data charges or home broadband. That’s why education disparity was such an issue during lockdown.

    • The double whammy of Covid and Brexit has created a golden opportunity for people to earn a wage! If anyone is in Thanet and able-bodied and minded, then they have NO excuse in staying unemployed.

      Whilst I believe in having a safety net, I also believe that the basic premise of Universal Credit – to make sure that people are better off working than on benefits – is a sound one. No doubt like many others back in the pre-“austerity” age, I sometimes found myself in the dilemma of being worse off financially by coming off benefits and entering the workplace, something that should never be the case.

      As for my politics, I’ve voted Tory, Labour, Lib-Dem, UKIP, Green and Monster Raving Loony Party (and I’m undecided who to support next!).

      • If this were true Peter then the job centres would have no trouble getting people off their books with a simple phone call to all these employers, the employers so desperate to fill these vacancies would be in the job centres/on the phone to work coaches headhunting people etc & the job centres put themselves out of business, as there would be nobody unemployed. So there are several options here-

        1. The JCP management/staff are lazy, don’t really care about their clients & just want to maintain the status quo.

        2. JCP staff are scared of people getting jobs because they themselves would then be unemployed-which cannot be true as they could also just walk into another job at the drop of a hat.

        3. The majority of jobs on offer are in reality when you look past the government propaganda of record vacancies not any good for the majority of people-zero hour contracts where you would still need to be claiming, part-time to where you would still need to be claiming, jobs that the person has no experience in & is totally unsuitable for-as we all know Thanet is high on old people’s homes & wiping asses-which is a vocation, not a job-you put people in there unsuitable for that role then you end up with residents being ignored, abused & even in some cases murdered. Would you want your dear old mum or another relative lying in thier urine & faeces, dehydrated, starved, being punched or smothered, because some bitter or anti-social person got a job there? This is what you are encouraging by the any job rhetoric.

        4. A good reason we keep hearing from employers about why they cannot fill vacancies is that the people out there don’t have the skills to do the role-you might want to ask why it is that the colleges/universities & the useless Welfare To Work companies the DWP use are unable to skill people up & find them work-even when they have people for anywhere up to 2 years to supposedly do exactly that.

        5. The reality is while there might well be jobs on offer, as a result of the last 18 months or so the already high applicant rates will be through the roof for most jobs-so you could now be up against 600-thousands of other applicants per vacancy rather than 100 or so-remember it isn’t just people in Thanet that will be applying, but from elsewhere in Kent, so the reality is you cannot just walk into a job like that. That is why the job centres aren’t getting everybody into employment & the reason why they have had to open temporary extra job centres all over the country-including Ramsgate-where there are two of them practically on top of each other now.

        Perhaps rather than blaming people you might want to ask both of those why if there are so many unemployed & so many great vacancies they cannot fill them. As said if there are so many unemployed & it is that easy for them to get a job, then the job centres & the providers they use for the express purpose of upskilling people & getting them into employment must be totally incompetent & not fit for purpose.

      • It seems like you don’t really have any interest in politics, any political beliefs, or political values, are voting just for the sake of voting & see it all as a joke. Do you just wake up in the morning & throw darts to see who you are going to vote for at an election?

        Nobody with any serious interest in politics or what happens in this country would be voting for the three main parties, minority parties & joke parties(totally pointless vote) & say they have no idea who they are going to be voting for in future-you should have a good idea now of the values of the parties/people in them.

        • Being a working class lad from the south of England, my default vote is… Tory! Seriously, working on building sites in the 80s, everyone loved Thatcher and no-one supported Scargill (I left the trade years ago, but chatting to scaffolder and bricklayer friends these days it seems nothing has changed – they all detested Corbyn!).

          I voted Labour because Neil Kinnock claimed he was a fan of Gene Vincent (utter b*ll*cks as it turned out).

          I voted Monster Raving Loony Party as a protest against my (then) Labour MP Harriet Harman and her (then) support of Pedos – voting Tory was just as pointless as Screaming Lord Sutch in Peckham.

          Can’t recall why I voted Lib-Dem, but I voted for a Green cllr recently in protest at the Tories massive building plans for Thanet.

          … surely this all makes more sense than those who vote Labour/Tory (etc) out of habit?

          • Not really-they will be voting based on their political belief system, not because of somebodies musical tastes which is bizarre. The PIE thing makes more sense, although as it turns out every party accepted/covered up pedophilia by their members-Cyril Smith as one example, a deceased Labour politician currently in the news-report conclusions showing he should have been prosecuted while alive.

          • I was getting disillusioned by Thatcher in 1987, so Kinnock’s musical tastes was the final thing that swayed me! Probably not as bizarre or unique as it sounds: I wonder how many voted for Tony Blair because he came across all trendy by hanging about with Oasis and The Spice Girls?

            My vote next time will be for whoever comes up with a viable alternative housing plan for Thanet. Sadly though, Labour always field their worst candidates for North Thanet, as they’re resigned to the fact that Sir Roger will win.

  11. Has Craig finally folded his MAMA aviation company? Could there be a relation between his views about the airstrip use and his aviation company?

    How successful has Craig been creating and supporting policies resulting in better jobs, lives, environment, etc for the people in Thanet?

    With his dog whistling comments about vulnerable portions of society, and his obvious disregard for those who did not vote for him or his Tory party, has Craig contributed to the social division he now so fervently he denounces now?

  12. “alluded to my criticism of Ramsgate Town Council in my previous pieces…”
    Craig Mackinlay. “Forgot” that he owns MAMA airline (Manston-Malaga Airlines), was reprimanded for it, yet still owns it on companies house and campaigns for a Manston cargo hub that will detrimentally impact Ramsgate.
    Craig Mackinlay, lives in Chatham and nowhere his constituency, especially not Ramsgate.
    Craig Mackinlay- is the lead of the main group fighting ANY environmental impact initiatives, in spite of the huge job prospects this holds for the UK being a leader in this sector… you know, like a new industrial revolution.

      • Farage was hardly a sensible alternative & of course that campaign was as we saw not a fair one-due to members of the incumbents team breaking the rules regarding spending & cooking the books to cover this up.

  13. Most of the previous comments take the side of whichever political spectrum the comments come from. I am just glad that there is such a divergence so both sides have to maintain a modicum of honesty. This is the only saving grace, RTC should perhaps not have divided the town’s opinion by using taxpayer money supporting a point of view, that was NOT leadership. In other areas it chooses to be completely impotent blaming TDC, KCC or central government. Enough I am a working individual so have decided to leave and live in Broadstairs, away from this spiral of self destruction that is destroying Ramsgate.

  14. What am excellent response from RTC! Consensus politics is what is needed everywhere, and it is great to see this in operation. Hopefully Craig will get the message. David Amess did so Craig can stop talking about him and start behaving like him, perhaps. That would be a start.

    • In the rush to elevate Amess to sainthood, we should remember his appalling voting record & the type of person he really was-just the same as the rest of the Tories.

      Almost always voted against spending public money to create guaranteed jobs for young people who have spent a long time unemployed-0 votes for, 8 votes against, 1 absence, between 2011–2014.

      Almost always voted for a reduction in spending on welfare benefits-43 votes for, 0 votes against, 11 absences, between 2012–2016.Comparable Conservative MPs almost always voted for (63 votes, between 2010–2016).

      Almost always voted against paying higher benefits over longer periods for those unable to work due to illness or disability-0 votes for, 13 votes against, 2 absences, between 2011–2016.

      Consistently voted against slowing the rise in rail fares-0 votes for, 5 votes against, in 2013.

      Consistently voted for mass surveillance of people’s communications and activities-3 votes for, 0 votes against, in 2016.

      Generally voted for the privatisation of Royal Mail-3 votes for, 0 votes against, 2 absences, between 2009–2011.

      Almost always voted against equal gay rights-1 vote for, 22 votes against, 6 absences, between 1999–2019.

      Generally voted against laws to promote equality and human rights-2 votes for, 13 votes against, 2 absences, between 2009–2019

      Consistently voted for reforming the NHS so GPs buy services on behalf of their patients-8 votes for, 0 votes against

      Consistently voted for the Iraq war-5 votes for, 0 votes against, 1 absence, between 2002–2003.

      Voted against a transparent Parliament-0 votes for, 2 votes against, 8 absences, between 2007–2009.

      Generally voted against measures to prevent climate change-13 votes for, 18 votes against, 5 absences, between 2000–2020.

      • Steve? Who? Maybe you should go to Southend West and publicly repeat what you have posted above. You are really a nasty piece of work. By the way I if you are going to post stuff like this have the courtesy to publish your full name.

        • I would gladly do so. I have not invented anything-his appalling voting record since the late 1990’s is clearly visible at They Work For You.

          While his death was horrendous, it shouldn’t mean we suddenly create some imaginary person with a halo as the media & his peers have-he voted against helping the poorest in society-including finding young unemployed people work, he voted against green policies, voted to invade a country on phony evidence five times-which cost a huge amount in both British lives-lost & injured & financially, along with the lost Iraqi lives, voted against equality, rights for gays & human rights generally, voted for mass surveillance of the public, against parliament being transparent & accountable etc, tried to impose his religious views to ban women from being able to have an abortion. Maybe you find these traits admirable, I would think most people would not.

          • Well what a surprise. War and Peace from Steve who won’t publish his full name. Yo have obviously have little to occupy yourself these days posting your diatribes against the wicked Tories. Mind you you weren’t doing too bad in Thatchers Britain in 1983 getting your first VHS Recorder. Something many people including myself could only dream of at that time. By the way publish your full name I might have some respect for you!

  15. Great reply by RTC. What HAS Craig ever done for Ramsgate? It’ll be a short meeting.

    Apart from obsessively supporting a giant cargo plane to fly at 500 feet over my house every 12 minutes screaming jet noise at over 100Db and spattering me with aviation fuel.

    Aside from this, any ideas? Answers on a postage stamp to his house, some 50 miles away from his constituency, a place he rarely visits.

    • He wanted to stick a load of statues no one else wanted in Thanet. Another great plan of benefit to no one. He is all hatred and division and no benefit.

  16. Perhaps Craig Mackinlay could get his mate Tony Freudmann, who he has known “longer than he cares to remember”, to pay the £18,000+vat legal fees they owe and are obligated to pay to Jenny Dawes if he is that concerned about the judicial review,

    • The only thing of note he would point to is the animal transport at Ramsgate-it is strange that he thinks so much of animals, yet so little of people, as he has consistently voted to reduce benefits for his constituents-even those unable to work due to illness & those with disabilities, voted against multiple green issues including reducing climate change/low carbon emission energy sources, voted for mass surveillance of people, voted against gay rights, against equality & human rights etc.

  17. Lost all faith… given most RTC councillors were voted in on an anti airport mandate it doesn’t seem unfair of them to commission an independent report. Just because it doesn’t give the answers some people wanted doesn’t make it wrong. If RTC councillors had just sent in a submission from themselves they would have been accused of bias.
    Here is a list of reports that have been critical of Manston in one way or another. The only one in favour was RSP’s
    2010 BICKERDICKE ALLEN PARTNERS report night noise assessment
    2011 YORK AVIATION Economic impact of night flying policy
    2011 BICKERDIKE ALLEN PARTNERS noise
    2014 FALCON report
    2015 KCC position statement on Manston Airport
    2016 TDC final report for Thanet District Council (TDC) Manston Airport Viability
    2016 AVIA SOLUTIONS Riveroak response TDC Manston Airport viability final
    2017 AVIA SOLUTIONS local plan representations review final
    2017 AVIA SOLUTIONS analysis of report by Azimuth/Northwood on Manston
    2017 YORK AVIATION for SHP summery report final
    2018 ALTITUDE AVIATION report
    2019 ALTITUDE AVIATION report update
    2019 DCO Examiners recommending refusal of DCO on many issues including need
    2021 YORK AVIATION for Jenny Dawes in redetermination of DCO
    2021 ALAN STRATFORD ASSOCIATES for Ramsgate town council
    2021 OVE ARUP for DfT/SoS

  18. Great post Ian.

    That list is an embarrassing demonstration of the obsessive support of a vocal minority who regrettably, have access to power and influence.

  19. All of Thanet District Councils Councillors and TDCs MPs need investigating and held accountable for the last 10 years. If ever money has been misspent and very strange things going on regarding a former airfield that is a dead duck, it is the MPs and many Cllrs of TDC which are involved in usual shady negotiations.

    • I maybe mistaken and apologies if I am, but are you same person who was a Labour Councillor representing Ramsgate Nethercourt on TDC 2011- 2015?

  20. Dear me Craig!,
    so your column posits that we should be nice to our MP’s and not to try to kill them. I fully agree with that part of the column, there is too much hate and violence begat by ill judged words and unpleasant rants. Violence and hate not only harms those it is aimed at, but also those who use it.
    I don’t want you to have a security detail or live in fear of the wellbeing of yourself or your family, any right thinking person would agree with that.
    However, you then start rubbishing the Town Council over an issue that was done and dusted 18 months ago. The Council acted lawfully, Cllr Piper was in error, and no one, not the then DCLG, or External Auditor found any fault, even though quite blood curdling threats were made by several uninformed individuals.
    Where I do depart from your ideas, is your lack of understanding about climate change (you appear not to understand it or get it)when promoting an airport during COP 26 and an unnecessary one at that, and your almost total lack of knowledge about local govt finance and procedure.
    Please, if you are going to say anything about either subject, get some impartial advice first.
    One reason that Ramsgate has a precept of £80 (That’s £80 per year or one tank of diesel for a 4X4) is that its tax base (How much a £1 precept raises on a Band D property) is so much lower than say Broadstairs, Westgate or Birchington. They can raise far more precept, because they have more Band D properties. Ramsgate has relatively few. Ramsgate also loses out because so many in Ramsgate are on some kind of discount, (single person, on housing benefit etc) and this effects Ramsgate’s tax take. Add to this the £100,000 now probably now £120,000, lost per annum, because of the ‘reform’ of Council tax benefit, and you can see the context in which the Council is financed.
    While you are bleating about £10k,Ramsgate has lost £1/2m or more in lost revenue since 2011,so why don’t you do something about that?
    I hope you do talk to the Council, instead of always criticising them. Look at what they do in the round, and help them not hinder them.
    Aneurin Bevan was once asked what he wanted for the people in his constituency. He replied the best! Only the best will do for my people. Why don’t you take a leaf from Aneurin Bevan and help Ramsgate ,as much as you do for Sandwich and Broadstairs, after all it’s the largest conurbation in your constituency.

  21. Craig is better off when he doesn’t offer an opinion. He has built a career in politics by creating divides. Attacking others and self profiting anywhere he can…. Yet people defend and vote for him. He has done nothing for Thanet and doesn’t care one little bit. I’ve had the misfortune of dealing with him on many occasions and not once has he come close to the level he should have.

  22. Of course, our MP voted to allow Southern Water to keep pollution The River Stour and Ramsgate Beach – I wonder if he has SW shares.

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