Looking ahead as Labour takes the helm at Thanet council

Thanet council now has a Labour majority

Labour takes the helm of Thanet council this week with many of those taking on councillor roles for the first time.

In a massive change some 23 councillors out of 56 are new, or returning after a period away, with many familiar faces gone after failing to secure the votes or not standing this time around.

Labour took 40% of the vote -bringing 30 council seats – in Thursday’s local election polls with turn out in the wards ranging between 19% and 43%. It means the authority is under overall control for the first time since 2017. Since 2011 there have only been two years where the authority has been under overall control during the short-lived stint of UKIP.

Prior to the election, the council was a Conservative minority-led authority,

The election count on Friday (May 5) saw the wiping out of Conservative and prior council leader Ash Ashbee with Labour taking the Westbrook ward for the first time and the demise of Thanet Independents leader Stuart Piper and wife Lynda with Labour taking Northwood ward.

Conservatives lost eight of the seats held before the election while Thanet Independents have been reduced from seven to three. Greens have gained one seat with the election of former council tree officer Kevin Pressland. Independent councillors, including Viking ward’s Ruth Bailey, lost out at the polls. There is now just one Independent councillor, newcomer Alan Munns who swept Conservative Bob Bayford out of the Kingsgate seat he had held for more than three decades.

The make up of Thanet council is now Labour 30 seats, Conservative 17, Green 5, Thanet Independents 3, Independent 1.

Yesterday (May 7) Labour councillors confirmed Cllr Rick Everitt as leader and Cllr Helen Whitehead as deputy leader.

The Newington and Margate Central representatives, who have led the Labour group at TDC since 2019, were returned unopposed to their roles at the group’s annual general meeting.  They will now be put forward by the group to lead the new council at its first meeting on Thursday, May 18th.

Cllr Everitt said: “Results across Kent show that we clearly benefited from the growing impatience for this hopeless Conservative government to be replaced by a new Labour administration under Keir Starmer. Labour is ready for power nationally as well as locally.

“However, we never win easily in Thanet and these results are a tribute to the hard work of the best set of candidates we have had in my experience. MP Craig Mackinlay is on notice from the people of Thanet that he can expect to leave Westminster next year, especially now we have Polly Billington lined up to replace him. The results in the likely new parliamentary constituency of Thanet East were spectacular for Labour.

“In the meantime, we will get to work on delivering real change for residents over the next four years. The council will have clear and stable leadership at last, but we understand that not everyone voted Labour and we will continue to work with other parties where we can.”

Labour leader Rick Everitt and partner Cllr Corinna Huxley at the election count

Cllr Everitt says the immediate priority will be to get a full briefing from officers and inductions.

One focus will be ‘cleaner streets.’ Cllr Everitt said: “If you ask people what is their number one (priority) and it’s cleaner streets. I do not believe this is an impossibility.”

Due to fewer street cleaners than in previous years the most recent strategy has been to target hotspots, but Cllr Everitt says people pay council tax and are entitled to expect the council to clean streets and deal with fly-tipping.

He said he hopes to introduce a mechanism where people can raise their concerns over litter in their areas, adding: “People pay for a service through their council tax and if they pay for it they should receive it.”

Transparency and accountability are also high on the agenda with Cllr Everitt saying processes, such as those around asset disposal, should be explained to people so they can see why and how decisions are made and how they can have input in that.

He said: “We need to have more of a public face.

“The challenge is to engage with the population as a whole rather than just the noisiest people. So, we are not just talking to them – and they have a right to be heard -it is about getting a real handle on what people think.”

Part of that, Cllr Everitt says, will be making sure councillors are visible in their wards.

Housing and the Local Plan

Housing and the Local Plan will come under scrutiny. Cllr Everitt said: “There is a lot of unrest around the development sites agreed in the previous Local Plan. We have to acknowledge the council was obligated to allocate sites to meet the housing numbers specified.”

Cllr Everitt says central government constraints meant there was an urgency to passing the Local Plan or risk it being taken over by Whitehall.

He added: “It is there and we can’t make unrealistic promises about reversing things. Any changes have to be done through legislation and Thanet council can’t pass legislation. What we can do is look ahead, we understand people do not want more greenfield development but we can’t make promises because we are bound by legislation. There are not enough brownfield sites in the urban area to meet housing targets.

“With the airport, we are out of the decision-making loop. If the airport does not go ahead it will be a different scenario but the decision of the Conservative and Independents group moved 2,500 homes to green sites and that’s where we are.”

Social housing and temporary accommodation

Foy House Photo TDC

One important focus will be social housing and more temporary accommodation along the lines of the recently completed Foy House in Margate.

Cllr Everitt says it is a pressing need with 80% of his own casework in Newington involving housing issues.

He said: “There is an appalling shortage of housing for social rent in Thanet. It is difficult to build it, not so much financially but because of land availability and restrictions on the council by government but we would look for more innovative ways to build housing.”

Cllr Everitt says currently the council can’t meet urgent housing need in the way councillors and staff would want despite the efforts of a ‘fantastic’ housing team.

He added: “We need to provide more available properties. At the moment people can’t get what they need and everyone is entitled to decent housing.

“We have Foy House and we will be looking to develop more Thanet council in-house temporary accommodation.”

Cllr Everitt says the benefits of this are both financial -as homelessness costs come from the general fund and so are paid for by residents – and also the direct impact of preventing people having their lives disrupted by being moved out of the area.

Environment, Port and Levelling Up

Port of Ramsgate Photo TDC

Environment issues will be carried forward, including the pledge for the council to reach net zero targets and efforts to change to electric vehicles when current ones reach end of life.

Southern Water will also remain a focus with Cllr Everitt saying although the authority has no direct control over the company, councillors can still be ‘a strong voice’ raising sewage and service concerns.

The rejuvenation of Ramsgate Port and the £19.8m Levelling Up plans, initially put forward when the council had a Labour-minority lead, will  continue.

The Ramsgate Levelling Up proposals include a ‘Green Port’ scheme projected to create 800 jobs, a Green Hub training centre for apprenticeships and training, hospitality and fishing fleet proposals.

There are plans to create a training hotel and restaurant at the Smack Boy’s building at Ramsgate harbour, a brasserie and a fishing facility for the local fleet to store and sell catch from; a new town square on the current pier yard car park, a refurbished clock tower building and two community sites in Newington – which has already been progressed – and Ramsgate with training kitchens and community teaching.

Polly Billington  Photo Julian Newick

Labour’s Parliamentary hopeful Polly Billington said: “The voters of Thanet have put their trust in Labour locally to run their services for the whole community and do what is possible as a council to help with the cost of living pressures so many residents are facing and the challenges that local businesses are experiencing.

“This is an important step towards winning the trust and confidence of voters to run the country. Labour is ready for government – I look forward to winning the support of Thanet voters so that together we can get rid of this failed Tory government and build a better future.”

All change at Thanet council

New in the chamber

Jenny Matterface (Beacon Road) Labour (returning after a period out of council)

Joanne Bright (Beacon Road) Labour

Emma Dawson (Birchington South) Conservative – returning after period away from council

John Davis (Cliffsend/Pegwell) Conservative

Barry Manners (Cliftonville East) Conservative

Jack Packman (Dane Valley) Labour

Martin Boyd (Dane Valley) Labour

John Worrow (Garlinge) Thanet Independents– returning to council after a period away

John Dennis (Garlinge) Thanet Independents

Alan Munns (Kingsgate) Independent

Jim Driver (Northwood) Labour

Will Scobie (Northwood) Labour – returning after a period away from council

Debra Owen-Hughes (Northwood) Labour

Katie Pope (Salmestone) Labour

Leo Britcher (Salmestone) Labour

Kevin Pressland (St Peters) Green

Abi-Leigh Barlow (Villages) Conservative

Roopa Farooki (Viking) Labour

Kristian Bright (Viking) Labour

John Nichols (Viking) Conservative

Elyssa D’Abbro (Westbrook) Labour

John Edwards (Westbrook) Labour

David Donaldson (Westgate) Labour

Gone (either by losing the vote or not standing)

Ash Ashbee (Westbrook) former council leader Conservative

Ruth Bailey (Viking) Independent

Bob Bayford (Kingsgate) Conservative

Kerry Boyd (Garlinge) Conservative

Keth Coleman -Cooke (Birchington North) Conservative

Roy Dexter (St Peters) Conservative

Candy Gregory (Salmestone) Independent

David Hart (Villages) Thanet Independents

Mark Hopkinson (Sir Moses Montefiore) Independent

Charlie Leys (Cliftonville East) Conservative

David Parson (Bradstowe) Conservative

Lynda Piper (Northwood) Thanet Independents

Stuart Piper (Northwood)  Thanet Independents

Linda Potts (Dane Valley) Thanet Independents

Aram Rawf (Beacon Road) Independent

David Saunders (Viking) Conservative

Mave Saunders (Viking) Conservative

Jason Savage (St Peters) Conservative

Trevor Shonk (Newington) Conservative

Horace Shrubb (Cliftonville East) Conservative

Mick Tomlinson (Westbrook) Conservative

David Wallin (Dane Valley) Independent

72 Comments

    • Given the pro-Manston emphasis of the Tory election material (including suggestions that a vote for Labour would be a vote against the airport) that’s a pretty fair comment.

    • Given the huge emphasis the Tory election pamphlet placed on Manston (including suggestions that a vote for Labour was a vote against Manston), that’s a reasonable point.

    • Don’t you follow the runners and riders in Thanet’s local politics?
      It is a foregone conclusion.
      Even if there is a change of Government next year the quality of life in the UK is going down the pan. There are thousands of people in dire straits especially with a housing and cost of living crisis. And all Everitt can talk about is sweeping not cleaning the bloody streets. If he was that good at running the Council he would have improved this disgraceful situation when he was in office a short while ago.
      He didn’t even have the intellectual resources to sack the bullying and corrupt senior management team it took a Conservative woman, Ash Ashbee to do that!

  1. I note no mention has been made about the potential future of Margate Winter Gardens or the Theatre Royal again in Margate. Will this mean Ramsgate will now get the lions share of any grants issued by central government one wonders.

    • That will make a very welcome change in my view. It has always been about Margate. Now it’s Ramsgate’s turn. As for Manston air cargo hub I look forward to the judicial review. It was shameful of Craig MacKinlay to use the hub as a political football in the local elections saying voting Tory will be the only way the hub will open. Wrong. A judge will decide that. The strong votes for labour means more people are against the hub than for it (compared to those who voted Tory).

  2. Labour will have to get the show on the road and demonstrate that they were worth electing.

  3. Does this now mean my new Labour ward will sweep the roads,clear the turfs growing in the kerbs,pick up litter and weeds what looks very Third World in my area…. yeah I bet.

    • Personally Dave I think that after 14 years of Tory austerity the cash-strapped council has more important things to spend their small amount of money on. However picking up litter, clearing weeds and turfs is something that anyone can do, and if every resident kept the road and pavement clean in front of their house/flat then there’d be more money for the important things.

      • Phil your a Pillock! My road is a cut through for people going to school, shopping at Ramsgate ASDA, young mums with prams, dog walkers, and people on their way to the town, or beach. Why do they throw their rubbish away littering it up? Its because they don’t want to take it home with them! A good deal of it also comes from people who fail to secure their Red bags, and by the Bin men who scatter it when chucking it into the “Lets Sort It out” truck. No, the answer is more litter bins, bring them back, and put one on every street corner, and empty them at least once a week!

  4. The leader Everitt is now certainly saying the right things about transparency and accountability this time around. Last time labour didn’t listen to local residents sufficiently.
    Now despite continuing financial constraints Labour have an opportunity to earn and gain the trust of local residents and prove many wrong ! Let’s hope labour doesn’t squander this chance.
    The Jury is out .

  5. ““The challenge is to engage with the population as a whole rather than just the noisiest people”
    I wonder who he means

  6. 40 percent of the votes cast, when turnout was between 19 and 43 percent, isnt really a overwhelming victory. Also it might indicate that the majority of Thanet is in favour of an Airport. Statistics can be made to prove anything, if taken in certain contexts.

    • LOL
      The south thanet MP told people to vote tory to save the airport. The ignored him

    • Well pointed out in all the rubbish spouted on here all I can say in voting in every vote since 1970 I took no part this time round, I finally have given up nationally and locally on the autocrats and idiots that speak constant lies and pursue stupid idealistic dreams that the majority don’t need or want,

  7. Clare above is absolutely right in that Everitt last time around did nothing to deal with Homer and her bullying and corrupt senior team and colluded with her. It took a Tory leader to do this, it is a somewhat bitter irony that she has lost her seat in this respect at least.

  8. I hope Cllr Everitt consults properly and extensively with Thanet residents on attempts to go to Net Zero as many question the official narrative on this (many scientists amongst them and notably Greenpeace co-founder Dr Patrick Moore). Going fully electric for vehicles is also questionable on so many levels. I also agree with Clare and Roman that it is very worrying Everitt did nothing about the previous destructive senior management at TDC. Why? If Ash Ashbee hadn’t sorted that one out, TDC would be in a far worse state now. Major party leaders are all puppets imo, with Starmer a member of the Trilateral Commission (founded by David Rockefeller with Jeffrey Epstein as a fellow member). So we have to look out for the good local councillors who listen to their constituents first and get things done, and don’t just virtue signal.

    • Many might question the official net zero strategy. But, globally, many, many more embrace the concept as one way of tackling Climate Change.
      Dr Moore no longer is involved with Greenpeace, and his views are discredited by scientists.

    • What we need is a very much improved public transport. More buses, more trains, and as integrated as possible ,so that if you miss a bus you have still got a chance of catching a train ((if you live somewhere with a railway station, that is).

        • I think trains should be driven by people. I also think public transport should be re-nationalized.

          Marva Rees

    • You hope that the new Leader “consults properly and extensively with Thanet residents on attempts to go to Net Zero”
      Why?
      Wouldn’t it be better to consult with, say, the IPCC?

    • No chance, we’ll get more “virtue signalling” but no real action. Putting net zero at the heart of everything we do was one pronouncement from tdc but Ms Whitehead pushed through the drug hostel in The old british legion, a listed building with just about zero insulation, not withstanding ignoring the issues of listed building consent and planning permission before it all started and made no effort to engage with those living near the building.
      There was an foi asking councils how many of their buildings had smart meters, tdc has very few, but did move many accounts to ecotricity for a bit of a green fig leaf, however rarely actually reads its meters within its housing stock and relies on estimated readings.
      Then you have the commercial property fiasco how much of that has had even an energy assessment let alone any action? Given they can’t even collect rents on some due to the mismanagement its hard to have any faith. But no doubt no officers will be sacked or reprimanded and they’ll all continue shirking from home.
      We can all judge the new council on its performance in the months/years ahead, but personally i don’t expect anymore honesty or pragmatism than we’ve seen in the last few decades. And quite why is emergency housing provision paid for put of the general fund and not the housing revenue account especially when it involves the purchase/build/development of what is effectively social housing?

      • The more social housing, the better. I hope if Labour get in, they will rescind the right to buy .

        Marva Rees

    • Surely it ought to be proper scientists with whom Cllr Everitt consults, not local residents, whose knowledge of science is very variable.

      Marva Rees

  9. Manston Airport has been Zoned as Only for Aviation use for more than 100 years. That was continued and Confirmed by the Planning Inspectorate.
    It was no more than an aspiration by certain people to build houses on Manston Airport, over the Aquifer.
    So it is not correct to say that plans to build 2,500 houses were moved.
    It is pleasing that TDC are saying that they can not reverse this decision, it is a National, government one.

    • Funny how you lot now want it dealt with by national government because locally there is zero appetite for it. We know the crooks in number 10 will do whatever that rich 5% say.

      The trickle isn’t coming and the airport is a failed sham.

      Why so many are begging for it (again) is beyond me.

        • Is that the poll that asked whether people would rather have 1000s of houses full of DFL benefit claiments or an airport?
          No matter how much you wriggle, there’s no escaping the fact that the Tories heavily pushed a link between Manston’s success or failure and voting Tory or Labour.
          People overwhelmingly voted Labour; the most vociferous airport-supporting tory councillors lost their seats.
          In Ramsgate, the town whose council supported the JR with £10,000, those self-same councillors were returned to office. Menwhile, pro airport Tory councillors lost their seats.
          I don’t know what conclusions you’d draw from that.
          Maybe you take comfort from the “poll” submitted to the ExA by SMA?
          The one featuring such worthies as “Nick D. Radar”, “R.Suppards”, “B.Iggles” and – a Russian supporter – “Eva Vesov”.
          Anyway, as you and your chums are suddenly so keen to point out, it isn’t a popularity matter. The DCO decision will entirely depend on how much pressure MacKinley and Gale can bring to bear on the SoS.

          • 19 to 43 percent turnout with 40 percent of them voting Labour. Wouldn’t really call that overwhelming. Would you? In some constituencies less that 1 in five voted, so 40 per cent of that, well you work it out. Certainly not overwhelming.

          • I look forward to doing my own research and finding out a bit more about the polls Dr. Webber mentions.

            Marva Rees

    • I wonder why you are so concerned about Thanet’s housing and its aquifer, when you don’t live any where near?
      As it happens, all of Thanet, its houses, factories, businesses, roads and railways are built over the aquifer- the chalk that lies beneath our feet.
      The Local Plan (devised by local politicians) contains details of what can and cannot happen to various bits of land. The scheme recommended by Officers, offering a much more flexible approach over what happens at Manston, was rejected by UKIP/Tory councillors.
      The current Plan reserves Manston for aviation use *only* if the DCO is approved.

    • Thanet housing, 15yrs of antisocial behaviour neighbours nothing gets done I was told to move , 6 yrs of a view of scaffolding still on going , 22 yrs since my central heating was updated, drafty doors , bathroom window don’t open , let’s hope labour do a better job but I’m not hopeful. But of course the rent goes up every Yr along with the council tax .

    • It is a National, government No.10 decision on Manston, Whoever is in charge of our local council won’t affect the outcome – Spend as much as you like to fight it, it’s not gonna make a blind bit of difference the second judicial review is just there to let people voice their opinions in the high court just like the first.
      It’s just like voting for Brexit again lol
      The government has already said Manston will be an airport again so it’s just a matter of time.

  10. I hope with the “cleaner streets” promise we’ll get some kind of commitment to more accessible streets and public buildings for disabled people. I’m thinking of lifts dropped kerbs, ramps, beach walkways Decent toilets, planning permissions that insist on flat access or ramps instead of steps etc. But above all a change of attitude to disability!

  11. Rick Everitt is quite right when he says TDC have no say about what happens at Manston. However, given that Labour-run Ramsgate Town Council handed over £10k to help fund Ms Gloag’s unceasing anti-Manston campaign, would anyone like to bet against the new Labour administration on TDC writing its own cheque to Ms Gloag should she launch yet another legal challenge if the next judicial review is not to her liking?

    • The pro-airport Tory councillors were trounced at the local election. That seems to indicate that most of Thanet’s voters don’t want the airport.
      The previous RTC offered £10,000 towards the JR fund (a completely legal and proper thing to do – as the late Piper discovered).
      At the local election, overwhelmingly Labour candidates got in, including the ones who’d made the donation.
      Now, if Ramsgate’s voters were outraged over the £10,000, wouldn’t they have voted out the Labour members, and returned TIC/Tory candidates?

      • In reality, with such a poor turnout, must of Thanets voters dont really care. Or do the ones that didn’t vote want an airport. Now, there’s a question ?

        • Not really, people don’t really care about local elections, the endless wittering about manston gets dragged up time and time again, the only way to actually find out what people really think is to hold a referendum on the issue, which would give an answer for all and sundry to ponder, but in itself wouldn’t change much in terms of the permissions and challenges. The whole subject is just background chatter, as pointed out in another comment local labour supported manston at one time , all politicians are more interested in having opinions that gain them votes than actually dealing with issues.

    • Well Mr Munson, I have donated several thousands of pounds to fund the Judicial Review challenging the approval by the Secretary of States(SoS) decision to allow the the DCO! This was a political decision by the SoS, in the hope it would be a vote winner for Thanets two Chocolate Tea Pot Tory MP’s, Gale and Mackinlay! The recent district elections showed this ploy failed, because people are becoming aware should Manston re-open, it will not be for passenger use, only dirty old cargo planes flying over Ramsgate Harbour at less that 300 meters high! The two Thanet MP’s are traitors wishing this on the people of Thanet, because they are betraying us for their own political gain!

  12. To Cllr Rick Everitt, godhelpus, Andrew, other Labour and Green councillors and anti-airport people:
    Some Labour councillors and voters sadly have very short (or convenient?) memories. Nobody realised at the time that RSP’s plans for a cargo hub required a DCO, not a CPO, but the support for Manston was definitely there from both main parties. There is proof in a photo of the then TDC Labour leader, Iris Johnston, after Ann Gloag shut the airport and RiverOak first came on the scene. She’s sporting a “Stay Calm and Save Manston” t-shirt.

    • Iris Johnston let down the side very badly. She was trying to buy into the (incorrect) notion that most of Thanet wanted an airport.
      ROIC (RiverOak Investment Corporation as was) twice applied for a CPO in partnership with TDC. This would have involved TDC being guarantors – using public money to back a commercial enterprise. First Iris Johnston (Labour) and then Chris Wells (UKIP) explored the idea with ROIC, and then robustly turned them down. Both times because ROIC could not or would not show where the backers’ money was (a situation that still prevails).
      So ROIC decided to go the DCO route.
      This would bypass any involvement by the LA, the final decision being taken by the SoS. (It seems that this is a political, rather than a commercial decision.)

      In the run up to the recent election, the Tories strongly linked the success or failure of Manston to voting Tory or Labour. In their droves, people voted Labour, and not Tory. In particular, the very Labour councillors who, at RTC, had voted to support the JR with £10,000, were overwhelmingly returned to the Council.

  13. Beau Webber, how about links to these amazing pro-airport polls. They will of course be independently conducted and verified, with details of the questions, polling method, participant selection etc.
    Personally I think a poll where the Tories state that a vote for them will ensure the airport, and a vote for the other will kill the airport, is a reasonable basis to determine, on the results, that the majority do not want an airport. But I’m sure you’ll continue to ignore inconvenient facts and continue to spout rubbish like the airport being zoned for over 100 years.

    • I seem to remember that some woman ran for electyon to TDC some years ago on a “Re-Open Manston” ticket, and didn’t get enough people to vote for her to hold a meeting in a phone box!

  14. Piper and the rest of the Manstonian fringe said RTC had no mandate.When that mandate is tested and Piper gets the boot,we are then told that it is a govt matter.If the Govt is checked out with a JR, that’s not right.
    Instead we are meant to rely on dodgy polls from the Sun and the Daily Mail,those unimpeachable sources of news.someone else says no junk all that representative democracy and have a referendum.I am not sure we are ready for another referendum,after the last one.
    So forget all the many exhaustive reports and the deliberations of PINs,Grant Shapps knows best.
    If Manston was such a blindingly obvious super project, the public really would be on side.
    Instead the Manstonian fringe prefer to defame anyone questioning the scheme.and to indulge in the worst forms of misogyny,abuse and mendaciousness.
    Climate change,Brexit and the economics of air travel/freight all suggest that the scheme doesn’t add up.
    I suppose we will have to wait until this govt falls or is pushed before a sensible transport minister is installed.
    Webber this is all a bit desperate!

    • Secretary of state has approved the Dco twice!!
      1.Dco approved by transport minister
      2.Dawes and Co wanted a j.r they got it and it was approved again.
      3. Now they appealing again!!
      Total Messers just playing the system. Work would have started if they had kept out of it. Where are all these new residents going to work there is no major employment opportunities in thanet,an airport will bring some jobs but the network of businesses connected to it will bring more. If this lot get their way thanet will be nothing but a commuter town with houses from cliffsend to Birchington and the occupants of these houses will be spending their money where they work as there is nothing in thanet as it is let alone with thousands more people added to it. Only revenue for thanet will be the share of council tax they get. Services are already drained with the people living here now. The thousands of jobs that went when pfizer cleared off have not been replaces thanet need a major employment outlet and a company willing to invest millions in the area has to be a start.

      • Oh dear.
        The same old (very old) notion that it’s “houses or airport”.
        It’s not.
        It’s “houses” or “houses and airport”.
        And where do you suppose the 23000 employees and their families will live?

  15. I think people should show a bit of pride in their own properties, some of the paintwork and so called gardens etc is disgusting, shows what kind of occupants are inside. Are these the same who turn our streets and parks into a tip where I fear to walk .

    • There is no need, most of the time, to be afraid to walk in local streets and parks.

      Marva Rees

  16. By the way it costs nothing to tidy your garden, I suppose the people are just bone idle.( in most cases)

  17. Watch out allotment owners the council will put up your rent and then build on your site when you leave it

  18. I love how the Webbers of the Manston world keep peddling the ‘cos people support the airport!’ when they literally just got ousted of their comfy seats because people voted to disagree with pro-Manston candidates.

    When will they stop fabricating arguments? Every yime they ‘predict’ what will happen, they are left redfaced.

    As things stand:
    – Thanet voters dont want airport. FACT
    – Manston supporters barely managed to get 11ish signatures in the petition organised by their MP
    – Manston supporters are yet to spend any money supporting their cargo pet, unlike the hundreds of thousands raised by ant-cargo
    – Conservatives will lose the next GE. The 2 MPs supporting Manston will be history. Manston will be no more than hot polluted air.

  19. Congratulations to all the councillors who won their seats on the council.
    Unfortunately, no matter which party is in charge, there is still no money so don’t expect to see sweeping improvements anytime soon.

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