Labour’s parliamentary candidate Polly Billington was joined on the General Election campaign trail today (May 27) by the Shadow Secretary of State for Energy, Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband.
The former Labour Party leader visited Broadstairs to support Ms Billington’s bid to become the new MP for East Thanet when the country goes to the polls on July 4.
Electoral Calculus predicts Labour’s chance of winning the East Thanet seat as 98%.
The Conservative chance of regaining the seat has been given just 2% with a candidate yet to be named after incumbent Craig Mackinlay announced he would not be running. Mr Mackinlay returned to Parliament on Wednesday (May 22) after eight months following a battle with sepsis that led to the amputation of his arms up to his elbows and legs to the knees.
However, the General Election date was announced the same day and Mr Mackinlay made the decision to not run for re-election but to concentrate on his recovery and campaign to raise awareness of sepsis.
Ms Billington, who previously worked for Ed Miliband as a special advisor, said it was “amazing” to think that after July 4 there could be a Labour government.
She added: “We are ready to do what we need to do to get rid of the Tories and make sure we have a Labour government.”
Among Polly Billington’s pledges for Thanet are free breakfast clubs for children to help with the cost of living; regulating short-term holiday lets; a commitment to the state pension triple lock; tackling sewage in the seas and its damaging impact on the environment and Thanet’s tourism industry and businesses; making sure infrastructure is in place for new home developments and reviving high streets.
Ed Miliband told the Labour gathering on the Western Esplanade at Broadstairs: “I am absolutely delighted to be here with the brilliant Polly Billington. I am going to be travelling around the country a lot in this campaign but this trip means so much.”
Mr Miliband said Ms Billington was “an incredible advocate” and would be an” incredible asset” to Thanet and Parliament.
He added: “She cares about people, she knows politics starts with people.”
Mr Miliband said after 14 years in government , the Conservatives had brought the country ‘backwards’ with struggling health services, rising energy bills and ‘crumbling schools.’
He added: “Thanet and Britain deserve better.”
He noted the Vattenfall wind farm visible from the Western Esplanade and said under a Labour government one of the first steps would be the creation of Great British Energy, a publicly-owned clean power company, to cut bills and boost energy security, paid for by a windfall tax on oil and gas giants.
The visit followed the launch of Ms Billington’s campaign last week where she spoke at an event outside Margate railway station.
Before becoming a Parliamentary candidate, she was a BBC journalist and a Head of Communications and Campaigns at Citizens Advice, coordinating campaigns on energy, welfare and payday loans.
She said: “As somebody who has dedicated their life to fighting injustice, I can’t sit idly by: the people of Thanet have been let down and they deserve an MP who will fight for them.
“Thanet has so much going for it, but has suffered from Tory neglect for far too long. That’s why after 14 years of Conservative failure here, it is time for change with a Labour candidate will bring people together for a better future.
“I grew up in an ordinary suburb and my parents were teachers. I benefited from good state education and worked as a BBC reporter. But I couldn’t just tell people things were wrong: I wanted to do something about it. Ever since I have been campaigning for better jobs, better homes and for our environment.
“With my experience in campaigning, I will fight to get the better opportunities, industries and services here in Thanet, as well as protecting our natural resources, and combatting climate change.”
Labour’s pledges for its ‘first steps for change’ are to deliver economic stability, cut NHS waiting times, launch a new Border Security Command, set up Great British Energy, crack down on antisocial behaviour and recruit 6,500 new teachers in key subjects.
Parliamentary candidates for Thanet
The Green Party Parliamentary candidate announced for the East Thanet constituency is Steve Roberts.
Conservatives have not yet named their candidate following Mr Mackinlay’s decision not to stand for re-election. Reform UK is also yet to announce a candidate.
In the Herne Bay and Sandwich constituency, which includes Westbrook, Birchington, Garlinge, Thanet villages wards and Westgate, Sir Roger Gale aims to retain his seat for Conservatives, Helen Whitehead is running for Labour, Thea Barrett is standing for Greens and Amelia Randall for Reform UK. Electoral Calculus currently has Labour and Conservatives both with a 50% chance to take the seat.
Next steps
Following the General Election announcement, Parliament was prorogued on Friday 24 May and will be dissolved on Thursday 30 May. Neither House nor their committees will then meet until after the election.
The new Parliament will first meet on Tuesday 9 July, when members begin to take the oath and the House of Commons will elect a Speaker.
The State Opening of Parliament is expected to take place on 17 July.
No candidate announced for anyone but Labour as far as I can see no wonder it is 98%
The article does say the Green Party has a candidate.
Ok so that deals with the other 2%
Starmer was in Kent last week to promote the party, yet didn’t invite Kent’s only Labour MP Rosie Duffield! Hardly a recipe for success.
Well I’m now past 50 yoa and I’ll be voting for my 1st time , it won’t be larbour , or conservative I can tell you that much,
My brother Dean Scott porter egged milliband live on the news few years back, he was talking rubbish then and still now, useless man
Well she’s no longer a darling of the party, partly because of her behaviour during covid but more to do with her views on the gender debate.
Indeed – she actually attented biology classes at school. I’m no Labour supporter, but she’d get my vote if I lived in Canterbury.
Don’t give him a bacon sandwich!
Beat me to it, what hope is there for a man who either as a result of personal dislike or due to religious beliefs is unwilling to politely turn down something he clearly didn’t want to eat. If he’s that flexible in his own life how could anyone trusthim.
I have Jewish friends who are atheists and eat non-kosher food. I don’t understand “Death and Gravity”‘s comment.
You clearly do understand my comment, but have chosen to willfully twist what i’ve written. But to be clear, he was offered a bacon sandwich which he clearly didn’t wish to eat, but rather than politely decline he made a fool of himself. Given his heritage that unwillingness to eat may or may not be down to religious beliefs , it may or may not have been down to a simple dislike of a bacon sandwich , i can respect either reason, but to do what he did purely for political reasons makes a mockery of the man and his credibility and any notion of being trustworthy.
Do you understand my clarification?
She doesn’t do rational debate.
I googled “Ed Miliband bacon sandwich” and found a photo. The sandwich was thick and unwieldy- no wonder he was struggling !
No, but dogmatic views need to be called out. MM seems to be one of those that has dogmatic views based on little other than views of others she feels comfortable with, from the various comments on here, i’d guess (and purely that) MM has largely lived her live in squats/communes and social housing, has probably never had gainful employment that has made them a net contributor to society , believes that everything can be solved by taxing the “rich” and has no comprehension of the desire by many to improve their living standards through innovation and effort and that those people should be paying for those that do little or nothing to have almost equal living standards.
Common themes across many on the left , who largely have never been self employed, often have been in the comfortable realms of the public sector ( and as such have no idea of how people live outside it), are very much inclined to accept anything left wing without question and view anyone right of their own position as contemptible.
And largely unable or willing to offer a decent argument to support their views let alone politely debate differences of opinion. The more vehement ( of which MM is not ) usually choose to shut down any questioning of their viewpoint by throwing around insults and casting accusations ( usually in relation to intelligence, background, wealth, race/migration, generation) against those challenging them.
MM , almost a piece of comedy gold, who on earth would trust someone to run a country if they couldn’t cope with a “large and unwieldly” sandwich?
I suppose you have a similarly unusual explanation for Gordon Browns “biggoted woman” comment. ( the perfect example of the contempt the left have for the views of the average person that speaks plainly and doesn’t try or wish to hide behind political double speak)
It’s a good job he didn’t go to (the excellent) Dalby Cafe – they might’ve offered him an all-you-can-eat breakfast!
He wasn’t ‘offered’ the sandwich. He ordered it!
It isn’t the first time a Labour leader has bitten off more than he can chew (and it’s always a “he”, as the party don’t allow women to become leaders). One suspects it will happen again.
He challenged a bacon sandwich to a fight. And lost!
One look at her résumé and it’s clear she doesn’t have a clue where food comes from or how wealth is generated.
No mention either of the fact that there are dinghies full of Muslim men in the English Channel because the last Labour government’s warmongering.
Still the electorate of the new urban Thanet constituency will get the representative it deserves.
Give up your tripe tory boy
How about some rational debate instead of just throwing insults around? You might even persuade someone that your point of view is the correct one rather than just alienating people.
Give it a try… if you can.
Steve – you cannot help your juvenile comments, silly boy. Time to be an adult and grow up.
Steve.
I first voted in 1979.
I have never voted Conservative or Right of Centre.
I merely made a statement of fact.
Have you managed to find a decent resume? There’s very little on her family background and upbringing. Let alone anything to suggest she’d have any understanding of the average working person and the concept of being self employed in a manual trade would likely not ever have entered her mind.
“Recent Convert”- I lived in housing co-operatives for more than 30 years.
I wasn’t too wide of the mark then.
However, I have said in previous comments that I lived in housing co-ops for decades. And “Recent Convert”‘s other guesses are certainly not all correct.
My comments are based on the gist of what i’ve remembered you saying and as i stated were “guesses” , housing co-op or commune is there a huge difference from the average persons viewpoint? As for the rest again as i said it was guess work and a view i’ve formed, without further clarification it’s the one i’ll have to stick with.
I will not vote for cons or liebour as they are both the same
I will vote REFORM
My vote tends to go to who I think will best serve us locally – and as I’m in the new “Herne Bay and Sandwich” area, it will NOT be for Helen Whitehead – well-meaning as she undoubtedly is.
Certainly isn’t a tory
You must one of those extreme right wing, in the 30s and 40s they were the enemy of the world
And yet again you fall foul of Godwins Law and your ability to debate in a coherent and polite manner. Try watching some Jeremy Reece Mogg and listen to his endlessly polite and reasoned arguments delivered in calm tones, he’s far more likely to persuade people than you are with your casual insults. Try putting a bit of effort in and seek to persuade others that ypur point of view is both valid and worth listening to.
I saw a picture of a bloke called “Jacob Rees-Mogg”, draped over the front bench in the House of Commons, apparently asleep.
A fine example of how to behave in the Mother of all Parliaments.
Your comments have a similar effect on me.
But still an intellectual giant compared to many that grace the “mother of all parliaments”, maybe not the best behaviour but way above the likes of Keith Vaz and his escapades with sex workers.
Tit for tat comments about actions of either party could go on endlessly, but my comment was in relation to the inability of some on here and within politics who are unable to put a polite coherent argument together for their views and instead rely on insult and accusation to bully those that question their views.
JRM does that seemingly without effort and can probably manage it whilst reclined.
Really? I’ve always thought that the worst ‘enemies of the world’ in those days were the national SOCIALISTS!
Far right are fascist, supremacists.
Do some learning, even the communist Russians fought with us.
There’s a big difference between a housing co-op and a commune.
Then educate me and explain how it works, how many people are living in such arrangements, or supply a link to a relevant organisationetc etc, genuinely interested.
A housing Cooperative is an entity where every member is a tenant, and each tenant is a member. The houses are owned collectively by the tenants/members. Each tenant/member owns a share in the Cooperative.
The entities are self governing, with a committee, sub committees, treasurer and so on. They are set up under a legally binding contract.
Clays Lane in Stratford, east London, was an example of a large Housing Cooperative. It was demolished to make way for some 2012 Olympics infrastructure.
Here’s a link https://www.cch.coop/.
I don’t know anything about communes.
Sounds like a cult.
Thank you, i read their manifesto summary, which is pushing for a different model that wants state funding and so unless the state is giving homes to people permanently it’s not really a cooperative and becomes more of a social housing provider notionally run by its tenants. In this day and age with the amount of legislation that’s just not going to work unless the tenants are suitably trained and willing to accept responsibility for their decisions.
Better to have the social housing provider model with tenants on the “board” for want of a better way of putting it.
A true cooperative can surely only exist where the tenants are putting their own money in and there’s a mechanism for them to get it back out if they choose to leave? The problem , which is raised in the document, is the access to borrowing under thetrue meaning of a cooperative.
This seems a better example in a truer sense of a cooperative
https://chapeltowncohousing.org.uk/
Funded by its members
MM if you follow the link Andrew gave , there’s a page on their site devoted to their manifesto in full and a summary. Manifesto is their choice of word no mine, in reality it’s more a wish list they’d like the incoming government to adopt.
There’s plenty of info online.
“Not invented here”- what is the “manifesto summary ” you mention?
I’ve never heard of the Confederation of Co-operative Housing, and I’m not going to read its website. 30+ years of living in housing co-ops,and being on their respective committees for several of those years, has given me enough experience of them. I think co-ops are the best form of social housing.
It’s a clown show with puppets for politic leaders who backed nonsensical and destructive lockdowns, and unsafe and ineffective experimental jabs (we are now seeing the frightening results everywhere). Starmer also failed to prosecute Savile or deal with Rotherham grooming gangs. Net Zero is also a meaningless catch phrase for those who follow and do not question or analyse. Independents mostly have more integrity and will make some people think at least.
Wouldn’t count on that, misguided
“we are now seeing the frightening results everywhere”
Are we?
Where?
What?
Thank you for the update. I want to support Polly and have signed up to do so. Before, I vote for her and not the green party, I would like to know exactly what she will do to bring an end to southern water’s pollution and theft of customers money.
An excellent communicator with a work record in journalism and PR, she will need grit and solid support.
May I suggest we start by starving southern water of funds by everyone cancelling their direct debits, bring them to bankruptcy so they can be taken back into state ownership. The tax payer should certainly not be financing a buy out of these corrupt and incompetent halfwits.
If people stop paying water bills, they will be prosecuted. It will end up with the bailiffs calling.
Not a wise route to take.
In general that no longer happens, the water companies are legally allowed to charge the customers that do pay a premium for those that don’t, as now happens in the electricity industry and is yet another example of the hiddensubsidies we pay to those that play the game to the nth degree. Just ever more hidden taxation.
In the water industry around 10% of a households bill is to pay for waters others use but don’t pay for. Quietly bought in to ease the costs and burden that were being placed on the court system and its inability to make people pay. Of course if you actually work and have some assets the courts are a bit more aggressive in their ways.
So what you’re saying is that if someone’s got assets, the court and bailiffs will act; if there are no assets, they won’t?
No, that the water companies are less likely to bother going to the courts , they’ll send a few threatening letters but do little else than add the losses to the bills the rest of us pay. I’ve had several tenants that have no intention of ever paying their water bill, they might eventually get a ccj but ignore that too, if a bailiff does bother knocking at the door there’s nothing worth taking.
It’s just another little bonus the hardcore shirkers in society exploit.
An old article, but first that came up in my search, the situation hasn’t changed much beyond a few more threatening letters being sent out. Ofgem has allowed the standing charge to increase to deal with bad debt amongst electricity companies , so we all pay for that too.
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/dec/04/water-companies-bad-debt-unpaid-bills-ofwat
Did post a link to an article but as seems to be the norm these days its got stopped by the moderating software.
You can email Polly to ask, but she probably won’t answer as she’s ignored my emails and other people’s.
Roger has always answered mine, and even asked a question in the commons on my behalf.
What was achieved, once the question was asked ?
There were, eventually, reforms. I’m not going into any more details, as my predicament at the time is something I’d rather keep private, but trust me, my life could’ve gone VERY wrong if it wasn’t for my MP. For that, I’m eternally grateful.
Stephen Bounder – do you honestly believe a parachuted Labour Politician from a London Borough will be able to bring control to Southern Water in Thanet? Non payment of water rates is total non starter as very few would do so. You do need a rethink I feel
Greetings Comrades.
Labour puts lobbyists on the ballot – and big business is the winner. Polly Billington is a lobbyist for big business as described in this article from Open Democracy. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/labour-lobbying-candidates-secret-meetings-mp-prospective-business/
Thank you, former Labour activist! I’ll vote Tory.
Shouldn’t vote on emotion, or blind loyalty, it should be about the state of the country under whose watch we got there, and who has the most logical and common sense plan going forward, being in government is so much bigger than one pet project subject. This tory mob have proved to be inadequate in every measure.
Shipped in from Hackney at least she only has one train to catch.
Don’t forget the replacement rail service bus also.