Thanet’s Conservative group at the district council have ditched their former leader and deputy with a vote to install new leadership.
Former group leader Reece Pugh and deputy George Kup have been assigned to the backbenches with Cliffsend and Pegwell councillor John Davis taking the top post and Bradstowe councillor George Rusiecki becoming deputy.
The coup reportedly follows some dissatisfaction within the group and the suspension of Cliftonville East councillor Barry Manners for supporting an Independent candidate – Ian Driver- instead of the Tory hopeful Ash Ashbee in the latest by-election for Thanet Villages. Cllr Manners has since resigned from the Tory group.
A statement from outgoing leader and Birchington councillor Reece Pugh says: “I have served in local government for almost a decade and it has been a privilege to represent my community and lead the Conservative Group through both challenging and rewarding times. Over the years, I’ve dedicated countless evenings and weekends to supporting my fellow candidates, campaigning, and standing up for our shared values.
“Balancing the demands of a full-time job with the responsibilities of Group Leader has not been easy, and it has often meant sacrificing valuable time with my family. I’ve always placed my council duties at the heart of my schedule, rearranging work and personal commitments—including my first proper family holiday in two years—to fulfil my responsibilities.
“Throughout my leadership, I’ve thrown myself fully into the role, holding the Labour administration to account and ensuring that Conservative voices were heard and represented.
“As I relinquish the Leadership of the Conservative Group I remain incredibly proud of what I have achieved as both a councillor and Group Leader.
“I wish the new Group Leader every success in what is an immensely demanding and important role. As I return to the backbenches for the first time in six years, I look forward to continuing to serve the residents of Thanet with the same commitment and passion as ever as I have done for Thanet Villages and now Birchington North.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported me.”
Cllr Kup said: “I now look forward to spending more time with my family and will continue in my role to represent everyone in Birchington to the best of my ability.”
Cllr Davis said: “Firstly, I’d like to recognise my predecessor, Cllr Reece Pugh and his deputy, Cllr George Kup, for their work leading the Conservative Group at Thanet District Council for the last two years.
“As my deputy, Cllr George Ruseicki, and myself know they can attest, leading the opposition group is a challenging proposition but ultimately most satisfying when it contributes to a better and more positive future for our community, which, of course, should be a prime objective of all elected members.
“We are entering a period of great change with regard to the restructuring of Local Government to unitary councils, and it is vital that all sections of our communities are adequately represented with an effective voice, and we will provide that, whilst working to help ensure good governance, and responsible use of an increasingly pressurised budget by this administration. Interesting and exciting times are ahead of us.”
The changes will be officially announced at a full council meeting tomorrow (May 15).
Finally a good decision Pugh and Kup were simply not up to the task at hand. Hopefully the new conservative leader will now stand up to the mess that is the levelling up agenda at TDC and hold to account the disaster that is the so called town deal. Even the head of the Margate creative land trust has left her position. questions need to be asked and holding those to account for what no doubt is going to be a disaster.
I couldn’t agree with this any more. The lack of challenge and scrutiny from other parties to the absolute debacle which is the Levelling Up Funding in Thanet is mind blowing. It’s an absolute mess from Labour but the silence from other parties is unbelievable.
Given the almost total failure of the private sector (from water companies to Woolworths) to invest, prosper and create worthwhile jobs, central government funding (even Tory gimmicks like ‘levelling up’) are essential for deprived areas with high welfare and social care needs like Thanet. The last thing we need is more right-wing fantasy economics and counter factual history.
Given their fetishising of social relations based on contract & performance it’s a shame we can’t hold Reform councillors to account financially for future performance and sue the outgoing Tories for their failures. I guess their immunity is an example of the real dependency culture in this country.
Its not a failure of private sector. That is very much BY DESIGN.
Strange how so many politicians (of all parties) suddenly want to spend more time with the families when the muck hits the fan and they are removed or stand down.
aye, its almost like they won’t be doing that job anymore and can actually spend their evenings and weekends with family instead of working into the small hours or out on casework, isn’t it?
Well, enjoy it until elections for the new Unitary Authority come around and then they’ll have a lot of time to spend with families and other interests as they’ll get wiped out in Thanet.
Congratulations John & George on your appointments ; I am certain you will put a 100% effort to change things for the good of Thanet and Ramsgate & Margate town areas before they become ghost towns . People will just not spend a few quid to park in our towns to spend a small amount of money in any shop or cafe etc when they can park for free in Westwood X . The only success since the evolution of Westwood X has been the extinction of footfall in our once busy towns ☹️
” Ramsgate & Margate town areas before they become ghost towns .”
Erm, have you actually been into margate or ramsgate the past few weeks and actually seen how many new businesses are thriving? Busy as anything, and quite hard to find free parking spaces too!
This anti WWX is about a decade and change out of date, pal. Its easy to criticise from an armchair. Funnier for us reading, when its misinformed.
Is there a greengrocers in Margate again? Or do they have to go to Westgate?
And will budding artists be able to buy materials after The Works closes? Or will they have to go WWX?
Can musicians buy guitar strings and sheet music? Or do they have to go to Herne Bay?
Anon, if you think Ramsgate High St is thriving, then I have a bridge to sell you.
Perhaps you are a recent Ramsgate resident ; before Westwood X Ramsgate was the largest and busiest town in Thanet. At some time around 1990 when Pedestrianisation took place ; TDC seemed to just count our Pedestrian area as Ramsgate Town . There are few surviving businesses left in that very area ; with the likes of most banks ; McDonalds ; Paynes ; M&S ; Rooks ; Argos ; Woolies ; Littlewoods ; Bournes ; Deakins ; Burtons ; our cinemas : The Classic ; Picture House : Kings : The Palace ; and many more stores either moving out ; giving up ; or going bankrupt . So anyone believing Ramsgate is thriving or on the up is plainly deluded and certainly not a true Ramsgate born resident 😢😢😢
Out with the old, in with the older
You forgot to add sexism and racism to your ageism.
May one remind you of your comments stating someone looked too old to skate on the article about WGSP.
He does look too old to skate (he looks like Uncle Albert!). Which is why I added that I’m impressed if he does.
We just need to open our eyes to where the real and ongoing problems lie. We have a council chamber full of clueless, woke idiots who have effectively destroyed the lives of tens of thousands of residents with years of bad decsions and a council workforce which is comprised of lazy, clock-watching jobsworths on salaries and pensions way above their waorth.
Empty the council chamber and start fresh, then sack all council empoloyees and ensure that if they re-apply for a job they do so on the minimum wages and expenses each job justifies and if they want a pension, let them pay for it like we have to.
Hopefully a reform council might just do the trick.
Can I offer evidence of the slurs I am making? I am certain I can.
Go on then.
Which of the political parties are up to their gills in donations from big corporations whose vested interests run counter to what the public need? Which political parties are in bed with lobbyists vying to alter legislation so their clients can inflate their profits?
– TORIES
– LABOUR
– REFORM
And to some extent the Lib Dems.
At this point only independent candidates or Greens are free of this sort of influence.
Reform UK will continue the managed decline of the UK if they get any parliamentary power. If they control the council – who knows? They’ll still be hobbled by the minuscule budget though.
It is sad when a political party calls up relics from the past to do what? It says much about the revolving door of the right when Rusieki ex UKIP and probably Tory before then, is called up.As for John Davis what are his credentials.The sad thing about the Tory party, is that they and Reform are mining the ITV3 crowd of OAPs, whose main advantage is they do vote, but for how much longer?
All this stuff about woke and levelling obscures the point that going backwards will not achieve anything. Go ahead! Turn Kent and Thanet into some kind of dystopian Gilead, see how far it gets you. Sack all the staff, and see then how many will want to work under such a regime, let alone the inevitable court cases it will create.
As for parking, Westwood Cross is not free, it’s paid for by the retailers.So if you want to see the same in Margate and Ramsgate, see if the retailers will cough up.
Better still leave the car at home and go by bus.The effort, fuel and pollution used up in finding a parking spot would be better used in funding a better bus service.
Thanets problem is firstly, it is just too far from London to benefit from the financial fairy dust that Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells receive , and secondly, the local population of Thanet, have high aspirations, but low expectations, and will not (a) value education for improved life chances it might provide, and (b) there is low mobility,compared to even 20 years ago. Jobs are expected tom come to them, rather than they find better jobs up country.The evidence for this Alex, is the high level of NEETS in Thanet. While I never thought much of Norman Tebbit, he did have a point about getting on your bike in search of better pay or work.
All there ever is going to be in Thanet is hospitality and care work, which is low paid and often precarious, and it doesn’t matter what you do. Levelling up should be spent on early years support, more cash for the non selective schools and FE colleges, so that school leavers can be tooled up for the world of work and have the right attitudes to benefit from all that training. Building the equivalent of Spitfire factories to satisfy a yearning for the past of ‘proper jobs’, is doomed to be an expensive failure.
Finally Alex, go on, show us your evidence, you unpleasant being.
Do you do much skateboarding?
It seems odd that the Conservatives have put two of the cllrs most likely to defect to Reform UK in charge of their group on the council. Wonder what that’s about.
The Conservative Party locally is staging a fight-back and I am sure John & George will do a great job in leading the Conservative Group on TDC. Reform are certainly no threat, they will be kicked out soon enough when their incompetence becomes obvious.