Tim Prater Goes to Maidstone

It's now been just under a week since I was elected to Kent County Council for Folkestone West - polling day was Thursday and my result only announced around 6.30pm on Friday after a recount. In one of few gains from the Conservatives across the County, the Lib Dems overturned an over 1600 vote majority and I was elected with a massive majority of - er - 11 votes.

First up, I'd like to say a massive thank you to all those that supported me in Folkestone West. I will work to serve the whole division, no matter how people voted, and will do my best for the area. I should also say a massive thank you to all those who have sent their best wishes, and all those that helped my campaign - I simply would not have won without all of them.

On Monday I paid my first visit to County Hall in Maidstone as a County Councillor and met my new group, who are now the official opposition on Kent County Council. Labour were, until last week, the largest opposition but saw their seats decimated (literally) from 20 to 2. An old joke about the Liberals was that the Parliamentary Party in the 1970's could meet in a taxi (with 63 Lib Dem MPs now that would be a hell of a taxi). Kent Labour Group could meet on a tandem...

With an induction and training day on Tuesday (lots of forms to be filled in, tours of County Hall, talks from the great, good and Chief Executive, and an exhibition from all departments explaining what they do) Tuesday felt very like a Freshers Fair. Much of day spent asking people to let me though security doors and asking my way around. Hopefully, a swipecard and map will be with me soon!

The serious business of making sure we hold the Conservatives to account has started. With 7 Lib Dems and 74 Coservatives, it does mean that each Lib Dem will have to shadow 10 Conservatives (with a few still left over!) but we will work to hold them to account inside and outside County Hall. We'll do so contructively (there is no point in opposing things we basically agree on simply for the sake of it) but forcefully - so for example, it's time for Kent TV to go. Its a failed, expensive, unnecessary experiment.

I'm hoping that given my seats at Folkestone Town Council and Shepway District Council, I'll be able to make sure information is passing between Councils, and that I can help make sure our Town and Parish Councils can access the support they need from County. To make sure of that, I was at the Sandgate Parish Council meeting last night (Sandgate is fully within Folkestone West Division) listening to their discussions, and I've agreed to meet up with various members of that Council individually. I plan to go to all Sandgate Parish Council meetings I can - and of course Folkestone and Shepway meetings too!

It's going to be busy, challenging, and the next few months I'm going to need to learn a lot. But most importantly, I need to keep in touch and listen to others. I will continue to Twitter (www.twitter.com/timprater - and indeed in a new move yesterday the Kent Lib Dem group are also now on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kentld) as well as Facebook, blog here if I'm asked, and can be reached by email (tim@shepwaylibdems.org.uk) and phone (01303 210300). If people want to get hold of me, or have ideas or problems, please do get in touch.

[Article written for and first published in the Romney Marsh Times at www.romneymarshtimes.com]