I would like to say a massive thank you to all those who supported me in the County Council election in Folkestone West. A majority for the Conservatives of over 1,300 in 2005 was overturned and I am delighted to have won the seat for the Liberal Democrats with a majority of 11 votes.
Folkestone's Multicultural Festival returns for its third year starting tomorrow - and its bigger and better than ever! The festival is run by Folkestone Town Centre Management and is based in the Town Centre, Bouverie Place, Sandgate Road, Guildhall Street, Rendezvous Street and Leas Cliff Hall with international performances exotic food samples and sounds.
Folkestone Charivari organisers Strange Cargo have announced that Charivari 2009 will take place this year on Saturday 11th July. The theme for this year is 'Money' and artist teams will be working alongside students from the district's Secondary schools to create carnival builds to reflect aspects of the theme. A Teachers Masterclass will take place on Wednesday 3rd June, when teachers will be taught how to make the walker costumes with their class when they get back to school.
The Labour Party have come 5th in the European Elections in Shepway and were just 15 votes of being pushed into an even more humiliating 6th place behind the BNP.
Wow - that was close, but we won! At around 6.30 on Friday, I was declared the new County Councillor for Folkestone West having beaten the sitting Conservative County Councillor (and leader of Shepway District Council!) by just 11 votes.
Liberal Democrat Ann Rimmer was elected as the newest Councillor on Sandgate Parish Council in the by-election for Sandgate Valley ward caused by the resignation of a Conservative Councillor.
The Liberal Democrats have taken both the Hythe West District and two Hythe West Town Council seats in by-elections gains from the Conservatives. Victorious new Councillors Neil Matthews, Darren Briddock and Sam Matthews took the seats vacated following the long awaiting departure of Conservative Councillors Linda and John Oliver, who moved to Somerset in late 2007.
The Liberal Democrats have taken the Folkestone West County Division from the Conservatives. Lib Dem candidate Tim Prater beat sitting councillor and the leader of Shepway District Council Robert Bliss by 11 votes after a nail-biting count and recount.
The Conservatives retained the Romney Marsh district seat on Shepway Council in the by-election held on 4th June. The result in full was:
The results are out for the elections to Kent County Council. The Conservatives sensationally lost Folkestone West (previously held by District Council leader Robert Bliss) to the Lib Dems in Shepway, but held the other five seats. Across Kent, the Lib Dem group is up one to seven, and are now the official opposition to the Conservatives after disastrous results for Labour saw them lose 18 of their 20 seats.
Shepway Council has announced that the Council will be considering the planning applications for London Ashford Airport, Lydd, at a special meeting to be held in the Council Chamber on Thursday 9 July 2009 at 7pm.
The Telegraph has today claimed that Folkestone and Hythe Conservative MP Michael Howard charged the taxpayer £17,351 for "gardening services" at his designated second home in Kent.
