All Gurkha veterans who retired before 1997 with at least four years' service will be allowed to settle in the UK, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has said. Under the measures, Gurkhas will be allowed to settle in the UK with their spouses and dependent children under 18.
Gurkha Justice Campaigners Joanna Lumley, Peter Carroll and Martin Howe have met Prime Minister Gordon Brown this morning prior to a midday announcement by the Home Secretary on a new Government policy on Gurkha settlement rights. The team described the meeting as "superb".
At Prime Ministers Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday lunchtime, Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised a statement on a new policy on Gurkha settlement rights by the Home Secretary on Thursday 21st May.
At Shepway's Annual Council meeting on 13th May, Shepway Conservatives passed an amendment to its Council Constitution removing the right for the opposition to chair a Council Scrutiny Committee in direct breach of its own constitution.
The Liberal Democrats have slammed news that Conservative Linda Oliver was a Councillor at her new home near Bath for over 6 months while continuing to sit as a Shepway District and Hythe Town Councillor for Hythe West. Liberal Democrat campaigner Neil Matthews has called the news "beyond a joke" and has called on the Conservatives to apologise for not telling local residents and refusing to force Councillor Oliver to resign as a Shepway Councillor for 18 months after she left the area.
I am writing to ask for an investigation into the actions of Shepway Council, which last night knowingly breached its own constitution. The Monitoring Officer Jeremy Chambers and Chief Executive Alistair Stewart both accepted that an amendment to the constitution which was proposed (by the Leader of the Council) and passed was in breach of the procedures of the Constitution, but asserted that Council had the right to do so. I do not agree.
At Shepway's Annual Council meeting on 13th May, Shepway Conservatives passed an amendment to its Council Constitution removing the right for the opposition to chair a Council Scrutiny Committee in direct breach of its own constitution.
The Mobile Activity Programme are free family play run by Shepway Council and funded by the Big Lottery and take a range of activities to venues across the district.
Despite a high profile campaign Shepway District Council Cabinet surrendered the lease on the Folkestone Lift last month. This means that at the end of June they will no longer be running the service. To ensure that the lift does not rot into insignificance a new way forward will need to be found.
Programme details of this year's Folkestone Multi-Cultural Festival are to be unveiled during an entertainment event in the Plaza at the Bouverie Place Shopping Centre this Saturday (May 16), 12am - 2pm. Music will be provided by the Whitstable Samba Band which will be one of the performers at the four-day fun-for-everyone festival, June 11-14, the third to be organised by Folkestone Town Centre Management.
Cheriton Councillor Tim Prater has submitted an "Application for Modification Order" to the Kent County Council Definitive Map and Statement to add the footpath, from the end of Valebrook Close to the Northern end of HR43, in Cheriton, Folkestone.
The Annual Parish meeting and Annual Council meetings are being held on Tuesday 12th May. The Annual Council meeting will be at 6:45pm and the Parish meeting at 7:30pm both at the Sandgate Parish Council Offices and Library.
