Change is coming, in one form or another

The first in a series of monthly reports as we head toward our local elections

This is a paywalled edition of Local Authority - an independent Medway newsletter covering local news, politics, culture, and the weirder side of our towns. If you’ve arrived here by an external link, this article is for paid supporters. You can get a free trial below if you’d like to read this article, or you can hit the subscribe button below to get the weekly free edition of the newsletter every Friday. Thanks for reading!

This is the first edition of a new series of Local Authority newsletters as we build toward the local elections next May. These elections will determine who gets to run Medway for the next four years and come at a time of upheaval in our politics, both nationally and locally.

As such, on the first Wednesday (or, er, Thursday this time) of the month, I’ll be sending out a newsletter to paid supporters setting out where we are, and where we appear to be heading. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy joining me as I try to unpack what is going on in our local politics.

We are ten months out from local elections in Medway, and arguably the most interesting local elections we’ve had since the formation of our area in 1998.

It took a few years for our politics to settle, but since 2003 Medway has firmly been in the grip of the Conservative party. The level of their majority has fluctuated over the years, but they have been solidly in control for what will be two decades by next year’s election.

But could 2023 be the year when that comes to an end?