Labour office vandalised amid rising tensions

Plus it's full council o'clock, the latest Medway Matters Live, and UKIP return to Rochester

It’s no secret that politics is becoming more polarised. An ominous sign of that reached Medway this week, with a brick being used to smash the window of the Labour Party office in Rochester. In that light, a planned far-right march in the town this weekend by UKIP (who are, apparently, still a thing) threatens to stoke tensions even further. Plus, we’ve got news from the latest Medway Matters Live event, where weariness replaced hostility, and a look at this week’s full council agenda. Let’s get to it.

---

Labour office vandalised amid rising tensions

It was sometime after dark on a Thursday night when someone picked up a brick and launched it through the front window of a political office in Rochester. No warning, no slogan, no claim. Just broken glass on Maidstone Road, left for activists to discover the next morning. On paper, it may look like simple vandalism. In reality, it lands in a climate where politics is growing angrier and lines once understood are beginning to fray.

The smashed window at the Rochester and Strood Labour office.

The Rochester and Strood Labour Party confirmed the attack took place overnight on 9 October, with the damage estimated at around £550. In a statement, local Rochester and Strood Labour Chair Stephen McCormack condemned what he called a “cowardly act,” noting that the office is staffed entirely by volunteers who “give their own time to serve our community, support residents, and promote democracy through peaceful and respectful means.” He warned that “No one who volunteers their time for the good of others should ever feel unsafe or targeted for their beliefs,” and urged that disagreements must be settled “at the ballot box or through respectful and open debate.”

That sentiment drew rare cross-party agreement. The Medway Liberal Democrats said “no one should feel threatened for helping others or campaigning for their beliefs.” The Medway Conservatives described the incident as “an escalation in the political climate locally” and said that “violence has no place in our community.” Rochester and Strood Reform also condemned the attack, stating there is “never an excuse for violence, intimidation or vandalism against any political party or individual,” although their statement added that “no party or politician should label people as ‘racist’ or ‘fascist’ simply for holding different political views.”

The attack comes at a moment when politics in Medway is becoming more polarised. In recent months, the area has seen a rise in nationalist and anti-immigration activism, with flag displays and online campaigns increasingly moving into public demonstrations. In the coming weeks, Medway is set to host two protests, one organised by UKIP in Rochester this weekend (more on that below) and another organised by the five guys putting up nearly all of the flags in Medway later in the month. These events are lawful, but they reflect a shift from debate to mobilisation and contribute to a sense of growing tension.

This pattern reflects wider national concerns. The murders of Jo Cox and Sir David Amess remain stark reminders of how political hostility can turn lethal. Councillors, too, report rising abuse, threats at public meetings, and harassment online. Some have chosen not to stand again, citing the toll on their families. What was once dismissed as ‘rough-and-tumble politics’ is increasingly recognised as something more corrosive.

There will be those who insist this was simply mindless damage, unrelated to ideology. That might be true. But when a political office is targeted, the impact carries meaning beyond intent. These offices are not symbols of power. They are where pensioners bundle newsletters and new members argue over leaflet design. They rely on people feeling safe enough to walk through the door.

The prime suspect at the scene.

McCormack insisted Labour “will not be deterred”, saying the party remains “united, resilient, and committed to the values of democracy, fairness, and community.” Yet the fact that such reassurance is needed hints at a changing political landscape. A brick through a window may not stop an election campaign, but it can unsettle those who usually keep it running quietly in the background.

With no elections on the horizon, it is difficult to judge how much difference this will make to campaigning once the time comes. Rochester and Strood, once a Conservative stronghold, is now a three-way battleground. The question for all parties will not simply be how they campaign, but how they conduct themselves in a way that lowers rather than raises the temperature.

Kent Police are investigating the incident, but we all know how likely it is that anyone will be identified. Whoever is responsible may not have intended to make a political statement. But intention is only one part of impact. In the current climate, a brick through a window cannot be written off as routine.

The months ahead will test more than policy. They will test restraint. They will test whether Medway’s politics can remain combative without becoming destructive. Condemnations are necessary. What follows, in language and behaviour, will show whether this is treated as an isolated act or a sign that the storm is already gathering.

---

Strap in, it’s full council time

Thursday sees another full council meeting at Medway Council, and despite efforts to make meetings shorter and smoother, another packed agenda suggests we may well be sitting there past midnight once again.

Here are the highlights we have to look forward to:

• Four motions. The Conservatives have one on the council’s reliance on government Exceptional Financial Support to stay viable. Reform has one on limiting HMOs, something the council seems to be moving toward anyway (more on that below). Independent Group councillor Ron Sands has some excellent shithousery to push the Labour administration to support the designation of Hoo as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, something they supported while in opposition. Finally, Labour have a motion supporting the return of international rail services to Kent.

• Some spicy questions, including one from Independent Group councillor Michael Pearce about officers calling councillors xenophobic, and one from Reform’s David Finch on how awful it is that Labour want to remove flags.

• Plans for Medway Council to build their own care home on the doomed Innovation Park Medway plan site.

• Independent councillor Chris Spalding faces censure after being found guilty of bullying a resident by the Councillor Conduct Committee. He is supposed to have written a fulsome apology letter. Instead, he seems to be coming out swinging and claiming the allegations were malicious and that Medway Council handled the matter inappropriately.

• Most controversially, changes are proposed to who can submit motions at council meetings, which would see Labour, being the administration, stitching up most of the slots. Under a proposed equity system, political groups would only be able to submit motions based on the number of councillors they have. As such, Labour would get half of the motions each year, the Conservatives a guaranteed slot at each meeting, while the Independent Group, Reform, and independent councillor Chris Spalding would have to fight for the scraps of the two remaining slots, meaning at least one group wouldn’t even be able to submit a motion for an entire year. Unsurprisingly, smaller groups are not thrilled by this development, with new Reform recruit Robbie Lammas being particularly excised by this, issuing a statement that described the changes as “anti-democratic.”

You can read the full agenda for Thursday’s council meeting here.

---

Article 4 and the limits of persuasion

Medway Council brought its Medway Matters Live roadshow to the Glassbox Theatre at MidKent College last week, where around 100 residents gathered to hear from council leader Vince Maple and Chief Executive Richard Hicks. While the previous event in Hoo crackled with confrontation, this one felt more subdued, marked by weary scepticism rather than anger.

The political mood was clear before the evening began. A bloc of Reform supporters, many in party t-shirts (including one in the famous ‘Farage 10’ football shirt, perhaps won in an essay contest from a local school), gathered outside with newly defected councillor Robbie Lammas before filing into the first rows. They remained largely silent throughout. Several Labour Cabinet members were also present, alongside a lone Liberal Democrat. There was no sign of Conservatives or Greens.

Maple opened by confirming Medway will move ahead with an Article 4 direction to restrict HMOs, dismissing Green calls to “ban landlords” as “crazy.” He also repeated his frustration with local buses, declaring “I hate Arriva,” which drew one of the warmest reactions of the night. Hicks, occupying his familiar “live, work, learn, visit” territory, followed with familiar optimism about Medway’s future, while describing the council’s approach to local government reorganisation (LGR) as the “bold option,” admired by other councils, despite it being a path none of the others were willing to pursue.

The first public questions focused on LGR. What happens to Medway’s debt if the council is abolished? Maple acknowledged the strange reality of “a council that doesn’t exist owing money to a council that doesn’t exist,” hinting some debt may be erased in transition, though that feels more like hopium than something likely to happen. Hicks warned against expectations of financial gain, stating there would not be significant savings. When the room was asked how many had heard of LGR before the event, only around a quarter raised their hands, suggesting more work needs to be done to get the word out, and that there is a worrying number of Medway residents not subscribed to this publication.

Housing quickly dominated. Why keep building when services are already strained? Maple cited 1,000 children in temporary accommodation as justification and blamed permitted development rights for HMOs that bypass local planning. A question on veterans being pushed out while others arrive led him to reference a proposal to increase the residency requirement for social housing from two to three years. It was presented as fairness, though it received little reaction.

The evening’s most personal moment came during a discussion on Chatham High Street. A woman, describing boarded shops, drug use and feeling unsafe, broke down in tears. “I just do not sleep ever. My health is going.” Maple and Hicks promised to follow up, but assurances about events such as Super Saturday did little to bridge the gap between policy and lived experience.

Homelessness questions drew comparisons with Maidstone, which one resident claimed manages it better. Maple admitted Medway does not know how many rough sleepers it currently has, even as £42m is being spent on 150 new temporary accommodation homes. Rumours that Lewisham had bought properties in Grain were denied, but demonstrate how easily false information can be circulated in our communities.

Where Hoo brought confrontation, MidKent brought restraint. The council set out its case for difficult choices ahead, but with major plans such as LGR unfamiliar to most in the room, it is unclear whether events like this are building understanding or simply outlining decisions already made.

---

Outsiders come over here, do their protests

Rochester will host a march this weekend promoted by figures linked to UKIP, with anti-racism campaigners preparing a counter-demonstration in response. The event is scheduled to begin near Rochester station on Saturday afternoon, before moving along Corporation Street and into the High Street.

Organiser Roger Hogg and UKIP leader Nick Tenconi are presenting it as a “patriotic gathering” focused on “women and children” and opposing immigration. Speaking to KentOnline, Hogg said they have asked participants to keep it “family friendly,” with no masks, alcohol or abusive chanting. Yet despite selecting Rochester, there is no indication that those planning it are based in Medway or involved in local political life. The town has been chosen as a stage, not as a constituency.

Local reaction so far is minimal. An attendee of a meeting of Rochester High Street traders noted that most were largely unaware that any march was planned. The gap between those passing through and those living here may prove more telling than anything that happens on Saturday.

The counter-protest, led by the Kent Anti-Racism Network under the banner ‘Rochester Says No to UKIP,’ sees the event as part of a broader attempt to inject far-right themes into everyday spaces. Rochester has seen this play out before. During the 2014 by-election, Britain First attempted a presence in the town, only to be forced out by anti-racism campaigners who refused to let them claim the streets uncontested.

Another demonstration on similar themes is being promoted for 1 November outside Gun Wharf. Whether these protests reflect growing momentum or simply louder rhetoric remains unclear. A recent UKIP march in Margate drew scarcely nine people. Even in politically charged times, numbers on the ground rarely match noise online.

For most residents, the question is not about the right to protest, but about relevance. Medway has its own arguments, over housing, buses, council services, and it is far from obvious how a leader of an also-ran political party famed for doing Nazi salutes will speak to any of them.

Saturday is unlikely to decide anything, but it may show whether Medway is willing to absorb external grievances or push back against them. The march will arrive in Rochester. Whether anyone from Rochester walks with it is another matter entirely.

---

In brief

🇵🇸 Around 200 pro-Palestinian campaigners protested outside of BAE Systems in Rochester last week, demanding that the company stop supplying weapons to Israel.

🏗️ In a move that has become increasingly common, the developer behind the Acorn Wharf scheme in Rochester has immediately put the site up for sale after gaining planning permission. The advert for the £6.6m 132 home development even emphasises ‘no affordable housing’ as a selling point.

🏠 In other Rochester property news, the lovely 1800s house at the bottom of Star Hill is up for sale. If you’re interested in a six-bedroom house in the centre of town with an entirely separate annexe, it can be yours for £700,000.

🏢 A planning application has been submitted to add additional storeys to a Chatham High Street building that includes several shops, including Vision Express and Holland & Barrett. The three additional levels would include 24 flats with horrendously shaped rooms that barely meet the minimum space requirements.

🖥️ Medway Council is using AI technology to allow hundreds of older people to live independently in their homes. Data suggests that for every £1 spent on the scheme, £45 is saved in wider caring costs.

📣 Kent County Council and Medway Council are to work together on Brand Kent, in an effort to continue the work of the recently shuttered Visit Kent and Locate in Kent.

---

More Authority

In our Friday edition, we heard from Muslim and Jewish communities in Medway about their challenges in the current environment. We also listened to a new EP that links Tokyo and Chatham, reviewed the Royal Crown in Rochester, and looked at upcoming Medway events.

For our weekend interview, Steven sat down with Lucy Mason, Work-Based Learning Manager at Medway Maritime Hospital, about her role and journey.

---

Footnotes

Have a Medway story you think we might be interested in? Get in touch via hello(at)localauthority(dot)news - We’re always happy to talk off the record in the first instance…

Follow us on social media! We’re on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, and Threads, but not that other one.

If you enjoy Local Authority, please share it with your friends, family, associates, and even your enemies. We have no meaningful marketing budget, so we rely on word of mouth from our readers to find new readers. You can even get some sweet, sweet rewards for sending new readers our way. Details here.