Our short bus strike autumn is over
Plus one of our MPs is out of a job, Medway makes it into Private Eye, and a truly terrible studio flat
Compared to the chaotic energy of last week’s Medway news, this week has been relatively quiet in comparison. Still lots to get to though.
Our short bus strike autumn is over
Hallelujah, the on-and-off bus strikes that have plagued Medway’s bus network over the last couple of months are now over.
And all it took was Arriva giving their drivers a raise that kept up with the cost of living.
Who knew?
Arriva bus drivers first voted for strike action back in August when the company offered them a pay rise of 7.8% at a time when inflation was crossing 10%. They also pointed out that the company - owned by the German government - had been able to pay out £5bn in dividends in recent years, so a fair wage shouldn’t be too much to ask.
Still, getting to an agreement wasn’t easy. Arriva offered the union representing the drivers an “improved” pay offer that was subsequently rejected. Since then, an even better offer was proposed that the union deemed acceptable, and strike action was suspended as a result while drivers were consulted. Hilariously, the drivers rejected this offer too, and the strike action was back on.
This week, the drivers finally voted to accept an offer from Arriva, which will see their wages rise by an inflation-busting 14%. Excellent work, everyone.
So Arriva drivers will be back at work and being paid a fair wage for their labour, but problems still persist across the Medway bus network. We are in a time of services being cut, no joined-up thinking on how to encourage passengers onto the service, and a period of managed decline. Medway Council seems to have little interest in improving bus provision in our towns, but hopefully, that will change in the near future.
Covid in numbers
Cases: There are still no specific data, but 3.1% of the population in the south east are estimated to test positive for coronavirus this week, down from 3.3% last week, indicating we might be coming over the top of this latest wave.
Hospitalisations: There are currently 39 patients being treated for covid in Medway Hospital, with 1 of them on a ventilator. This is down 41% from last week.
Deaths: 1 new death was recorded this week, taking Medway to 979 covid deaths in total.
Vaccinations: 81% of the 12+ population in Medway have now had at least one vaccine dose, 77% have had two doses, and 60% have received a booster dose.
78% of those eligible for a spring booster received one.
10% of those under 12 have had at least one dose of the vaccine.
44% of those aged 50+ have so far had their autumn booster.
Kelly Tolhurst MP leaves sixth government job
Sad news from Westminster this week, where new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s new government of all the talents will have to make do without the skills of Rochester and Strood MP Kelly Tolhurst.
Tolhurst announced on Twitter that she has decided to not remain in post as an Education Minister, instead focusing on doing the job she was elected as an MP for Rochester and Strood. Of course, surely this was entirely her own decision, and definitely not because Sunak had no place for her in his government. It’s not as if she supported Boris Johnson’s abortive efforts to return as Prime Minister or anything. Oh.
So, for one final time, let’s run through Tolhurst’s whistlestop tour of government departments, each one shorter than the last:
Assistant government whip (2018, in post for 6 months)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (2018-20, in post for 19 months)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport at the Department for Transport (2020, in post for 7 months)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Government and Homelessness at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (2020-21, in post for 4 months)
Deputy government whip (2022, in post for 2 months)
Minister of State in the Department for Education (2022, in post 7 weeks)
It’s probably a good thing that she is no longer in government, as we were rapidly approaching the point where she would only be able able to be in post for days if not merely hours.
Tolhurst will certainly be happy to spend more time with local residents, particularly in a polling environment that suggests she faces a challenge to retain her seat in a General Election.
Medway makes the Eye
Medway Council hit the big time last week as it appeared - for the first time in many years, if not forever - in Private Eye’s Rotten Boroughs section.
There’s nothing in the piece that long-time watchers of Medway news and politics won’t be aware of, focusing on the battles over development on the Hoo peninsula and the hypocrisy of Medway Council Leader Cllr Alan Jarrett opposing development around his own ward.
I’m not sure what made the Eye pick up on this most recent battle over the development, particularly the recently rejected proposals at Cliffe, but it was certainly fun to see our silly towns featured in that esteemed organ.
Somehow, rental properties in Medway keep getting worse
I know I keep playing the classics, but renting a property in Medway is increasingly out of control. Skyrocketing rents, low-grade homes, and a massive lack of supply are only making things worse for those unable to not wanting to purchase.
So it is with a heavy heart that I note this week that one agency listed a studio flat in the newly converted St. Bartholomew’s Hospital building for an absolutely outrageous £1,100pcm (plus extra for parking).
Brilliant.
At least there’s free water, I guess. For six months anyway.
So what does this £1,100pcm studio look like? It must be quite something to command such a price.
Well:
To be fair, the agency behind the advert did lower the price to £1,000pcm, either because no one showed much interest, or because they realised they were exploitative arseholes.
It’s hard to even articulate how exhausting this entire thing is.
More Authority
We are now publishing Local Authority three times a week for paid supporters, meaning you can get two extra editions beyond this core Friday newsletter.
This week we published our monthly events guide, highlighting the most interesting things happening in Medway during November. Steven Keevil also did a deep dive into the mysterious role that political assistants play at Medway Council.
Becoming a paid supporter costs as little as £3.75 a month and ensures we can keep this thing running for the long term.
Stray Links
Medway Council is still failing to support young people with disabilities properly. (BBC News)
The weird military shop on Rochester High Street has closed, blaming too many cafes in the area. (KentOnline)
Medway is the most complained about council in Kent. Take that, Thanet. (KentOnline)
230 homes set for former Buzz Bingo site in Chatham. (Future Chatham)
Footnotes
I’ve been playing around with an AI image generation tool this week, and have primarily used imagery created from that in this week’s newsletter. No particular reason other than that I was having fun and it stopped me from having to hunt for the right images. Some are pretty good, some are the stuff of nightmares. Last night I asked it to generate “the next leader of Medway Council”, and it gave me this selection of dead-eyed white men, so maybe it’s onto something.
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If you hear about any Medway news that might be of interest, let me know! Hit reply to message me directly, DM me on Twitter, or leave a comment below.
Music that soundtracked the creation of this newsletter: Turtle Taxi by Suggested Friends, Faulty Inner Dialogue by Kid Canaveral, Please Don’t Take Me Back by Martha, and Something Wild by Radiator Hospital.