Six months of Labour-controlled Medway

Just how is it going for the administration so far?

This week marks six months since a Labour & Co-operative administration took control of Medway Council. Following 23 years of Conservative rule, the people of Medway voted to hand control over to Vince Maple and his colleagues.

It’s something that Labour, in opposition, had been preparing for over a long period of time. After a number of failed attempts to take control of the council, their 2023 was ruthless in its efficiency, which combined with the national political winds, allowed them to sweep to power with a fairly healthy majority.

Medway Labour councillors on election night

Whether or not this is a good time to take control of a council is another matter entirely. Local councils up and down the country, of all political powers, are on the brink of bankruptcy following more than a decade of significant cuts to their spending power, limited ways to raise new funds, and more recently, brutal inflationary pressures.

All of which is to say that the finances of Medway Council were in a bit of a state, leaving the new administration with little wiggle room.

We’ve covered the hard numbers here on multiple occasions, but the headline figures are a £17m budget gap this year, which will more than double next year. Closing the gap this year will be challenging, closing it next year will be nearly impossible.

With these constraints on the budget meaning savings will need to be found and new spending sparse, just how much can a new administration do? Let’s check in and see what the administration has managed six months into their term.