Six months until we elect a new council

On the campaign trail there's still no sign of the Conservatives, Medway Labour lose a councillor, and by-election on the horizon. It's all to play for.

Medway is facing local elections next year, at a time of great political uncertainty, both locally and nationally. As such, once a month I send out a newsletter to paid supporters setting out where we are, and where we appear to be heading. Join me as I try to unpack exactly what is happening in our local politics.

As I write this, we are six months away from local elections in Medway. Not precisely, perhaps, but on the first Thursday of May, voters will head to the polls across the area, and elect a brand new council.

And new it certainly will be.

The size of our council is set to change, increasing from 55 to 59 elected councillors. The battle will be fought along new boundaries, offering new opportunities for candidates to be elected while scuppering other longstanding representatives. Several sitting councillors have chosen to bow out at this election. Then there’s the national polling, which suggests things will not go well for the ruling Conservative administration.

Medway has the potential to be inundated with new councillors, after years and years of the same old (and often tired) faces.

As this year has proved, six weeks is a long time in politics, let alone six months. So a lot could change. But from where we are now, it’s hard to see how Medway Council is a very different entity after May.