This exhausting campaign lumbers on
Plus who is in and out of our first hustings, hyperlocal campaigning sometimes works, news in brief, and more
It was only three weeks ago that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a snap General Election, and yet it already feels like we’re on roughly the third year of the campaign. With three weeks more to get through, just what have each of the parties been up to? Campaigning at D-Day events, taking trips to the seaside, and waving signs at traffic, apparently. Keep telling yourself that it’ll all be over soon. Further down, we have news of who and who isn’t taking part in our first hustings event, a suggestion that hyperlocal campaigning sometimes works, news in brief, and more.
Editor’s note: Obviously, we’re all caught up in the election now, but we’re entitled to a little smugness every now and again. This week, Local Authority was nominated for Kent News Website of the Year for the second year running at the Kent Press and Broadcast Awards. We were stunned to win the award last year, and we’re delighted to be nominated again this year. On top of that, I (Ed) have been shortlisted for Kent Print & Online Journalist of the Year, which is an incredible honour. As ever, we are only able to do this because you have all chosen to read it. Thank you so much.
This exhausting campaign lumbers on
With just over three weeks left until the General Election, the campaigns are stepping up their efforts. With the poll numbers nationally not budging much, the Medway campaigns are now in full swing, as all three seats appear to be in contention. Of course, that also means everything is very exhausting
The three Conservative campaigns in Medway seem to be running at very different speeds. To his credit, new candidate Nathan Gamester appears to be running a spirited campaign, taking relatively large teams of activists out to campaign regularly. This week, they’ve been out on the Davis Estate (with Rochester and Strood candidate Kelly Tolhurst) and the other parts of the constituency with former MP Tracey Crouch. It’s also worth noting that Gamester is campaigning with leaflets and materials in full Conservative blue branding that doesn’t hide which party he is from, something that might become relevant as we work through this section. Today, he released a campaign video setting out his priorities (health, roads, NIMBYism) which takes a rather unexpected turn halfway through.
Over in Rochester and Strood, Kelly Tolhurst has had a busy week on the doorstep, delivering leaflets that feature a distinct lack of blue or Conservative branding, but that seems to be the way of things in so many seats. Tolhurst does seem to be basing her campaign around local issues, going hard on things like the redevelopment of Chatham Docks, and is getting herself photographed in as many local places as possible. It’s unfortunate that she used the Hoo D-Day commemorations as a campaigning opportunity, turning up wearing a Vote Conservative sticker, but here we are.
Then there’s Rehman Chishti in Gillingham and Rainham, who still seems to be doing an impressive amount of campaigning on St. Mary’s Island in Rochester and Strood for some reason. This week, he met two different people on the island to record a campaign video, the latter of which (check out that handshake) happened to be at the same location where he also met another resident from Rainham last week. It’s all so very strange. We’re not suggesting Chishti is busing in supporters from Rainham to St. Mary’s Island for some reason, but we’re not not saying that either.
Beyond that, he’s been out campaigning in Parkwood and other places, posting videos about cats with Michael Gove, as well as whatever this Gillingham Football Club video was meant to be. Chishti’s campaign is going so well at this point that was happy to post that video, despite it spelling Gillingham wrong, and he’s still got it up on his account days later. The Conservatives have also been delivering this very red and white leaflet across the constituency, the colouring of which seems completely fine and not intended to mislead at all.
On the Labour side of things, their campaign remains pretty boring as they plod on with campaigning and not doing anything too stupid. It’s a sign of how steady they are that Labour publication LabourList has written an inside account of Medway Labour’s “well-drilled” campaigns in Rochester and Strood constituency, as well as in Gillingham and Rainham.
This week’s shadow cabinet visit was from shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh, who went out with Lauren Edwards to talk to people about buses. Edwards also took big teams out to Rochester and Strood over the weekend and, yesterday, accidentally found some grotty social housing, something that seems to be all too prevalent in our towns. Big teams can also be found over in Gillingham and Rainham campaigning for Naushabah Khan.
Last week, we noted that the Labour campaign in Chatham and Aylesford for Tris Osborne wasn’t on quite the same grand scale, with him regularly posting photos of leaflets but without any activists or any indication of where he was campaigning. This week, the pretence continued with a picture of a random bit of pavement. To be fair, he did manage to do a little campaigning at one point in the week with Medway Council Leader Vince Maple and former MP Jonathan Shaw. Not that it makes the other pictures any less weird.
The Green Party in Medway continued its hyperlocal campaign of targeting the village of Halling, which feels more about future local gains than any serious General Election effort. For those following the ongoing saga of the candidates crowdfunding their election deposits, two of them made it over the line, but Kate Belmonte in Gillingham and Rainham is still £235 short. Happily, someone must have lent the party the money, though, as she did still make it onto the ballot paper. Elsewhere, Chatham and Aylesford candidate Kim Winterbottom put out a video setting out her priorities with surprisingly high production values.
Speaking of high production values, Reform Chatham and Aylesford put out this beautifully designed poster of their priorities. Over in Rochester and Strood, the party took a rather novel campaigning approach of waving signs at passing cars.
The Liberal Democrats in Medway continue to have a fairly quiet election. Chatham and Aylesford candidate Nicholas Chan was out on the campaign trail in, er, Eastbourne. Still, they did manage to take a small team to St. Mary’s Island to deliver leaflets to local residents, telling them how the river was going to kill them.
Still not much sign of the SDP on the doorstep, but candidates Peter Wheeler and Steve Tanner did post some truly excellent photos after submitting their nomination papers.
There has been little sign of the Workers Party, Christian People’s Alliance, or the Heritage Party out and about.
Just three more weeks of this to get through.
Gillingham and Rainham hustings this Thursday
Our first General Election hustings event is taking place this Thursday. Nearly 200 of you have booked a place to listen to the candidates wanting to become the MP for Gillingham and Rainham.
We are delighted that the majority of candidates standing have agreed to participate. Kate Belmonte (Green), Stuart Bourne (Lib Dem), Peter Cook (Independent), Naushabah Khan (Labour), Rizvi Rawoof (Reform), and Peter Wheeler (SDP) will all be taking part, answering your questions.
Unfortunately, despite repeatedly contacting him, his agent, the local constituency party, and the leader of the Medway Conservative Group, we have had no response from Rehman Chishti (Conservative). This lack of communication, even if it was just for him to say no, is rather disappointing.
Of course, no one is obliged to take part in this sort of event. However, it is a shame that Mr Chishti will not come and speak to 200 residents in Rainham who want to hear from him. A space will be kept free for him on the night, should he wish to join us in the end.
It would appear that we are not the only ones in this position. KMTV and KentOnline announced their own hustings event today, noting that they had the same lack of response from Rehman Chishti as us.
That aside, the audience has submitted some excellent questions, and we look forward to asking them of the candidates.
Only a few tickets are left now, so please book a space if you’d like to join us.
Coming up next week, we have two more hustings event:
Tuesday 18 June: Rochester and Strood hustings at Rochester Baptist Church (only 7 tickets remain!)
Wednesday 19 June: Chatham and Aylesford hustings at Lordswood Leisure Centre, Chatham
Shout and you might receive
One of the common complaints about engaging with politics or local organisations is that nothing will ever change or that you can’t make a difference.
Those who think like that should take note of a positive example this week from the Medway Liberal Democrats. They have been discussing the idea of a new road crossing outside Asda in Chatham, and Medway Council now appears to be considering it.
In recent months, the party have been campaigning around the Davis Estate, asking residents to sign a petition supporting a new crossing outside Asda, ostensibly so people can get the bus to and from the supermarket. It’s a bit of a chicken and the egg scenario, as the crossing doesn’t seem needed as no one gets the bus there but maybe no one gets the bus there because there’s no crossing.
Usually, when a petition gets submitted to Medway Council, officers will write back with a nice letter that explains that there is no need or budget for what the petitioner is asking for. Happily for the Lib Dems, though, a report at this week’s Regeneration, Culture and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee announces that officers and engineers will fully assess how viable the crossing is. Now, that by no means ensures a crossing will get built, particularly while the council has no money, but by the usual standards, this is almost a full-blown victory for local campaigning. Hurrah.
Maybe it’s worth starting that petition you’ve been pondering about your super niche local issue after all.
In brief
🍲 The Medway Food and Drink Festival was on over the weekend. If the images posted on KentOnline are anything to by, it wasn’t busy.
🍷 The City Wall wine bar in Rochester has won its battle to keep outdoor shelters erected during the pandemic. The plans were amended following concerns, and ultimately agreed unanimously by the planning committee.
🚫 A development in Cliffe Woods has been granted planning permission, with the caveat that it bans children and cats. The retirement properties will face the bans as cats as a problem to nearby nightingales, and older people with children don’t deserve somewhere to live.
More Authority
Over the weekend, we published an interview with Stuart Bourne, Nicholas Chan, and Graham Colley, the three candidates for the Liberal Democrats in Medway. They discussed the state of the River Medway, Brexit, coalitions, and more.
Footnotes
Music that soundtracked the creation of this edition: Even In Jest by Cheerbleederz, The Royal Theatre by Ballboy, and Please Don’t Take Me Back by Martha.
It's a mystery how Chishti (oh, a poem coming on?) was re-elected last time, given he seems to have little interest in being available to his constituents. In our household, he has failed to respond to any emails sent to him. Occasionally, he randomly knocks on doors in our road to ask if there's anything we want to talk to him about. Erm... why don't you answer your emails? Last time, I pointed out the No Cold Calling sticker on our door. The guy with him said this didn't count in the run up to an election. This was last year; also not true. Every time I see a Chishti board in a front garden I feel tempted to add a sticker before his name: 'Goodbye'. If you see any, it wasn't me, right?