> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.localauthority.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Voice of the Leaders - URL: https://www.localauthority.news/voice-of-the-leaders/ - Published: 2026-08-20T16:00:10.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-20T16:00:10.000Z - Description: The leaders of Medway's political groups on the local government reorganisation decision and what it means for Medway. - Author: Local Authority - Tags: Opinion **Editor's note*: As local government reorganisation approaches, we approached the leader of each political group on Medway Council to get their views on the* [*recent decision to merge Medway with Dartford and Gravesham*](https://www.localauthority.news/medways-future-is-north-kent/)*.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c9/db/c9dbc66c-6648-4e37-8eff-948c5ef63bc6/content/images/2026/08/Untitled-design--28-.jpg) Medway Council group leaders Vince Maple, George Perfect, Michael Pearce, and David Finch. [**Vince Maple**](https://www.localauthority.news/ive-got-more-to-offer/)**, Labour leader of Medway Council, and ward councillor for Chatham Central and Brompton** The Government has now set out its preferred option for the future structure of local government in Kent and Medway. Whilst from the very start I have been a strong advocate of four unitary councils for Kent and Medway, I do believe that the option chosen represents a missed once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to be bold and shape services around communities and the way people live, work and travel today, as we put forward in our proposal last November. Places like Walderslade and Faversham will be stuck with the same problems and confused geographies created by previous processes over the past 50 years. Nonetheless, our collective focus now must be on ensuring that the government’s preferred option is implemented and is delivered in the most efficient, professional and responsible way possible. We will work constructively with colleagues in Gravesham, Dartford and Kent County Council to support a smooth transition. It does mean that the current Medway Council population will be more than 50% of the population of the new council. I have already reached out to the leaders of Dartford and Gravesham Councils, and we will be catching up together very soon. We will also continue to collaborate closely with our council colleagues and partners across the whole of Kent and support our brilliant council staff through this period of change, as they are the people delivering day‑to‑day services for Medway residents, and their professionalism and commitment remain central to everything we do. I want to reassure *Local Authority* readers that, in the meantime, nothing changes. Medway Council remains fully responsible for delivering its services to residents, and that will continue as normal, particularly ensuring that the most vulnerable members of our communities are cared for up to and including the final day of March 2028 before the safe and legal handover to North Kent Council. We have an ambitious agenda to be getting on with and are committed to delivering that in the coming two years. One other thing I have been repeatedly saying is the only thing losing the name Medway on the 1st April 2028 is the council. Everything else, from the Medway Mile to Medway Maritime Hospital, Citizens Advice Medway to the River Medway, MedFringe to Medway Rugby Club and so much more will continue to be Medway. Government has said it is important that community identity isn’t lost in this process, so I’m clear the five unique towns of Medway, the Hoo Peninsula of Medway, the communities like Twydall, Luton and Borstal – all part of Medway. And for the avoidance of doubt on the 1st April 2028 and forever more I will be Proud to be Medway. Of course, all of those elements will be important parts of the North Kent Council and absolutely the residents of Dartford and Gravesham and the communities within will also be proud of their communities too as they become part of North Kent Council. Finally, government was always clear that devolution was difficult to bring forward with two upper tier authorities of such population differences between Kent and Medway Councils. LGR now means that progress can be made on moving forward with devolution – all 14 existing councils support proceeding to a foundation strategic authority and with the very recent announcements from central government, the collective desire to move even further, even faster to ensure residents here in Medway and across the region of Kent & Medway can benefit the powers and resources that are going to be available to regions across England coming down from central government is strong. We can see from other parts of the country, from improvements in the skills agenda to public transport which works for everyone – devolution genuinely improves quality of life. I agree with Andy Burnham we need good growth in every postcode, and I’m very clear to help people with an ME postcode, we need those combined authority powers and resources. I have committed to holding a number of sector briefings on this latest milestone in the LGR and Devolution roadmap, and if any readers have specific questions on LGR or Devolution, I would encourage you to email [lgr@medway.gov.uk](mailto:lgr@medway.gov.uk). --- [**George Perfect**](https://www.localauthority.news/our-principal-focus-at-the-moment/)**, Conservative leader of the opposition, and ward councillor for Rainham North** I am pleased to be writing in the first edition of the *Voice of the Leaders* following the biggest announcement to local government in Kent since the conception of Medway Council in 1998\. Both the Medway Conservatives and I have made clear our support for the administration’s decision to not bring forward any legal challenge following the 4B announcement. It would not be constructive for Medway’s strongest opposition party to reject the inevitable and force extra costs on the taxpayer, a liberty our administration so often enjoys. While our preferred option remains Option 3A, we recognise that the government has now made its decision, and it is important that everyone focuses on making the new arrangements work for the people we represent. We believe a four-council model can build the foundation for a flourishing Kent, but the next twenty months of development must be keenly watched and acutely scrutinised. We particularly welcome the rejection of Option 4D, which we consistently opposed. 4D would have been disastrous for Kent, this has been clear from the outset. For the Labour and Co-operative administration, failed participation in a debate was worth the cost of £105,000 to you, the taxpayer. In a council that cannot balance a budget without relying on the support of the government through exceptional financial support, they thought it reasonable to waste £105,000\. I must question their capacity to make sound financial decisions. This is also the second occasion on which the administration has failed to secure support from its own government for a major reorganisation proposal. First, Medway was unsuccessful in its bid to join the Devolution Priority Programme, and now Option 4D has been rejected. If Medway had not embarked on this solo endeavour, costs could have been spread, opinions shared, and Medway could have proposed or supported a viable option. Looking ahead, Option 4B means Medway will join with Dartford and Gravesham to form a new North Kent Authority, serving a population of more than 528,000 residents. While this was not our first-choice model, it does provide an opportunity to create a strong North Kent capable of delivering high-quality public services and providing a stronger strategic voice for our area. In May 2027, the residents of Dartford, Gravesham and Medway will come together and vote for the North Kent Council. These new members will work together to ensure the upcoming change will not derail the lives of our residents during the implementation process. There is much of the process that is unknown, but I can assure the people of the future North Kent that there is a strong Conservative team ready to serve you. Our focus will be on ensuring that Medway thrives as part of a strong and united North Kent Authority. We hope that this is a sentiment shared by all the political groups in Kent. --- [**Michael Pearce**](https://www.localauthority.news/its-up-to-the-people-of-hoo-if-they/)**, leader of the Independent Group, and ward councillor for Hoo and High Halstow** The Independent Group has mixed views on Local Government Reorganisation, and group members are free to take their own position. However, we are united in our concern about the cost and the lack of direct public consent. The proposed reorganisation across Kent is expected to cost taxpayers £130.9 million to implement. This money could instead be spent on improving the services residents rely on. It could also take more than 14 years for these costs to be recovered. The business case for Option 4B states that the new North Kent Council would begin with a £76.6 million budget gap. This could lead to service cuts, facility closures and higher council tax. The Independent Group is particularly concerned that harmonising services across the new council area could mean scrapping weekly kerbside collections of general waste and recycling. Residents in the existing Medway Council area could also face substantial council tax increases, as they currently pay among the lowest rates in Kent. Whatever people think about Local Government Reorganisation, residents are once again being asked to accept major changes to local government and public services without a direct public vote. The creation of Medway Council in 1998 caused considerable upset in Rochester, Strood and on the Hoo Peninsula. The way those changes were handled continues to contribute to dissatisfaction and a lack of trust in Medway Council today. --- [**David Finch**](https://www.localauthority.news/that-does-show-the-professionalisation/)**, leader of the Reform Group, and ward councillor for Rochester East and Warren Wood** The decision’s been made and the maps drawn. We respect that decision. Now comes the part that really matters: making sure Option 4B delivers for Medway. Will services really improve? Will decisions be taken closer to the people they affect? Will taxpayers get a better deal for their money? Residents shouldn’t be asked to pay more to get less. If this massive undertaking ends up costing taxpayers more, they deserve much better services in return. Most people don’t care what the council’s organisation chart looks like or where the new boundaries are. They care whether the potholes outside their home get fixed, whether vulnerable people get the support they need, whether planning decisions are fair and whether the council spends their money wisely. Residents have heard promises before. This time they’ll judge the outcome, not the promise. Now comes the hard part. Everyone responsible for delivering this new authority will be judged on results. If Option 4B delivers simpler services, stronger accountability and better value for taxpayers, we’ll support it. If it creates more bureaucracy, higher costs or pushes decisions further away from local communities, we’ll say so. Reform UK believes councils exist to provide good local services, spend taxpayers’ money responsibly and be accountable to the people they serve. The people of Medway didn’t elect us to admire new maps, no matter how Labour spins this. They elected us to improve services, challenge waste and stand up for their communities. The maps may have changed, but our priorities haven’t. --- ## ****Don’t miss what’s next.** Join thousands of Medway readers receiving independent reporting on the stories shaping where they live, work and spend their time. Subscribe for free Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. *If you have a question you would like us to put to the group leaders of Medway Council, email* [*Steven*](mailto:steven@kentcurrent.news)*.*