Merry Christmas 🎄

The Liberal Democrats held 82% of seats they defended in Council By-Elections in 2025 #ByElectionsWrapped 1) LDM (82%) 2) GRN (67%) 3) RFM (60%) 4) CON (32%) 5) LAB (28%)

It is surely the output of council services that measures success, not the working patterns of staff?

Four-day week may be considered a sign of failure, England councils told

The Lib Dem group leader, @antonyhook.bsky.social accused Reform of “wanting to spend public money on a political apparatchik to tell them what to do. KCC is in a worsening financial state under Reform with the projected overspend now at £46m and rising” www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

This is amazing. Well done everyone. Come and join us. Libdems.org.uk/join

A reminder, Reform were only supported by just over a third of Kent voters but due to our ridiculous voting system they have a massive majority on Kent County Council. So we have years to put up with this kind of thing. Keep up the good work @antonyhook.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

About time an inquiry on this was launched.

🚨 We need to urgently talk about this year's flu crisis. With hospital admissions doubling compared to last year, we are calling for immediate government action to protect the vulnerable and support our NHS. #Kent #PublicHealth #NHS

It’s time to chainsaw the Brexit red tape and end the cost of living crisis. Labour MPs should back our plan for a new customs union.

Linking the ECHR with cars for disabled people is a new depth of absurdity for the Conservative Party. The ECHR prohibits discrimination (Article 14) and rightly so. Is Badenoch telling us she wants to treat some disabled people differently to others in a discriminatory way?

One of our local churches has a Christmas Tree made from recycled leaflets. Honoured to make an appearance...

Regarding the Gill (and potential others) Russian bribery case.. A person in a very senior role at the European Parliament has told me the UK authorities have not contacted the Parliament to ask for information, records etc. As both a former Crown Prosecutor and former MEP, I'm surprised by that.

Public policy through pop culture! Yes please. What The Martian tells us about how to improve the science ecosystem. howtorunacountry.substack.com/p/time-to-sc...

I'm very proud that the Council I'm a member has for many years been a White Ribbon council. Every person individually or organisations can take the WR promise to never use, excuse or remain silent about men's violence against women. www.whiteribbon.org.uk/promise

Hardly any of the newly elected Reform councillors had experience of local government. Among their ranks were decorators, landlords, gas engineers, teachers, a carpet-store owner, a photographer and a paramedic ✏️ @edjennings.bsky.social

The analysis in this article is pretty correct. Reform are a financial mess and right now people are suffering as a result.

🔴Reform UK’s ‘Cost Cutting’ Council Prepares to Raise Taxes After Presiding Over £46 Million Overspend Nigel Farage’s flagship council, which promised to “reduce waste and cut your taxes” is set to raise bills after spending tens of millions of pounds over its budget bylinetimes.com/2025/11/24/r...

"Do the numbers stack up?" No, they do not, incredibly. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

When we eventually rejoin the EU, we'll probably qualify for greater structural funds than we did before we left.

So the line is that he wasn't getting paid for any of this

Where I live, in Faversham, the people putting flags halfway up lamp posts are explicit that their agenda is anti-refugee. They could not be clearer about this.

The near monopoly ownership of the UK press is already a problem. Allowing another newspaper to bec swallowed into another, only makes that worse.

Dear Russian Bots hitting up my inbox, As the great Cher Horowitz would say, "as if".

Farage can now be easily boxed in to a corner where his only ‘defence’ becomes: “Yes I spouted Kremlin propaganda & Putin worship but, unlike Nathan Gill, I didn’t need bribes to do it.” It is, once again, a question of whether interviewers have the temerity to shut down his whining obfuscations.

This is not what the people of Kent expect from elected representatives www.kentonline.co.uk/folkestone/n...

My view as a former MEP is that the UK needs a independent public inquiry into the issues this case raises. Russian diplomats were always around certain places in Brus and Stras. I don't believe Gill was the only person they targeted. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

I have a strong personal angle on Labour’s proposal of potentially returning refugees to their country of origin up to 20 years after they are granted asylum, which is appalling. It treats human lives as administrative errors to be corrected decades later.

🚨 BREAKING: Kent County Council is hurtling towards financial oblivion under Reform. A shocking new council report reveals a projected budget black hole of £46.5 million for this year. The Reform Administration has completely lost control of our finances. 🔶

Labour's idea of returning refugees up to 20 years after they arrive, and begin rebuilding their lives, is appalling. Paddington puts it well here and there are many, many real people who this could affect.

My office whiteboard... Bon Jovi edition for edition for the weekend.

Flag-gate II at Kent County Council (Christmas edition) www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025... #flegs

Latest from fighting Reform in Kent: libraries and tips in danger as they plan at least £42m in cuts. These guys are worse than the Conservatives.

I’ve watched yesterday’s Kent CC meeting. (Link below) My thoughts about Reform and its leader probably best kept off here….but my goodness. 😬 As a Kent resident, thank you for your professional contributions Antony. But I come away even more concerned than before. kent.public-i.tv/core/portal/...

Asked for a few comments by @michaelkeohan.bsky.social as I arrived at County Hall this morning. I said Kent faces a budget crisis, a care crisis and now a political instability crisis under Reform.

Those who follow my office whiteboard... stand by for an update tomorrow. The pens are ready.

Reform in Kent have split into two political groups.

You kept saying "you're going to need a bigger whiteboard". We heard you. We're ready.

I'm at home right now so can't update my office whiteboard but here's my artist's impression following the latest news in Kent.

Half term was good. Back to work now.