Ed Jennings
@edjennings.bsky.social
š¤ 693
š„ 359
š 1026
Local news bore. Editor
@kentcurrent.news
@localauthority.news
// He/him. š Medway, UK
Good evening from tonightās unusually busy Medway Council meeting. Itās a largely ceremonial one, where weāll be electing a new mayor. Iāll be live tweeting all of the āactionā from 7pm.
5 days ago
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Bert doesnāt understand the doors of our new house so heās shouting at us because weāve cruelly locked him outside.
7 days ago
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I'm in Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall for the only election count in Kent today. One third (13 seats) of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council is up for election, plus two by-elections, giving us 15 seats up for grabs. We're expecting results to come in from around lunchtime.
11 days ago
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Very curious to see another independent Kent outlet lifting one of our stories, rewriting it with AI, and publishing it with an anonymous byline.
14 days ago
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One of the slightly more absurd council stories we've done in what was already a very competitive field.
add a skeleton here at some point
18 days ago
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reposted by
Ed Jennings
The Greenwich Wire
18 days ago
The excellent
@kentcurrent.news
has been doing some more digging into the strange case of the Kent county councillor whoād like a second seat⦠on Greenwich Council
www.kentcurrent.news/alan-cecil-a...
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Alan Cecil already has a council seat. Heād like another.
Reform councillor makes Greenwich run, a costly system upgrade, and the ferry everyone wants but no one will fund
https://www.kentcurrent.news/alan-cecil-already-has-a-council-seat-hed-like-another/
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So proud of
@rhysdgriffiths.bsky.social
and what he's achieved in the first year of
@folkestonedispatch.substack.com
. Kent needs more hyperlocal journalism like it.
add a skeleton here at some point
20 days ago
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reposted by
Ed Jennings
Had a fun time chasing down what I am certain is to become Medway's Elgin Marbles.
add a skeleton here at some point
20 days ago
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Had a fun time chasing down what I am certain is to become Medway's Elgin Marbles.
add a skeleton here at some point
20 days ago
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reposted by
Ed Jennings
Emma Haslett
21 days ago
I see Greggs is receiving a warm welcome in Whitstable.
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reposted by
Ed Jennings
Jo Kibble (Political Animal)
25 days ago
Somewhere in Camden, Lord Mandelson sadly crosses āPolitical assistant to Medway Labour Groupā off a list headed āPossible next jobsā.
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I'm here for tonight's full Medway Council meeting. On the agenda: adult social care, civility in politics, borrowing £46m to buy nearly 800 social properties, changes to the petition system, and lots more. Full agenda here:
democracy.medway.gov.uk/ieListDocume...
25 days ago
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reposted by
Ed Jennings
James O'Malley
26 days ago
NEW: The Green Party is STILL bad at being green (FREE TO READ)
takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/the-green-...
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The Green Party is STILL bad at being green
We need 'industrial-scale' solar if we want to reach Net Zero.
https://takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/the-green-party-is-still-bad-at-being-green
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reposted by
Ed Jennings
Jonn Elledge
about 1 month ago
I have seen a lot of NIMBY selfishness in my time, but "my convenience matters more than cancer care" is a new low. Quite seriously tempted to email them and tell them as much.
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reposted by
Ed Jennings
Joshi Herrmann
about 1 month ago
I have three court hearings to attend in three months. Two subjects of our reporting are suing us. Journalism is threatened by abusive legal threats aimed at silencing reporting. The Government needs to
#StopSLAPPs
. Please share and write to your MP.
manchestermill.co.uk/three-courts...
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My full story on the Greens' big by-election win in Cliftonville.
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Greens stun Reform in Cliftonville by-election shock
From fourth place to victory, the Greens land a blow on Reform while Labourās anti-Reform argument falls apart
https://www.kentcurrent.news/greens-stun-reform-in-cliftonville/
about 1 month ago
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Cliftonville (Kent County Council) result: š¹ Joanne Bright (Lab) - 557 āŖ Lucy Gray (Ind) - 68 š³ Charlie Leys (Con) - 811 ā”ļø Marc Rattigan (Ref) - 1767 š¶ Mo Shafaei (LDem) - 63 š¢ Rob Yates (Green) - 2068 Turnout - 37.7% Green GAIN from Reform.
about 1 month ago
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Iām in Thanet for the Cliftonville by-election count, where Reform are defending a county council seat for the first time. Momentum in the weeks running up to today seem to suggest it will be a fight between Reform and the Greens.
about 1 month ago
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Launching
@kentcurrent.news
was probably the boldest thing I'd done since, well, the launch of
@localauthority.news
. One year on, it seems to be working. I took the opportunity to take stock of the year and where we are.
add a skeleton here at some point
about 1 month ago
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Baroque Tom Scott is fast becoming my favourite YouTuber.
add a skeleton here at some point
about 1 month ago
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Didn't imagine the most clicked link in today's
@kentcurrent.news
would be to a story on a potato news website, but here we are. Also, it turns out there is a potato news website.
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PotatoPro - the global potato industry information source
The #1 Resource for the global Potato & Potato Processing Industry: Sector News, Directories of Manufacturers, Suppliers, Products and Services, Market Information, Statistics, Prices and Trends
https://www.potatopro.com/
about 1 month ago
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Sad to belatedly hear of the death of Mark Templeton. When starting out as a ācitizen journalistā in 2014, Mark kindly granted me access to the press desk at Medway Council and give the same access as the āproperā news orgs. Not exaggerating to say part of where we are now is due to his support.
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Wrexham journalist Mark Templeton dies aged 53 - Journalism News from HoldtheFrontPage
Former news editor had rare incurable disease
https://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2025/news/journalist-who-worked-for-six-regional-dailies-dies-aged-53/
about 1 month ago
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Another normal day at Authority Media Towers, where the editorial team need to have a discussion about whether a Kent councillor's post is racist in one way or an entirely different way.
about 2 months ago
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Holy shit. I can finally reenter normal life.
about 2 months ago
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Halstead, Knockholt and Badgers Mount (Sevenoaks) by-election result: š¶ Stephen Maines (Lib Dem) - 266 š³ Tony Marshall (Con) - 561 ā”ļø George Pender (Reform) - 378 š¢ Robert Royston (Green) - 65 Turnout - 45% Con HOLD.
@electionmaps.uk
about 2 months ago
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I know this isn't really my fight, but I've been looking at the proposed council reorganisation maps around the country, and the Hampshire one is sending me over the edge. That yellow bit in the middle? South West Hampshire. The massive green area to the south west? Mid Hampshire. Argh.
about 2 months ago
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A good lesson in why letting local people decide how big pots of money should be spent is a bad idea.
add a skeleton here at some point
about 2 months ago
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"No, why would Medway need more river crossings," I wonder, as I plan my 22 mile, 40 minute journey to somewhere I can literally see from my house.
about 2 months ago
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Good morning from County Hall, where Kent County Council is about to get underway. Not the most exciting agenda today but there is some dispute about whether or not Reform's motion on an 'illegal migration emergency' will be allowed to be debated.
2 months ago
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It has taken four (4) days for local Facebook groups in Kent to start being flooded with posts by, for lack of a better term, meningitis truthers. All a government plan to something something profit apparently.
2 months ago
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reposted by
Ed Jennings
Jim Waterson
2 months ago
Local media plan out. Itās more honest about collapse in audiences than Iād expected. Cool to see my little project as an example of what can work. But I just wonder if government funding to help boost local news is really for small guys or a bung to corporate owners.
www.gov.uk/government/p...
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reposted by
Ed Jennings
The Greenwich Wire
2 months ago
Greenwich Councilās Labour leadership plans to clamp down on scrutiny from the public and opposition councillors in a move branded āan attack on democracyā.
greenwichwire.co.uk/2026/03/11/s...
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'Shameless': Greenwich Council plans clampdown on public scrutiny - The Greenwich Wire
In short: - Greenwich Labour plans to restrict questioning in council meetings after the election in May - Public questions will be restricted to 100 words and will have to be submitted more than aā¦
https://greenwichwire.co.uk/2026/03/11/shameless-greenwich-council-plans-clampdown-on-public-scrutiny/
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Editing our upcoming
@kentcurrent.news
interview, which will come out over the weekend, with Kent Restore leader Paul Thomas. Expecting some flak for it, given the discourse on here a little while ago that argued media outlets shouldn't engage with Restore or similar political groups.
2 months ago
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Funny how KentOnline never use a quote from someone on a housing waiting list for this sort of thing.
add a skeleton here at some point
2 months ago
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War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.
add a skeleton here at some point
2 months ago
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Hextable (Sevenoaks District Council) result: š³ Lee Allen (Con) - 600 āŖ Jackie Griffiths (Ind) - 108 ā”ļø Daniel Kersten (Ref) - 406 š¶ Ashley Wassall (LDem) - 367 š¢ Oliver Young (Grn) - 62 Turnout: 47.15% (weirdly high - 27% in 2023 locals) Con GAIN from Ind
@electionmaps.uk
2 months ago
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Blimey, it's KentOnline actually calling something racist.
add a skeleton here at some point
3 months ago
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reposted by
Ed Jennings
David Field
3 months ago
To confirm I was not the farter, and from where I was sitting it sounded like it came from the other side of the chamber. (however I was one of the speakers referred to who made another important contribution emphasising the importance of this budget)
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Good evening. Iām here for tonightās Medway Council budget meeting, where the finances will be set for the current year. Iāll be liveblooting it from 7pm. Join me!
3 months ago
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Sorry, what?
add a skeleton here at some point
3 months ago
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Thinking about this far too much this morning, particularly after KentOnline happily wrote up their press release with no further context. On the other hand, we have always engaged with and interviewed council group leaders. Restore now third largest on KCC, so how to approach is a challenge.
add a skeleton here at some point
3 months ago
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The wildest thing about this is that Taylor attended sentencing directly from jail after breaching his bail conditions. One week ago, he turned up at the Kent County Council budget meeting and spoke in the debate, so he's had quite the week.
add a skeleton here at some point
3 months ago
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My Evernote renewal has gone from £79 last year to £155 this year. So, er, can anyone recommend an alternative? Just need somewhere I can dump a ton of notes and files in a ton of different formats.
3 months ago
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reposted by
Ed Jennings
James O'Malley
3 months ago
Kent Current is doing essential journalism that no one else is ā strongly recommend subscribing to support them.
add a skeleton here at some point
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reposted by
Ed Jennings
Kent Current
3 months ago
Seven KCC councillors have formed a new Restore Britain group at County Hall, giving a national hard-right project a foothold in Kent. We unpack whoās moved, why Reform fractured, and what Restoreās first real test has looked like.
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Kent becomes a test site for Restore
A new hard-right brand takes seats at County Hall
https://www.kentcurrent.news/kent-becomes-a-test-site-for-restore/
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I don't want to say AI is shit, but I just asked ChatGPT to suggest potential Kent interviewees for our publications, and it told me to get in touch with Charles Dickens, Siegfried Sassoon and Geoffrey Chaucer. I think they might be unavailable.
3 months ago
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reposted by
Ed Jennings
Kent County Council latest: Seven KCC councillors have defected to Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain tonight. They are Paul Thomas, Brian Black, Oliver Bradshaw, Maxine Fothergill, Isabella Kemp, Robert Ford, and Dean Burns. Most had already been kicked out of Reform, with the exception of Burns.
3 months ago
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Kent County Council latest: Seven KCC councillors have defected to Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain tonight. They are Paul Thomas, Brian Black, Oliver Bradshaw, Maxine Fothergill, Isabella Kemp, Robert Ford, and Dean Burns. Most had already been kicked out of Reform, with the exception of Burns.
3 months ago
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Everything about this is pretty jaw-dropping. The video of the town council being confronted about this live during a meeting is quite something.
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Investigation launched after reporterās face put on town hall punchbag
An investigation has been opened after an image of a Melksham News reporterās face was attached to a punchbag inside
https://melkshamnews.com/investigation-launched-after-reporters-face-put-on-town-hall-punchbag/
3 months ago
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Googled Medway and wtf?
3 months ago
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