FREEDOM FOR EAST KENT

Labour councillors from the three East Kent districts of Canterbury, Dover and Thanet kicked off a campaign to free East Kent from increasing control by the Conservative-run County Council. Meeting in Deal on Sunday, 4 February, the East Kent councillors condemned Conservative plans to reduce the District Councils to impotent servants of the Tory Cabinet on Kent County Council.

Richard Nicholson, Labour Shadow Leader on Thanet District Council, says:

"The Conservatives have handed Thanet over, lock, stock and barrel, to their friends up in Maidstone. Their so-called enhanced two-tier working means local people will have little say in local services and it will do nothing to cut the waste that is so typical of Conservative councils."

The Labour councillors want to see an East Kent unitary council made up of the three district areas of Canterbury, Dover and Thanet. They are demanding that the Chief Executives of the three district councils and of Kent County Council meet urgently with the Labour leaders of discuss how on earth two-tier working is expected to benefit East Kent.

Mike Eddy, Labour Shadow Leader of Kent County Council, who represents Deal, says:

"People in East Kent should be very worried by the Conservatives' secretive plans to undermine local councils across the county. Labour wants to see local people running their own affairs, not having to bow and scrape to the Tory toffs in County Hall."