DAVID Miliband, secretary of state for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, visited Gravesham today and promised a rosy future for the area as part of the Thames Gateway development.

The cabinet minister made the statement while being shown the North West Kent town's heritage developments, just three days before the local elections and on the 10th anniversary of Tony Blair's rise to power.

"The Thames Gateway is coming and this town (Gravesend) is going to be an important part of that. There's a great future ahead," he said.

He stressed that the huge development's high environmental standards and transport meant it had the potential to be the cleanest, greenest community around.

"It could be the most efficient, sustainable community in the world. We have quite a lot of difficulties in knitting it all together, but that's the vision," he said.

Mr Miliband refused to speculate on any change in his ministerial role after Tony Blair stands down.

"I'm not running for Mayor in Gravesend," he said, "I'm very happy where I am."

Previous visits to north Kent by senior politicians in recent weeks include Gordon Brown, David Cameron and shadow chancellor George Osborne.