More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
On this week’s Kent Politics Podcast our reporters discuss a major row between an MP and a local authority, and welcome special guest Henry Bolton - the former leader of UKIP.
Sittingbourne and Sheppey’s Kevin McKenna has questioned Swale council’s decision to potentially spend hundreds of thousands of pounds fighting a controversial housing scheme.
We also learn about Medway Council’s ongoing efforts to balance the books and hear of changes to a £120 million housing and leisure scheme in Sevenoaks.
In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Bolton talks of his background - serving in the Army in several warzones - and his rise to become UKIP leader, following Nigel Farage into the job.
He takes aim at his former colleague, saying he and the Reform Party he now leads lack long-term strategic thinking, concentrating instead on populist policies with little time spent on solutions.
And he explains how working inside the EU made him a supporter of Brexit because of the waste of money and resources he witnessed and a lack of accountability.
However, he tells how he now believes Britain is squandering its position by not setting out clear and deliverable plans for where we should be in the next 25 years.
We also hear why he has joined the often-forgot SDP and how he was stunned by fellow UKIP members’ obsession with Islam and immigration.
The weekly podcast usually brings together Simon Finlay, Robert Boddy and Dan Esson, of the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Simon covers Kent County Council while Robert reports on Medway Council and Dan specialises in borough and district councils.
However, in this week’s episiode, Dan is joined by KM senior news editor Nikki White and her colleague Sean Delaney.
You can listen to the podcast at IM Listening, or download it from Apple Podcasts, Spotify and TuneIn – just search for Kent Politics Podcast.
Readers can also keep up-to-date with the latest political news on our dedicated Kent Politics page on KentOnline or sign up for our weekly politics news letter.
