It’s a jam-packed edition of the Kent Politics Podcast this week with the team focussing on Dover MP Natalie Elphicke’s defection to Labour and last week’s local elections.

We’re also joined by special guest Martin Baxter - the founder and chief executive of polling company Electoral Calculus.

Mrs Elphicke shocked the political establishment on Wednesday when she crossed the floor after representing the Tories in parliament for almost five years.

KM political editor Paul Francis and local democracy reporters Robert Boddy and Dan Esson discuss what her motives are and what the move means.

The 53-year-old was the Kent Politics Podcast’s first guest when it was launched back in January.

Mr Baxter sits down with regular host Simon Finlay to discuss Electoral Calculus’s latest findings, which paint an increasingly worrying picture for the Conservatives.

He explains the methods they use to analyse polling information and makes a surprise prediction on when the general election will be held, plus the likely result.

This episode also features discussion on the local elections and the latest twist in the battle to convert Chatham Docks into homes, businesses and leisure.

Next week we’ll be joined by former deputy Prime Minister Damian Green, who has been Ashford’s MP since 1997.

You can listen to the podcast at IM Listening, or download it from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and TuneIn – just search for Kent Politics Podcast.

New episodes are available each Friday.

The podcast is the latest move to increase KentOnline’s political coverage ahead of a general election likely to be held later this year.

In recent months we also launched bespoke sections on KentOnline highlighting Kent Politics and Medway Politics.

Added to this is the highly-respected Kent Politics Show which airs on KMTV each Friday evening.