Candidates from four political parties gathered for a hustings as the clock ticks down towards the county council elections.

Taking part were Stephen Thompson (Green Party), Clive English (Liberal Democrats), Sir Paul Carter (Conservative) and Sean Turner (Heritage Party), who are all standing in the Maidstone rural north division.

Organised by Bearsted Climate Action Network, the debate was staged at the Holy Cross Church in the village near Maidstone.

There are 81 seats in more than 70 divisions at Kent County Council to be fought for. The Conservatives are currently the biggest party with around three quarters of the elected members.

Most observers believe the Tories will find it harder to secure an overall majority and the result will be a hung council.

Sir Paul Carter is the current member for the division and secured 67% of the vote at the last election in 2021.

The small audience posed questions on integrated transport, special educational needs, children’s mental health, strategic planning, transport and potholes.

The candidates for the Labour Party and Reform UK did not attend the hustings last night (April 7).

This election is to be KCC’s last before the government-led devolution and local government reform will see the council effectively abolish itself.

All 12 borough and district councils as well as Medway Council will also be dismantled in the coming years to make way for a smaller number of larger unitary authorities.

Although the Labour government is committed to having an elected mayor, no one is yet sure when or if it will happen.

MAIDSTONE RURAL NORTH

The candidates on May 1 are:

CARTER, Paul Benedict Crossland - Conservative Party

ENGLISH, Clive Andrew - Liberal Democrats

SLAUGHTER, Ryan - Labour Party

THOMPSON, Stephen Roy - Green Party

DIXON, Spencer Anthony - Reform UK

TURNER, Sean David - Heritage Party