This week’s Kent Politics Podcast welcomes Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Dover and Deal, Mike Tapp.

He speaks about his background in the Army and work for the National Crime Agency in tackling smuggling gangs.

He explains how a Labour government would recruit more specialist officers to take on the criminal networks bringing people across the Channel.

He also takes aim at the Conservatives over plans to check foreign food imports miles away from the Port of Dover when it enters Britain.

According to him, this will lead to major problems with unsafe products potentially avoiding scrutiny by bypassing a centre 22 miles in land at Sevington near Ashford.

Although immigration is a massive issue, the former soldier - who served in Iraq and Afghanistan - says on the doorstep people have other more pressing concerns.

The cost-of-living crisis dominates discussions rather than “gimmicks” such as the Rwanda plan which demonstrates a lack of “long-term planning”.

The episode also sees our reporters discuss rumoured problems inside Medway Labour, asylum seeker concerns on Sheppey and bridge confusion in Faversham.

We’ll also have the weekly Westminster Watch round-up, which this time focuses on the latest general election polls.

The podcast, which launched in January, brings together local democracy reporters, Simon Finlay, Robert Boddy, Dan Esson.

Simon covers Kent County Council while Robert reports on Medway Council and Dan specialises in borough and district councils.

Next week we’ll be joined by Canterbury City Council leader Cllr Alan Baldock.

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.