Our readers from across the county give their weekly take on the biggest issues impacting Kent and beyond.

Some letters refer to past correspondence which can be found by clicking here. Join the debate by emailing letters@thekmgroup.co.uk

Electric vehicles still impractical for most people

With the arrival of summer, there is a huge increase in cars towing some form of trailer.

It could be a trailer for boat or car, horse box, mobile food outlet, farmer with livestock, builder, caravan, etc, and when they want to refuel it is just a matter of pulling into a service station and filling up and going.

But what happens if you are towing, with an electric vehicle (EV)?

As most EV charging points are only suitable for single vehicles, it means you have to find a suitable safe space to unhitch the trailer, which might be some distance away, and then try to find a suitable EV charging point not in use and working.

Once you have charged the vehicle, drive back to the ‘dumped’ trailer and re-hitch. If you’re at a motorway service area, be sure you are not over your very limited allotted time and facing a heavy fine!

With over 40% of houses having no driveway to charge them, is it any wonder that EV sales are slow? They are just too impractical for the average family.

Mass ‘electrification’ is just a smokescreen to ‘get people out of their cars’ which is so clearly stated in all government/council transport-related documents.

Before anybody starts the ‘saving-the-planet’ argument, can they explain why is it that other big fossil fuel users like, the aviation and marine industries are exempt from such restrictive legislation?

Terry Hudson

Energy plan puts British consumers first

Thank you Ed Miliband for moving ahead with the government's clean energy plan.

This plan will end reliance on fossil fuels and ultimately bring down household bills. It will also unlock £40 billion of private investment every year, thus boosting the UK economy.

This will create thousands of skilled jobs on top of those being created by the building of 1.5 million homes thanks to fixing the grid system and speeding up the planning process.

Hence, this will provide more renewable energy projects which will in itself reduce dependence on foreign energy.

So, unlike the big magic money tree policies of higher bills and higher taxes because of dependence on foreign energy, what we have is a government putting British consumers first.

Geoffrey Brooking

Reasons to be cheerful this Christmas

It’s Christmas time and the doom and gloom folk are out as usual (letters last week.)

Oh dear! Apparently the country is run by “middle-class virtue-signallers” (what on earth does that mean?) and we have been duped into voting the wrong way! The buses are going down the drain. New technology, is scary (he has a point). Speed limits are not fair, etc, etc, etc.

A councillor tells us if we can afford a big TV and to go on holiday, don’t moan about the new parking charges!

Okay, let’s try to be a bit positive.

The County Town this year has organised the most wonderful trail of Sean the Sheep sculptures, they made people smile, brought shoppers in and raised a huge amount of money for our Hospice. Hundreds of volunteers and schools were involved.

In Maidstone, our Hazlitt Theatre has entertained us with a variety of shows, musicals and talks. We have orchestras, choral societies, drama groups and many other associations which are active. The museum has put on many marvellous exhibitions. including a splendid tribute to our own Graham Clarke. Queen Victoria has had a makeover and her lanterns have been refurbished. We have a variety of splendid restaurants and shops.

Last but not least, the County Town has bloomed again with a delightful display of flowers and plants.

The world is not a happy place today, life is not easy for anyone; many young families are homeless, older folk need more care and there are people of all ages and incomes who are lonely and depressed but there are also so many kind and generous folk willing to help.

A happy, peaceful Christmas everyone.

Eileen Riden

Farage teaming up with Musk spells danger

Nigel Farage’s cosying up to two of the most dangerous men in the world, Donald Trump and Elon Musk, only serves to underline the truth behind the truism that ‘a man is known by the company he keeps’.

Other truisms such as ‘birds of a feather flock together’; ‘those who lie with dogs get up with fleas’ and ‘he who sups with the devil should use a very long spoon’ also spring to mind.

If, as is rumoured, Musk does make a multi-million donation to Farage’s Reform party, it will come with some crippling conditions.

Trump and Musk pose far more of a threat to the security of this country and democracy, than any number of Chinese spies. The Chinese are the enemy without, they are the enemy within!

Be afraid, be very afraid!

Bob Readman

Devolution could be the answer for Kent

At long last the permafrost that covered much of Kent for the last five decades may be melting, leaving clear water for change.

Options for devolution in Kent were announced recently, between the expressions of outrage post-budget and the WASPI women announcement.

Devolution is not something that stirs many of the public to action, and from what I observe it has either been ignored or responded to with cynicism, in which respondents claim that nothing will change, or it's rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic, etc.

I don't subscribe to the "we are all doomed" school of fatalism that seems to pervade much of society, nor is the UK on a headlong journey of decline to inevitable oblivion. Things can be done to turn things around and at the same time shoot the nationalist fox before it breaks up the henhouse.

The laziness, lack of leadership, and direction, we have seen in the last half century could have been avoided, as much of what is now proposed was suggested by the Redcliffe-Maud Commission back in 1968 and was ignored because rural interests felt that unitary councils would be biased towards urban policies.

The result was the two-tier district/county council structure, which destroyed decades, centuries in some cases, of independence for many of the coastal communities.

KCC’s Roger Gough is deluding himself if he thinks anyone in east Kent wants to be administered by a politburo in Maidstone or Kings Hill. We have suffered enough with Operation Brock, white elephant projects costing millions and pothole hell. Just think what could have been done if the money had been spent on actually increasing employment, training and regeneration, instead of being splurged on useless vanity projects.

What about a regional mayor? If he/she is elected by PR and has powers over transport, regional planning and investment, it may be worth a punt.

It will get my vote if bus services are franchised and National Highways is left at the layby awaiting towing away to the scrapyard., That really will be devolution in action.

Devolution should also mean the culling of useless agencies and quangos and handing them over at least to some kind of nominal democratic oversight. Whatever happens it should be done quickly and decisively, before the status quo weevils and naysayers get a chance to derail the whole thing.

Richard Styles

Rubbish on our roadsides puts authorities to shame

Fly tipping is a major issue.

But some of the worst participants are Kent Highways; our roadsides and roundabouts are cluttered with abandoned road sign tressels, burst sandbags and abandoned cones.

This is a huge waste of money.

The A2 roundabouts at Whitfield are some of the worst examples and some of the stuff has been lying about for years.

I’ve contacted Kent Highways but I think they must be working from home.

At a time when rates are high, this kind of waste is staggering.

The new world where nobody cares!

Peter Johnson

Check for signs of hearing loss

The festive season is a time for connection and conversation, but for those with undiagnosed hearing loss, it can feel like a struggle to keep up.

This Christmas, RNID is encouraging everyone to look out for the signs of hearing loss in themselves and their loved ones.

Do you notice someone turning the TV up louder than others prefer? Do they struggle to follow conversations in noisy places like pubs or restaurants, or frequently ask people to repeat what they’ve said?

Perhaps they find it hard to hear on the phone, feel like others mumble, or have a partner who thinks they’re not listening.

If any of these feel familiar, it might be time to check your hearing.

The good news is that it is very easy to look for the signs of hearing loss in yourself and loved ones and to do something about it.

Taking our free simple check at rnid.org.uk can be the first step on your hearing journey. This Christmas, let’s keep everyone part of the conversation!

Crystal Rolfe, director of health, RNID

A year of helping dogs with your support

As 2024 draws to a close, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported Dogs Trust this year.

Your generosity and dedication have made a huge difference to dogs in need.

I am proud to share that, with your support, we have found new homes for thousands of dogs this year, and while these dogs waited for their forever families, we made sure they were cared for in a safe and happy place

This would not have been possible without our dedicated Dogs Trust team, and an army of volunteers, who selflessly give their time and energy to support our work. From walking and playing with our dogs to helping with administrative tasks, tackling the mountain of washing in our centres, and even reading to dogs in kennels, every moment they spend with us makes a real difference.

Our foster carers also play a vital role, providing temporary homes for dogs until they find their forever family. To all of them, we are incredibly grateful.

Throughout this year, I have been inspired by the fundraising support we have received, too. Whether running marathons, climbing mountains, or attending our events, each effort helps us go beyond our mission.

Thanks to this generosity, we've also been able to provide services that keep dogs and their owners together, such as our free Behaviour Support Line, which has helped more than 7,000 dog owners in the last year.

We also offer training classes through Dog School, and many of our rehoming centres and charity shops run pet food banks, helping owners meet the needs of their dogs. The support we received also means we can work alongside charities supporting people experiencing homelessness or escaping domestic abuse, helping keep loyal dogs and committed owners together in the most challenging circumstances.

So, as we approach the new year, I'd like to wish all our supporters a very Happy New Year, one in which we look forward to helping dogs find their forever homes and continue to be a force for good in dog welfare.

For further information about our work and our wonderful dogs who all deserve to be in loving homes, please visit www.dogstrust.org.uk

Owen Sharp, Chief Executive, Dogs Trust