Simon Finlay

2 days ago | kentonline.co.uk | Simon Finlay

The “ordeal” of a retired special constable arrested and handcuffed for warning about anti-Semitism is “unacceptable”, according to Kent’s Police and Crime Commissioner. Matthew Scott is demanding answers of Chief Constable Tim Smith why six officers descended on the home of Gillingham man Julian Foulkes and seized electronic devices in a search. Mr Foulkes said today (May 12) “someone has to take a stand” and has launched a legal action against the force over his alleged treatment.

5 days ago | kentonline.co.uk | Simon Finlay

This week, local democracy reporter Simon Finlay looks at how Reform won control of Kent County Council, and what challenges it now faces…The penny dropped for one Kent County Council (KCC) election candidate on May 1 when three young men turned up at a polling station in Mid-Kent and, clearly unaccustomed to such surroundings, asked where they could “vote for Nigel Farage”. Something was going on and he didn’t know what it was but it didn’t smell good for his party.

6 days ago | kentonline.co.uk | Simon Finlay

Linden Kemkaran has been named as the new Reform UK leader of Kent County Council (KCC) - elected one week after the party swept all aside to win an emphatic victory. Straight-talking Mrs Kemkaran, who lives in Headcorn and is the newly-elected member for the Maidstone South East division, was voted at a special meeting at County Hall Maidstone this evening.

6 days ago | yahoo.com | Michael Keohan |Simon Finlay

Reform UK has chosen the next leader of Kent County Council (KCC). Maidstone South East representative Linden Kemkaran was picked by the party's councillors on Thursday from six potential candidates. Kemkaran said she would be looking at ways to save money at the authority, calling council tax "a massive bill". She also said she saw having a Ukrainian flag in the council chamber as a "distraction".

6 days ago | ca.news.yahoo.com | Michael Keohan |Simon Finlay

Reform UK has chosen the next leader of Kent County Council (KCC). Maidstone South East representative Linden Kemkaran was picked by the party's councillors on Thursday from six potential candidates. The party saw 57 new councillors elected on 2 May, when the Conservatives' previous 57 councillors were reduced to just five. All 72 electoral divisions across the county were up for election, equating to 81 councillors in total on 1 May. The Conservatives had held control of the council for 28 years.