Kent has 1.5 million residents and KCC are responsible for providing many of our valued and essential services and amenities.
Voters will choose a total of 81 Councillors to represent their own area of Kent, down from 84 following a division review. Turnout in 2013 was low, just 30%.
Voters in Medway will not go to the polls until May 2019.
The council is currently controlled by the Conservative group and made up of:
46 Conservative Councillors
14 UKIP Councillors
Upchurch, Lower Halstow, Newington, Hartlip, Bobbing, Iwade and The Meads amongst others are all now part of the newly redrawn Swale West division.
14 UKIP Councillors
12 Labour Councillors
7 Liberal Democrat Councillors
2 Independents Group
3 Independents
Upchurch, Lower Halstow, Newington, Hartlip, Bobbing, Iwade and The Meads amongst others are all now part of the newly redrawn Swale West division.
608 persons are entitled to vote at our local Polling Station, Upchurch Village Hall which will be open from 7:00am to 10:00pm.
The persons nominated for election as our single County Councillor to represent Swale West are:
Mike Baldock - UK Independence Party (Current KCC Councillor for Swale West)
Tim Valentine - Green Party
Mike Whiting - Conservatives
Marc Wilson - Liberal Democrats
Tony Winkless - Labour
The results are expected around lunchtime on Friday the 5th of May 2017.
With all this in mind, who will be your local champion?
Who do you think will represent our division best on the local issues we face in our communities?
Will you just be voting the same way you always do? Just out of party loyalty? Without thinking about the important local issues.
Do you think party politics and squabbling already play far too much part in decisions made at Parish, Borough and County levels?
Would you vote for a Councillor who is more interested in scoring points off of a fellow Councillor than they are in representing your best interests?
Do you believe in democracy? And therefore think a balance is always needed for a strong and effective opposition at County level? Is one party already too dominant?
Would you be prepared to vote for a candidate standing for a party you wouldn't usually vote for at a general election? Because you know they genuinely care about keeping the villages and areas they represent as the nice places we all love to live in.
KCC stopped subsidising many of their operators unprofitable bus services. Who do you think is the best candidate to fight to get them back?
Healthcare, Education, Roads, Policing and Social Care are all under funding pressure too.
Who do you think will fight our corner best when it comes to fending off large, national predatory house developers looking to spoil our small villages with unsuitably large developments that impact badly on our already overstretched infrastructure?
Will they always be free to vote the way they would like? And always in your best interest? Or are they required to follow their party line?
Will they regularly attend all the meetings they are required to?
Have they delivered on past promises? Do they have a good reputation for actually getting stuff done?
Will they always be free to vote the way they would like? And always in your best interest? Or are they required to follow their party line?
Will they regularly attend all the meetings they are required to?
Have they delivered on past promises? Do they have a good reputation for actually getting stuff done?
Will they be on hand should you have a problem and need their help?
All things to think about...
Whatever choice you make, make your vote count on Thursday May 4th!
Upchurch Matters
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