
As we enter 2025, Kent will clearly experience significant change. Cllrs Paul Stepto and Mark Hood from the Tonbridge and Malling Green Party have shared their thoughts on what lies ahead and raised critical concerns about the future of local governance in our county.
Like many similar authorities, Kent County Council is under immense financial pressure—not due to mismanagement but following 14 years of austerity measures. Keir Starmer’s Labour Party promised to end this austerity in their manifesto. Still, it omitted its plans to suspend council elections for two years while restructuring district and county councils into larger unitary authorities governed by a regional mayor. This approach feels rushed, lacking the thorough consideration such sweeping changes demand. Here is their statement:
“Happy New Year to everyone, and best wishes for 2025, which will likely be a year of dramatic change for the county council. Kent County Council, like many similar authorities, is in dire financial straits, not because it is run any worse than others but as a result of 14 years of austerity, an austerity which Keir Starmer, in his election manifesto, promised would be ending. What was not included in that manifesto was Labour’s plan to suspend democracy for two years by cancelling council elections while district and county councils were scrapped and replaced with super councils, each responsible for over 500,000 residents. These super councils will come with an additional, unnecessary Mayor of Kent, or should that be a Kentish Mayor?
The mayor will have direct control over many functions currently provided by the county council, including transport. There is no logical reason why one mayor would be better able than an elected assembly to run a massively complex county with a diverse population and challenges like our position as the Gateway to Europe. Kent’s Green, Independent and Lib Dem KCC members had proposed an Assembly for Kent to deliver genuine devolution in 2022. It seems that ministers prefer speaking to one person rather than dealing with leaders who are answerable to elected councillors.
Kent and Medway have populations (1.84m) similar to those of Northern Ireland (1.9m). Like Northern Ireland, Kent’s circumstances mean it should have a bespoke deal enabling the county council to adopt assembly status to deliver the devolved powers being lined up for the mayor. The framework to give those powers already exists, so Kent’s taxpayers could avoid the costly consequences of reorganising the mechanism for service delivery for those who rely on the county council.
We have not spoken to a single councillor who favours an elected mayor for Kent. No party in Kent wanted this, yet the leaders of the 14 Kent councils have been talking to the government to believe that concentrating power in the hands of one person is a price they are willing to pay to avoid punishment from a Westminster-determined to impose a one-size-fits-all system on counties. Why can’t they provide us with direct funding so we can provide an appropriate level of service to the communities we know best?
It seems likely that on 10th January, Roger Gough, the Leader of Kent County Council, will ask for our county to be one of the priority areas. What follows will be an accelerated process to bring an end to local Government and the likely imposition of three unitary councils that absorb our existing councils (West Kent – Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling and Tunbridge Wells. North Kent – Dartford, Gravesend, Medway and Swale. East Kent – Ashford, Dover, Folkestone and Hythe, Thanet) and abolish Kent County Council.
We have been warned that there will be financial consequences for counties resisting this change, contrary to devolution principles. Power is not being handed down; it is being concentrated in the hands of mayors with no detail on how they can be held accountable. Where is the mandate for imposing an additional layer of governmenGovernmentother parts of the country a referendum has been required to create regional mayors?
In areas without town or parish councils, the first local government level is the trio of super councils. Tonbridge and Malling is an example of a council with a mixture of disconnected communities from Walderslade to Tonbridge and Ditton to Ightham. The West Kent Council would extend from Edenbridge to Lenham and from Swanley to Hawkhurst. East Kent would encompass an area extending from Dungeness to Sittingbourne and Margate to Tenterden.
Councils already jointly deliver services like waste collection, and many councils are tackling the burden of highly paid chief executives by appointing those who oversee multiple authorities. More economies could be achieved by combining other services. Breaking the provision of many of the county council services into three will be complex and costly, and continuity of service should be our paramount concern.
Combining councils is not something we oppose; a West Kent Partnership already facilitates closer collaborative work between Tonbridge and Malling, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks. I have previously advocated that the councils could be brought together, thus saving the cost of funding three sets of highly paid-directors. However, the addition of Maidstone would make the Partnership far too big to be able to serve our communities effectively. The same applies across Kent: three unitary authorities would be far too big, and four would be more appropriate if the Labour government got their way.
There is also the small matter of how many residents each councillor will finally represent, considering the current borough ratio is distinctly smaller than the average at existing unitary authorities.
When Kent needs leadership, we consent; nobody other than the leaders of our councils has been involved in the discussions to dissolve our institutions. Kent County councillors will finally discuss the matter on 9th January, the day before the leader seems likely to confirm his wish to board the bullet train carrying a democratic deficit for Kent. It is a shame that the same haste has not been evident in restoring international rail services to the county.”
What Happens Next?
Have your say on the future of local government in Kent! Do you believe a mayor and super councils are the right path forward, or should power stay closer to our communities? Join the discussion and share your views. Together, we can advocate for a fairer, more accountable system that truly serves the people of Kent.
We encourage everyone to email their local councillors and MPs to ensure their voices are heard. Mark Hood has also said that he is more than happy to answer any questions people might have about this statement or the white paper via his email at mark.hood@kent.gov.uk.
Let us know your thoughts through social media (using the links below), or Get Involved with the Tonbridge & Malling Green Party to make your voice heard. Your opinion matters!
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