It's about politics in Medway
#MedwayElects19 had 199 candidates but only 55 seats to be won.
its impossible to look at everybody who didn’t win, and with Jennings looking at the councillors who stood down and lost, I wanted to take the time to look at some of the candidates who didn’t win so you don’t have to. Continue reading “See you next time?”
In which local historian Chris Sams digs into the past and ponders what we should be seeking to preserve..
It is a sad fact of life that you cannot save everything from your past. In 2007 my grandfather passed away and it was with heavy heart that I took responsibility for clearing out his house. It was not an easy task with a lot of the objects holding some sort of sentimental attachment or just that it had been Pop’s. The end result was that in 2016 when I moved house (from his old house to my current address) I found myself packing a lot of stuff that was Pop’s and I had to be brutal with what came with us and what was going to have to be discarded. By contrast when my other grandfather died in 2014 my Mother cleared the house and the majority of the belongings were discarded save for a few keep sakes.
The same is true for heritage sites and local authorities.
Continue reading “Redoubts”In which local historian Chris Sams digs into the past to find a parallel with the present..
Exactly a century before I was born, Mary Ann Ellen Williams was born in September 1880 in what is now Chatham but was then New Brompton (Gillingham) in the Hards Town estate.
Continue reading “What would Mary Bone see today?”In which local historian Chris Sams digs into the past to find a parallel with the present..
In recent weeks the Medway political scene has been rocked by the discovery of Councillor Franklin’s suspension from his post and even the Conservative party for the Retweeting of Islamophobic posts but he is not the first person to be thrown out of somewhere for overtly or subtly racist propaganda during a social and racially divisive period.
Continue reading “Franklin v Joyce”In which local historian Chris Sams digs into an overlooked tale of Medway history..
The Tory led council are very proud of our heritage and landmarks and well they should be. However you would not be considered foolish if, as a tourist you got off at Chatham station and only went to the Dockyard, Fort Amherst. or soaked in the carefully engineered aesthetic that is Rochester town centre.
The other Medway towns also have a rich and forgotten history and landmarks that are being allowed to rot that could be used as tourist attractions.
So what else is there to see within the Medway towns?
We at The Political Medway need time to drink these coffees that some of you wonderful people have bought us, and sometimes there’s a topic that we don’t want to look up on Wikipedia. Either way, we return to a series of Guest Posts..
We didn’t think much of this update from Medway Tories. Until we saw this tweet..
But even then, our interest was only piqued by this exchange..
Like many voters we had forgotten about Chris Sams, but he is apparently a published historical writer.
So we asked him to write for us about flags.
Continue reading “Medway Fun With Flags”
The first in a series of posts, ‘inFrequently Answered Questions’ all Medway; parties, MPs and candidates, have been invited to answer and we will update should further answers be presented.
The answers are presented here unedited.
If you have an iFAQ then leave it as a comment and we will attempt to get it answered for you.
“Our MP Mark Reckless became increasingly disillusioned with the failed promises which had been made by David Cameron and his Conservative Party to the point where felt he had no other choice but to change parties.
Mark could have simply changed parties and continued on, but he felt it was imperative to seek a fresh mandate from the Rochester and Strood electorate so triggered the by-election.
The rest is history.”
Cllr Chris Irvine – Leader of the Medway UKIP Group
“A by-election was triggered by the resignation of Mark Reckless MP on his defection to UKIP from the Conservatives in September 2014.”
Cllr Tristan Osborne – Labour PPC for Chatham and Aylesford
“And Strood!
Because rats leave sinking ships.”
Jacqui Berry – TUSC PPC Gillingham and Rainham
“Mark Reckless wanted to guarantee he was the people’s choice and for ‘a referendum’ on Lodgehill”
Chris Sams – Liberal Democrat Candidate for Medway Council
“There was a by-election in Rochester because the sitting MP decided to resign the Conservative Party whip and join UKIP.
He didn’t need to force a by-election but he was right to do so given that he was elected as a Conservative and therefore sought a mandate in his new party.
It was unfortunate however that as a consequence it cost the Medway taxpayer a significant amount of money which could have been put to better use.”
Tracey Crouch – Conservative MP for Chatham and Aylesford