“We’re unlocking opportunities, supporting Kent businesses and delivering tangible outcomes for communities”

She touched on the work of her DOLGE team, sites housing asylum seekers, violence against women and girls, Kent’s tourism sector, KCC’s Budget, Local Government Reorganisation, and her ambition to return Eurostar services to Kent.

The Reform UK Group on Kent County Council put forward a motion to rescind the authority’s Climate Emergency Declaration, which was brought in six years ago. The motion was voted through with 50 Members voting in favour and 21 against. There were 3 abstentions.

The Green Group put forward a motion on Environmental Action within Kent, particularly in relation to reducing use of Glyphosate. This was voted down with 20 Members voting for the motion, 50 against and 3 abstentions.

The Liberal Democrat Group proposed a motion to urge the council to encourage Kent residents to get the relevant vaccinations when required. This motion was passed unanimously.

The Leader’s speech in full is as follows:

“Since becoming Leader I have learned many things, but perhaps the most surprising is that, until now, KCC has never had a commercial strategy.

“Each year we spend over £1.6 billion pounds through third party contracts, and now building on existing procurement processes we are going to strengthen and update a council-wide commercialisation approach. My DOLGE team is fast becoming worth its weight in gold, and as part of our continued commitment to local government efficiency, I’m pleased to announce that we will shortly begin launching the new Commercial Strategy. This strategy sets out our ambitious direction to use procurement and contract management to drive greater efficiency, cut waste, and deliver better results. Ensuring that every pound we spend delivers maximum impact, it reflects our focus on smarter decision-making and stronger governance.

“Through deeper collaboration across the Council, and with our partners, we will work alongside officers to unlock opportunities, support Kent-based businesses, and deliver tangible outcomes for our communities. The draft Commercial Strategy will be shared at Policy and Resources Committee with a formal launch early in the new year.

“My administration has been in charge of KCC for just over four months and in that time we have seen the numbers of illegal migrants landing on our shores increase exponentially. We’ve also seen outbreaks of civil unrest around the UK related to accommodating these new arrivals.

“Kent remains on the frontline of asylum and illegal migrant accommodation, with known sites in Dover, Manston, and Napier Barracks. There may be other hotels and HMOs that we do not know about. At KCC we have responsibility for public health and community protection which is why I have written to the Home Secretary to demand genuine and early consultation and to ensure transparency and fairness in their processes in identifying new sites. I’ve not yet had a reply. I also wrote to all 12 of my fellow Council Leaders in Kent to ask them for information about housing and other accommodation being used in their districts and boroughs to house migrants and asylum seekers. I have received three replies to date: two helpful and informative, and one opaque, evasive and borderline rude. I will be chasing up the missing replies and will report back to you at the next full council.

“On 26 August, I hosted a public meeting to discuss and debate all the many issues surrounding the safety of women and girls. Everyone was invited and I was joined by representatives from the Women’s Safety Initiative, Oasis Domestic Abuse Service, Rising Sun Kent, SATEDA, among others.

I’m very proud to announce that these organisations have agreed to work with us at KCC to tackle this issue head-on. Just last week I received a lovely email from one of the domestic abuse charities thanking me for convening the meeting and offering extremely constructive ideas for us all going forward.

“Together, by openly addressing all the issues we will build a safer Kent for all.

“At the meeting one of my members was brave enough to share his own experience of having had his drink spiked. We will work with community groups and law enforcement to ensure practical steps such as spiking detection kits are made available in our nightlife spaces.

“On the night of the meeting, protesters and some members of the opposition did their best to disrupt our debate and put off some of my invited guest speakers. About that Mr Chairman, I will just say this: in Reform UK we will not be deterred by those who wish to shut down debate. It will not work.

“I do hope, Mr Chairman, that common sense will prevail and my friends opposite will see these events as an opportunity to learn and broaden their world view.

“Soon after becoming Leader I said that I wanted to fight harder for the return of international Eurostar services to stop in Kent once more. My aim was to convene an event at Ashford and Ebbsfleet stations to showcase the fact that Kent is a great destination for international rail services.  I’m delighted to confirm that next Friday, 26 September the event will do just that. Invitations have been sent to all those involved on both sides of the Channel to help me achieve my aim.

“Competition is a wonderful way of sharpening the senses, so I also hope that by also inviting the potential bidders for the franchise it might persuade Eurostar to have a change of heart and recommence stopping its services in Kent sooner rather than later.

“On the subject of supporting Kent’s tourist sector I was very disappointed at the news that Go To Places/ Visit Kent has folded. Tourism is absolutely vital to our economy and I’m deeply concerned that this Government is killing growth and stifling opportunity with high taxes and increases in National Insurance.

“Its relentless focus on increasing workers’ rights is also not conducive to healthy employment. Surely we can all see that it’s better to have more jobs and fewer rights than the other way round?

“I have written to the Chancellor over this escalating crisis facing Kent’s tourism industry. Tourism wasn’t a priority in the government’s Invest 2035 Industrial Strategy, which was a mistake because it locally generates over £4bn, with nearly 6,000 businesses employing over 76,000 people - which equates to 11% of our local workforce here in Kent. The sector is now under severe strain, with many businesses and heritage sites facing unsustainable financial pressures.

“Whilst I await the Chancellor’s response I will continue to see what can be salvaged from Visit Kent’s demise and my members and I will be actively and often promoting Kent as a place to visit and stay.

“On the subject of money, I’d like to remind all members to please promote the online KCC Budget Consultation – it is live now and closes on 29 September. My members have been encouraging their residents to have their say and I’m pleased that public engagement is up compared to this time last year. The people of Kent must be front and centre in the financial decisions we make.

“I want to turn to the issue of Local Government Reorganisation - one of my favourites as you know. On 28July we held our first Devolution & LGR Committee Meeting, open to the public, fully transparent and the first one of its kind in Kent. We published all the papers including six maps of the proposed carve up of Kent into unitary authorities.

“Last week I sent a press release and letter to all Kent Council Leaders informing them that KCC will be developing its own business case for our preferred option for LGR – namely a single Kent and Medway unitary council with three area assemblies covering north, east and west Kent within it. This is known as Option 1A. Mr Chairman, if we must be in this process, then this is the least expensive, the least disruptive and the most logical way forward. It keeps KCC firmly at the table while allowing us to present to Government a realistic alternative. It’s also in response to the Kent Leaders meeting on the 3September, when it was collectively agreed to put only two options for new unitary councils forward to be developed into business cases for submission to Government.

“The two options put forward to KPMG, our strategic partner, were for a three unitary model and a four unitary model.  Neither the KCC, nor Medway Council’s preferred option, received enough support to be taken forward. I remain convinced that the disaggregation of county services is going to cost the taxpayer many millions of pounds, which will lead to higher council tax bills and risk the quality of services.  I do not think this is acceptable. This is why I’ve asked KCC officers to prepare our own unique business case for Option 1A, to ensure a high quality but cost-effective report.

“We will, of course, continue to work with all councils in Kent and Medway and with KPMG, sharing information and data as we are expected to do by the Government.

“I know that all political Groups in KCC have now had Group briefings from officers on LGR and there will be further briefings as this work develops. LGR will be considered further by the Devolution and LGR Cabinet Committee later this month, and then will come back to Full Council for debate in November with a final Key decision to be taken by Cabinet later that month.

“And I want to end my speech today by referring to the assassination of Charlie Kirk in America last week. Charlie was killed because he spoke freely, and he encouraged others to speak freely too. His killer disagreed with what Charlie Kirk said so he put a bullet in his neck to shut him up – permanently. This horrifying act reminds us not only of the importance of the freedom to debate anything and everything, but also the importance of civility in political discourse. As leaders within Kent County Council, we must commit to working respectfully together, even when we disagree.

“We must lead by example and take our members with us, ensuring that political debate never descends into personal insults.”