Although this has been a relatively mild winter in east Kent we have now seen another major storm break on our shores. Storm Dennis has caused loss of life and brought more disruption to homes and services across the country. It has had a major impact on travel plans with the temporary closure of the […]
This weekend our coastline was battered by Storm Ciara with heavy rain and winds up to eighty miles per hour. Whilst some disruption to travel and everyday life is inevitable with this kind of event, we should be thankful for the excellent work of our highways engineers, the environment agency and the emergency services, especially […]
Last Friday I met with Cllrs David Monk and Jenny Hollingsbee the Leader and Deputy Leader of Folkestone and Hythe District Council, along with Dr Jonathan Bryant the Chair of the South Kent Coast Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to discuss the provision of GP services in our area. In particular, we discussed plans to improve […]
Article by Alexandra S. Levine on 02/05/2020. Full article here. During a visit Tuesday to the POLITICO newsroom near Washington, Collins said he plans to press the British government to avoid Section 230-like language in a post-Brexit trade deal with the U.S. That domestic law limits websites' liability for what users post, and its export […]
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-51295430 The BBC has suspended the closure of its Red Button text service after protests, a day before it was due to have started being phased out. The news comes days after a petition, organised by the National Federation of the Blind of the UK (NFBUK), was handed in to the BBC and Downing Street. […]
Article written for The Times Red Box, published on 28 January 2020 When the next director-general of the BBC starts their duties in the summer, following the retirement of Lord Hall, they should look back to December to get a clear view of the problems that lie ahead. By this I don’t mean the result […]
Last Friday the Folkestone Seafront and Harbour Company announced that it will shortly start work on the construction of the first phase of the residential development, close to The Leas Lift and the Coastal Park. This will create the first eighty-four properties in an overall development that will build up to 1,000 new homes. The […]
Last Friday I hosted my seventh annual Apprenticeship and Jobs Fair at The Leas Cliff Hall in Folkestone. This event brings together many of our leading local employers and training providers in an informal setting, where people can find out more about jobs that are available now and places on courses that could lead to […]
By Mark Di Stephano, 17 January 2019 https://www.ft.com/content/79354020-386d-11ea-a6d3-9a26f8c3cba4 The BBC is under fire from its own staff for hiring an employment consultancy to help tackle its gender pay gap because the firm’s own gender pay gap is twice the size of the public service broadcaster’s. Croner was brought in by the BBC in Autumn 2018 […]
Last Thursday the House of Commons passed the European Union Withdrawal Bill. I was proud to be able to vote for one of the major commitments of our election manifesto and to see it pass without any amendments. This is of course in stark contrast to the debates held in Parliament before the General Election […]