The current strike by French ferry workers at Calais is arguably the worst in living memory. It has forced the closure of the Port of Calais and the Channel Tunnel and caused chaos on the roads of Kent, as lorries bound for the continent have been stacked for days on the county’s motorways, waiting for […]
Operation Stack has returned for the second time in a week, and again as a result of industrial action from ferry workers in France. This strike has closed the Port of Calais and also, once more, affected services through the Channel Tunnel. I think it is incredible that strike action in France can lead to the […]
On Tuesday evening this week I attended a fundraising dinner at the Burlington hotel in Folkestone to support the relief for the victims of the earthquakes in Nepal. This event has been one of a series organised across our area since the first earthquake struck in April. There has been a tremendous response to this […]
A better local NHS with more services being delivered in the community, closer to where people live, is one of my top priorities for our area over the next five years. Folkestone is already leading the way as the first town in Kent to offer patients access to a GP seven days a weeks, between […]
When the internationally renowned artist Banksy recently placed one of his works (worth an estimated £400,000) on a wall at Clacton on Sea it was scrubbed off by the council. Yet the appearance of one of his distinctive paintings in Folkestone produced an entirely different response. Banksy's painting near Payers Park, was instantly protected by the council. People […]
Like most residents I was extremely concerned to be told on Tuesday afternoon that 130 people currently being held in the asylum system were on their way to Folkestone and would be staying at the Grand Burstin hotel. Along with the chief executive of Shepway District Council I have sought information from the Home Office […]