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downsmail.co.uk


Kent votedmassively (about 60%) for Brexit two years ago and Parliament reacted democratically and overwhelmingly to the 52% UKmajority to formalise our departure fromthe EU in 2019. So if you are a Brexiteer – or


Maidstone needs a real Brexit MailMarks


MAIDSTONE andMalling with


DENNISFOWLE President dennisfowle28@gmail.com


alternatively among the substantial number who say democracymust be seen to be done – how confident are you now that the government and the Houses of Parliament will achieve satisfactorily what was voted for? Are you confident, too, about what you


voted for after all that detailed campaigning? Remoaners try to cast doubts, but


Brexiteers continue to stand staunchly behind total UK sovereignty, control of our own borders and immigration, jurisdiction only in UK courts, freedom to trade worldwide on our own terms. They do not want to paymany billions


a year to an expensive club that our population did not vote to join beyond a commonmarket – and whose unelected commissioners now try to engineer us in to submission, noma�er what the potential damage to us and other member states,many of whomare now rising in rebellion against EU strategies. Immigration and sovereignty


increasingly concernmy local Brexiteer friends and contacts. We see somany of


KCC behind link road delay


COUNCILLOR Gary Cooke demonstrates why politicians are generally held in low esteemby the public. Despite his enthusiasmand active


involvement inmoving the southern relief road forward, he has to resort to political point scoring. He blames the Liberal Democrat-controlledMaidstone Borough Council (MBC) for the delay in releasing funds for the £200,000 funding for exploratory works. He ismuddying the water and diverting


a�ention away fromKent County Council, who are the real culprits in the delay to providing the southern relief road. I support no particular political party,


but take an interest inma�ers that politicians have control over. Sadly, the last 40 to 50 years have shown


me that politicians are amajor part of the problem. TheWrens Cross and Lower Stone


Street area of southMaidstone suffered blight formany years because KCC was consideringmajor road improvements to alleviate the towns traffic problems. Eventually, KCC decided to do nothing to the south, but the area still suffers ongoing blight because of their procrastination. A Leeds/Langley bypass was being proposed bymany in the 1980s, but KCC


46 Maidstone July 2018


our vital services and transport infrastructure further overwhelmed by a rapidly-increasing population, andmore of our countryside built over due to the broad national political dictate for huge housing growth. The impacts on our lives aremassively damaging. No one expected an easy ride to set our


chosen pathway for a new Britain. The proposed two-year transitional period beyond 2019 to try to put everything in place has been broadly accepted, if not welcomed. PrimeMinister TheresaMay


encouraged bymaking the right noises: “Brexitmeans Brexit”, and “no deal is be�er than a bad deal”. She also announced her own red lines for negotiations to ensure true independence fromthe EU. Opinion polls suggest that she has


increasing public sympathy as she combats undemocratic opposition from somany, notably national politicians. What patience and wisdomshe needs


to hold this all together. I anticipate she may well follow foreign secretary Boris Johnson’s advice to take amuch tougher


again procrastinated, with councillors choosing to sit on their hands instead of looking to the future. The latest KCC Report (17/00138) into the Southern Relief Road does not say that the £200,000 is controlled byMBC. On the contrary, at 6.1 it infers that KCC has control of it. The May edition of DownsMail notes that only a small part of the £200,000 is to come fromMBC. Perhaps Gary Cooke and the other


Maidstone Tory Kent County Councillors who gave themselves a 15% “pay” rise immediately after being elected, despite not telling voters before the elections they would do that, could find a bit ofmoral integrity, forgo the increase and put it into the relief road exploratory fund instead. Steve Russell,Matfield Crescent, Maidstone


Hospice shop ‘competition’


IWAS shocked to see that the Hospice in theWeald has opened a charity shop in WestMalling. The Heart of Kent Hospice serves the


residents ofWestMalling and the wider Maidstone area. They aready run an excellent charity shop inWestMalling High Street. I know from experience that both hospices provide wonderful care for


Brexiteers and Remainers. Questions grow: Has shemademistakes in negotiation strategies? Is she weak in negotiations and promising damaging concessions? Is she really a Remainer wearing a Brexit coat? Is the vital “no deal” card still in her


pack?Will she set a final deadline the UK controls?Why is she not selling the exciting UK future Brexiteers see? Is she le�ing the civil service (especially the Treasury) tail wag the political dog? All the answers are now not far away.


The consequences aremassive – for the future of the UK; the career of the Prime Minister and her role in history; the future ofMPs who do not follow a constituency Brexit vote; the future (if any) of the House of Lords. Who knows what rebellions and


political upheavals will be around if the huge Brexit vote is flouted by politicians? Whatmassive times we now live through. Maidstone expects…


patients and their families. The Heart of Kent is the smaller hospice and operates in a less prosperous area than the Hospice in theWeald, which can raise funds in the wealthier areas in and around Tonbridge Wells. It is sad to see competition between


these two admirable institutions. There might be scope for the two hospices to support each other clinically and financially in the future. However, while this is not the case, I


feel that the competition is unfair. The new shop will be a blow to fundraising for the Heart of Kent Hospice at a difficult time. I hope the Hospice in theWeald will


rethink this unhappy decision. I shall continue to support the Heart of Kent Hospice shop inWestMalling High Street. Min Stacpoole, by email


Sinkhole call for action


I AM aware that the Barming area has a history of sinkholes, but the three sinkholes across the last fewmonths (and two close to new house-building sites) means serious investigation needs to be made involving those with local knowledge, Kent County Council (KCC) and geological experts.


line with EU commissioners. But astute timing is key as she seeks success in the biggest challenges facing any prime minister sinceWinston Churchill. She has to playmany cards close to her


chest and increasingly this causes public confusion and distrust. Is she pursuing a Baldrick-style “cunning plan” to try to ensure her own red lines are secure? She faces a�acks fromboth leading


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