So finally the penny drops. London Conservative Government cares so little for Dover District that it won’t tell District / County Conservative councillors about the land it plans to commandeer for a border post and lorry park for 1200 HGVs near Whitfield, and a junior minister can only spare 30 mins to stonewall and evade talking about the impact on Whitfield, Guston, Dover, Deal and all our local East Kent roads and way of life.
Conservative councillors are powerless in the face of a Conservative government in London that doesn’t give even half a hoot for East Kent. At the Dover District Council meeting 21st Oct, the Labour motion demanding disclosure and consultation from central Govt regarding Dover border control centre and lorry park stimulated heart-felt expressions of deep concern from both sides of Council Chamber, about the big changes that will be imposed between now and 1st July. The amended motion passed unanimously. Hats off to Kevin Mills’ Labour team for well-informed research and determined defense of East Kent needs. But deep concern doesn’t butter any parsnips. Probably the only thing that might cause the needs of Dover to be respected by Johnson, the greedy Conservative autocrat in Downing Street, is if the 19 Conservative cllrs on Dover District Council and 7 county cllrs resigned from the Conservative Party en-bloc to become an independent majority who put the urgent needs of our Dover district before Party ambition.
Last year the Local Govt Information Unit said Kent is one of 10 English counties with between 16% and 13.9% of their GDP at risk in a no-deal exit. The pandemic means that the livelihoods of Kent people are much more vulnerable now. Kent NFU is deeply worried about Downing street’s failure to listen to their campaign to Save British Food and Farming from No-Deal and a possible US trade deal. Dover district needs cllrs at Whitfield and Maidstone who will show backbone and stand up to Downing street, and we need it now.
Letter from Sarah Gleave and Mike Eddy,
Dover and Deal Green Party
