Surprise move by our police commissioner

Political Editor Paul Francis

IT came as a surprise to discover that Ann Barnes had decided not to stand as a candidate in May’s crime commissioner election. In recent weeks, her office has been issuing a blizzard of press releases highlighting various good news about the force, which led many, including Off The Record, to believe that she was preparing the ground for another run.

Despite a chequered four-year term of office, a second win was not completely out of the question. With a field of at least seven candidates, a low turn out and the supplementary vote system in play, any outcome was possible. Indeed, it remains the case that this is possibly the most unpredictable election for some time.

THE plans for a huge lorry park off the M20 to deal with Operation Stack will come under the spotlight at Westminster next week.

A cross-party committee is to examine the case for an emergency park, chaired by the uncompromising MP Louise Ellman, who has a reputation for not taking any prisoners and doesn’t take kindly to witnesses who try to dodge questions. Just ask KCC leader Paul Carter who got a bit of a skewering during a hearing on Manston airport last year.

KENT County Council looks like backing the government’s preferred option for the new Dartford Crossing, so-called Option C, but will continue to face protests from people in the area.

Cllr Bryan Sweetland, the Conservative who resigned his cabinet job to oppose the scheme, proved to have some unexpected allies when the project was discussed at a County Hall meeting. Labour, Ukip and the Green Party members all proved sympathetic to his cause but there wasn’t much solidarity from colleagues in his own party, who all thought Option C was a jolly good idea. Curious.

AMID the discussions taking place among east Kent councils about forming a new “super” sized authority through a merger, there is one issue that has yet to be broached.

The new devolution powers that are the triggers for this debate also set out how, where councils do combine, there would have to be an elected mayor for the new combined authority.

We won’t set hares running at this stage but the kudos of being top dog in the new council is bound to attract a lot of contenders.

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