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00:00Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight Live on KMTV. I'm Kristen Hawthorne and here are your top
00:28stories on Tuesday the 1st of July. A win for residents, Greenhide Woman takes on
00:34overcharging housing giant. I think they went up about 800 pounds within the space
00:39of a year. Hottest of the year, Kent farmers hope for wet weather as
00:43temperatures soar across Kent. We're gonna need a lot of rain to get over this.
00:47And back on the ball, football legend Tony Adams takes to the pitch for Margate
00:52Charity Cup. My fellowship, the people around me have helped me get clean and
00:58sober. So this is why I do days like this.
01:05First tonight, a Greenhide woman has shaken off one of the largest housing management
01:27companies in the UK after facing excessive fees. She now plans to help others to do the same.
01:32Amber Needham has seen her bill halved since switching providers, with First Port
01:37Estate Management being accused of not providing value for money. The company says
01:41all the charges go into the everyday running of the properties, but MPs say the system is broken.
01:47Our local democracy reporter Olly Leader has been hearing all about Amber's fight.
01:51A Greenhide paralegal turned accidental crusader in the fight for fairer estate management. For
02:01much of her time at Unicorn Walk, Amber Needham faced rising service charges and delayed repairs. But
02:10when she struggled to sell her flat as a result, she decided to do something about it.
02:17Yeah, it's terrifying. Quite life changing as well because at the time I was looking to sort
02:23of move in with a partner and buy a house. It was holding me back in that regard in my
02:27personal life. Just struggling to afford to pay the bills. We have to pay our service charges
02:31half yearly. So when it's up at two and a half, three grand, that's a lot of money to fork
02:36out every six months. The right to manage gives people the ability to get their estate manager
02:42removed if more than 50% of residents agree. But having halved her annual service fees since
02:50switching to a different property manager, she's now helping others to do the same. So far,
02:57I'm trying to do some others, but my block, which is over there, and then one of the smaller blocks
03:03over there, their claim was admitted the other day. So they've now got the right to manage as well.
03:07And then also my mum's block. My mum's got a flat in a block in Rochester called Lion Court.
03:14And she was in the same situation, but actually it was a little bit easier because we didn't need to do a right
03:21to manage for that. So she was also with fair support and her charges were just going up and up and up.
03:25I think they went up about £800 within the space of a year. And I was just looking at it like you're
03:32going to end up in the same situation that I was in essentially.
03:35It's there and in her own block that she teamed up with Stuart Grist to set up his estate management company
03:43with the purpose of providing a fairer deal for residents.
03:47The managing agent, the fees seemed to go up every year, but the service was going down. So cleaning wasn't done regularly.
03:55We were really frustrated at the quality of the building maintenance and things like that.
04:00And after many years of moaning, I decided, do you know what, I think I can probably have a crack at doing this better myself.
04:07So many of the estates where we've taken over, we've reduced service charges.
04:11In fact, actually, I'd say every single estate we've taken on, we've reduced service charges between 15 and 50 per cent in total.
04:20A spokesperson for Firstport says the service charges are used to cover day-to-day running costs of a development.
04:30And that comparing charges isn't always straightforward. But the MPs for both estates say the wider system is broken.
04:40I think some of the problems we've got are very ingrained. I think these managing agents like Firstport operate within the legal framework that's set out at the moment.
04:49And that often hugely disadvantages residents receiving those services. In fact, I'd go as far as to say they're being ripped off and they're being abused by some very poor practices.
05:02And that's why the new Labour government is committed to introducing legislation this year and doing a really proper consultation with residents to make sure we get it right to tackle some of these issues.
05:14Amber's fight is not over, with plans to start a company to help with right to manage up and down the country.
05:24And by the looks of it, she'll have her work cut out for her.
05:28Olly Leader in Greenhithe.
05:32Next, if you've been out and about today, you've probably felt it.
05:35But we can confirm, Kent is officially one of the hottest places to be in the country today.
05:40It comes as the UK's heat wave has entered its fifth and hottest day so far, with temperatures exceeding 33.5 degrees Celsius near Tunbridge Wells.
05:49Bartholomew Hall sent us this report from a farm in Meppham.
05:53Well, it is only Tuesday, but it's definitely been a hot week so far.
05:57The mercury has risen, and not least today, because it is officially the hottest day of the year so far.
06:04Temperatures of 33.6 degrees recorded in Frittenden here in Kent, just a few miles, in fact, from where I'm stood at this farm in Meppham.
06:12Now, all of this hot weather has brought with it a heat health alert.
06:15There's number one in force for us here in the southeast.
06:18That lasts until tomorrow.
06:20Public services such as hospitals and public transport could be significantly impacted.
06:25The NHS is warning us to make sure that we avoid being overheated with the risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke there for anybody who does stay out in the heat for too long.
06:35They're advising us to make sure we're wearing a hat, wearing sun cream, drinking lots of water.
06:40Now, for farmers in areas such as Meppham, they do have to take precautions as well.
06:45I was speaking with Steve, who looks after a lot of these very dry crops behind me, who said that he's hoping for some rain over the next few days and weeks to make sure that it's ready for harvest.
06:56Yeah, it makes it harder. As you can see, the cattle behind, they're still grazing.
07:01They are still finding something, but it is starting to get short now.
07:06If we don't get rain soon, it's going to be rough for a lot of people. A lot of people will have to sell stock.
07:11We should be able to hang on, but our problem is going to be getting in winter fodder for them.
07:17If we sow turnips now, they're not going to grow.
07:20What does that mean when you've got a long period of hot weather, dry weather, going straight into a lot of rain?
07:26It's not too bad, other than you can have very dry, hard ground and then on slopes it will just run off and you won't see it at all.
07:32But we're going to need a lot of rain to get over this.
07:36And in terms of the risk of wildfires as well, I know it's something we've seen in years gone by.
07:42Is that something that you're having to mitigate?
07:44Yeah, we're sort of worried now. We're just about to get rolling with the combines.
07:49You've only got to have a bit of a spark when it's really dry.
07:54And you have to bear in mind this is flinty ground and our combines have steel knives.
07:59So you have got flint and steel there. It's a great way to start a fire.
08:03Now if you're like Stephen, you're not a fan of these really hot days.
08:06I do have some good news for you over the next few days as we reach the weekend.
08:09Temperatures will be climbing down a bit, something a bit more in the mid to low 20s range.
08:15A bit different from the 30 degree heat that we've been experiencing.
08:18Tuesday night, tonight will be a bit more comfortable for sleeping across most areas.
08:23I mean, some parts of the southeast, you will expect a bit more of a hot night as well.
08:26So maybe do keep the windows open, keep that fan on if it's safe to do so.
08:30But by Wednesday, that heat wave will be over for most of us.
08:33Some rain is expected as well.
08:35So perhaps a bit more of a brighter side to things as we go towards the weekend.
08:41And we'll bring you the full weather report later today in the show.
08:45But now, further concessions could be on the cards as MPs are set to vote on one of the largest overhauls to disability benefits in decades.
08:53Disabled people here in the county fear that despite previous U-turns to protecting existing benefit claimants, that it could create a two tier system.
09:02But with PIP claimants doubling since the pandemic, the government say something has to be done to bring the benefits bill down.
09:09Well, our local democracy reporter, Olly Leader, joins me on the sofa now with the details.
09:14So thank you so much for joining me. Can you first tell me what's expected to happen tonight then?
09:19It's going to be one of the biggest votes in this parliamentary calendar this year.
09:24It's quite significant because the government need to save money somewhere.
09:29And this bill was estimated in its original form to save around £5 billion.
09:34It's still expected to save around £2 billion, even after all the U-turns.
09:41But there's lots of anger on the Labour benches because they say that it still won't go far enough to protect our society's most vulnerable disabled people
09:51who are claiming personal independence payments to help them live their lives to the fullest.
09:57But these numbers have been going up and up.
10:00And essentially, if there's enough Labour rebels tonight, this bill won't pass, which will be a major headache from the government
10:07and doesn't really give a lot of confidence in the people in charge.
10:12Kerry Badenoch, the Leader of the Opposition, says that this is a rushed bill, that this isn't the right approach.
10:19They'll be voting in just a few hours. We'll actually hear from the Secretary of State for this department
10:25and Kerry Badenoch here to get a little bit of flavour of what both sides are saying.
10:30Members opposite left us with a system that incentivises people to define themselves as incapable of work just to be able to afford to live.
10:41They then wrote people off without any help or support and then blamed them to grab a cheap headline.
10:48The result is 2.8 million people out of work due to long-term sickness.
10:56And one in eight of all our young people not in education, employment or training.
11:01It beggars belief that the Labour Party came into office after 14 years in opposition with absolutely no serious plan for reforming welfare.
11:10What were they doing all that time? What were they doing?
11:13The welfare bill is already totally unsustainable and it is only getting worse, Mr Speaker. It is only getting worse.
11:22We've actually heard that in the last few hours there will be potentially further concessions to win over the rebels before the vote this evening.
11:31It's going to go down to the wire either way and it could mean a lot of trouble for the government
11:37and lots of concern for disabled people here in the county.
11:40Thank you, Oli. It's time for a quick break now but we'll see you very soon for more news. Thank you.
15:00Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight. Now, two puppies were found abandoned in a bucket
15:18on Sheppie as temperatures reached 30 degrees. Two spaniel-type dogs were found by a member
15:28of the public on Lower Road, Minster on Sheppie. After being reported to Swale Council's
15:33Stray Dog Service, the animals were given a health check by a vet. Whilst in good condition,
15:38neither had been microchipped. Many replied to the service's social media appeal describing
15:43the dumping as cruel. The Stray Dog Service is urging anyone with information to get in
15:48touch. This comes after just a few days after five guinea pigs were found dumped in a cardboard
15:54box in Ashford. Next, a 19-year-old motorcyclist has been airlifted to hospital after a hit-and-run
16:01crash on Grange Road in Ramsgate. The incident took place this morning after the road currently
16:06remains shut as police are still looking for a driver. Ambulances were called 10 past 11
16:12and were joined by KSS Air Ambulance Charity, who lifted the teen to a hospital in London
16:17following injuries to his head and femur. A police spokesperson says enquiries are ongoing
16:23to locate the driver of one of the vehicles which left the scene. More on this story as
16:28it develops.
16:29But now, don't forget you can keep up to date with all our latest stories across Kemp by
16:34logging onto our website at KMTV.co.uk. There you'll find all the reports including this
16:39one about a former Gurkha, an amputee from Kemp who took on a mammoth 150-mile bike ride to
16:45Belgium. You might mistake it for a start of a race, but these riders aren't chasing medals,
16:52they're riding with memory. In the 8th annual Tommy Ride, more than 40 cyclists are setting
16:59off from Aylesford to Belgium. Leading the pack is Harry Budamagar, a former Gurkha and the
17:05first double-above-the-knee amputee to summit Mount Everest.
17:09That's handbrake, that's a brake as well and there's a gear on here.
17:16Unlike the others, Harry powers his trike by hand and it's his first time taking part.
17:22Last year I came to start this event and this year I think I should get involved and support
17:31to RBLI for whatever they do, they do an amazing job to support our veterans. So I come here
17:40to support RBLI and RBLI can support our veterans.
17:44He's joined by three former colleagues, all four losing limbs to IEDs in the same week in
17:50Afghanistan 15 years ago.
17:53I got injured in the second operational tour. I almost completed like half, almost two and
18:01half a month during tour and I got injured.
18:06I understand you and Harry both lost your legs in the same operation, is that right?
18:11Yes, yes. Yeah, me and Harry, Harry injured before me and I injured later on around half
18:18of my tour.
18:20Some of today's riders work at the RBLI factory. While many are veterans, others are simply here
18:26to support and raise vital funds.
18:29We're hoping to raise over £80,000 and the money raised will go to supporting what you
18:35see here on the village. So that's homes, support and work opportunities for some of our veterans
18:42who need it the most.
18:43And that's really important isn't it?
18:44Absolutely important. Here at the village we look after around 300 veterans and their families
18:49and we provide work opportunities, we provide the support that they need to get back on
18:56their feet and where they need to be.
18:58The group left at breakfast time, heading to Dover and across the Channel to Calais where
19:03they'll spend the night. Tomorrow they'll complete the journey through World War I battlefields,
19:08ending with a remembrance service.
19:10Gabriel Morris for KNTV in Ellsford.
19:14Now, as promised, it's time to take a quick look at the weather.
19:23Cloudy skies this evening with temperatures reaching 23 degrees in Dartford, wind speeds
19:27of 7 miles per hour in the east. Moving into tomorrow morning, temperatures dropping
19:31to 20 degrees in Medway and Margate, light rain across the majority of the county.
19:36Clear skies tomorrow afternoon, wind speeds picking up to 9 miles per hour, highs of 24
19:41degrees in Dartford. And the rest of the week, temperatures reaching 27 degrees on Friday,
19:46then cooling to 24 on Saturday with some cloud over the weekend.
20:01But now, a Kent charity that trains assistant dogs is calling for more people to become puppy
20:05training volunteers. Since the pandemic, the number of volunteers has declined, but demand
20:10is growing. Canine Partners says it's had to make the difficult decision to temporarily close
20:15its waiting list for those waiting for a dog. I spoke with one of the volunteers earlier,
20:20just to see, to see just how life changing these assistance dogs can be.
20:26PEARS is a life changer for me. You know, I've got a motto when it comes to PEARS and it's very simply this.
20:32When I can't, has can. I've got 15% mobility in my whole entire body and 2% in my hands.
20:42So there's my great need for an assistance dog right there. You can imagine with 2% mobility in my hands,
20:50you can imagine I drop things frequently. And I've got this very eager black boy, Labrador dog, Labrador
20:57going to retrieve a dog, all too eager to help mommy pick up things that she drops, except if it's food.
21:04If it's food, it's a goner. That's, that's a no brainer. Because this breed loves their food.
21:11So if I drop a piece of meat or I drop a piece of bread, he's not going to retrieve that for me, not in a long shot.
21:19PEARS helps me immensely in my life. He helps me with my balance. He gets the post when it comes to the door.
21:28Wherever I find myself in the house, he will find me and bring the post to me.
21:33He opens doors, closes doors. He, when the phone rings, he brings the landline to me wherever I am.
21:41And he takes it back. He takes my shoes off, takes my socks off, takes my jacket off.
21:50And takes the washing out of the machine for me, which I can't do.
21:55He puts the washing into the machine for me as well. He helps me hang it up.
22:00And it's so amazing to see when I'm out and about doing my shopping.
22:08Paz is absolutely the center of attention. Everybody loves him.
22:13And he's got such a lovable nature, to be honest.
22:17He's just this big black ball of wool on four legs. He's a big heart.
22:24And he does my shopping. He takes stuff off the shelf for me and puts it in my trolley.
22:30Wow. So I can imagine that it would be quite a struggle if you didn't have your dog.
22:35Simply one of the reasons being just because of the bond that you've created and how much that he helps you.
22:40What do you think life would look like for someone who needed an assistance dog,
22:44but couldn't get one due to, you know, not enough being trained or trained to their specific needs?
22:50How do you think maybe you could speak for yourself?
22:53How would your life be different if you didn't have Paz to help?
22:57You know, my life would be awful. I would be stuck indoors.
23:03I would be so dependent on carers and on other human beings doing things for me that Paz does for me.
23:11Because of Paz, I have no carer. I don't need a carer because Paz is my carer.
23:17And it will be a very lonely and a very sad life.
23:22It will be a waste of a life. It will be a waste of potential.
23:25It will be a waste of socialisation.
23:29It will be a waste of a joyful, happy, fulfilling life.
23:34And so then, is this why it's so important that more people volunteer to be puppy trainers?
23:40I mean, can anyone do it? What do you think is the main barrier holding people back from volunteering?
23:46To me, it sounds like quite maybe a fun thing to do.
23:49I think one of the main barriers is because they don't know about it.
23:54Lack of knowledge. And they think that they can't do it.
23:59They think they have to have special training and things.
24:02And I know with canine partners, to be a puppy parent, you're part of my life-changing story if you're a puppy parent.
24:11You are enabling me to go out because you are training the basics since they come toilet outside.
24:21You are such a contributor to my life story and to my confidence that I can have in the outside world with Paz by my side.
24:37So to be a puppy parent is an amazing job.
24:43You do so much to enable a dog like Paz to go forward to advanced training.
24:50And you just contact, all you have to do if you're interested, you have to contact canine partners and tell them,
24:57please tell me more because I want to be part of someone's life-changing story through being a puppy parent.
25:04Yeah, it sounds excellent. So you're saying that anyone can do it.
25:07You don't need any special training. It's just something that you can go down, help out,
25:11and maybe find your way with it as you go along. Is that the sort of way of it?
25:17Yes, it is. Because any training or any guidance that you probably would need will come from canine partners.
25:25And canine partners, I know, is always looking for puppy parents because you can imagine the demand is quite high.
25:32And canine partners are relying solely mostly on volunteers.
25:39So if you have a love for dogs and if you can see yourself cuddling a little furry puppy and training it to sit and training it to lie down and training it to just whatever it needs to be trained for,
25:56please, please contact canine partners.
26:00Don't worry that you don't know what to do.
26:02You will be told and you will be going on a little course.
26:06It can be an in-person course or it can be a course that is a webinar course or a Zoom course or something.
26:16But please, just put yourself out there and do something amazing for somebody who needs it.
26:24Now, it's time for a quick break.
26:26But coming up, you'll see our top story again about a greenhouse woman who's shaken off one of the largest housing management companies in the UK,
26:34which she also plans to help others to do the same.
26:37We also hear how farms are dealing with the intense heat wave hitting Kent at nearly 34 degrees.
26:43All that and more after the break.
26:45We'll see you then.
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30:12Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live on KMTV.
30:15A reminder of your headlines on Tuesday the 1st of July.
30:20A win for residents.
30:21Greenhouse Woman takes on overcharging housing giant.
30:26Hottest of the year.
30:27Kent Farmers hope for wet weather as temperatures soar across the UK.
30:32And back on the ball.
30:33Football legend Tony Adams takes to the pitch for Margate Charity Cup.
30:38But our top story this evening.
30:40A Greenhouse Woman has shaken off one of the largest housing management companies in the UK
30:44after excessive fees.
30:46And now plans to help others to do the same.
30:49Amber Needham has seen her bill halved since switching providers.
30:52With Firstport estate management being accused of not providing value for money.
30:57The company says all of the charges go into the everyday running of the properties.
31:01But MPs say the system that they operate in is broken.
31:07Our local democracy reporter Ollie Leder has been hearing all about Amber's fight.
31:12A Greenhide paralegal turned accidental crusader in the fight for fairer estate management.
31:21For much of her time at Unicorn Walk, Amber Needham faced rising service charges and delayed repairs.
31:29But when she struggled to sell her flat as a result, she decided to do something about it.
31:37Yeah, it's terrifying.
31:39Quite life changing as well because at the time I was looking to sort of move in with a partner and buy a house.
31:45It was holding me back in that regard in my personal life.
31:48Just struggling to afford to pay the bills.
31:50We have to pay our service charges half yearly.
31:52So when it's up at two and a half, three grand, that's a lot of money to fork out every six months.
31:57The right to manage gives people the ability to get their estate manager removed if more than 50% of residents agree.
32:06But having halved her annual service fees since switching to a different property manager,
32:13she's now helping others to do the same.
32:17So far, I'm trying to do some others, but my block, which is over there, and then one of the smaller blocks over there,
32:24their claim was admitted the other day, so they've now got the right to manage as well.
32:27And then also my mum's block, my mum's got a flat in a block in Rochester called Lyon Court.
32:34And she was in the same situation, but actually it was a little bit easier because we didn't need to do a right to manage for that.
32:42So she was also with fair support and her charges were just going up and up and up.
32:46I think they went up about £800 within the space of a year.
32:51And I was just looking at it like you're going to end up in the same situation that I was in, essentially.
32:55It's there and in her own block that she teamed up with Stuart Grist,
33:00who set up his estate management company with the purpose of providing a fairer deal for residents.
33:07The managing agent, the fees seemed to go up every year, but the service was going down.
33:13So cleaning wasn't done regularly. We were really frustrated at the quality of the building maintenance and things like that.
33:20And after many years of moaning, I decided, do you know what, I think I can probably have a crack at doing this better myself.
33:27So many of the estates where we've taken over, we've reduced service charges.
33:31In fact, actually, I'd say every single estate we've taken on, we've reduced service charges.
33:36Between 15% and 50% in total.
33:40A spokesperson for Firstport says the service charges are used to cover day-to-day running costs of a development.
33:50And that comparing charges isn't always straightforward.
33:54But the MPs for both estates say the wider system is broken.
34:00I think some of the problems we've got are very ingrained.
34:02I think these managing agents like Firstport operate within the legal framework that's set out at the moment.
34:09And that often hugely disadvantages residents receiving those services.
34:14In fact, I'd go as far as to say they're being ripped off and they're being abused by some very poor practices.
34:22And that's why the new Labour government is committed to introducing legislation this year
34:27and doing a really proper consultation with residents to make sure we get it right to tackle some of these issues.
34:34Amber's fight is not over.
34:37With plans to start a company to help with right to manage up and down the country.
34:44And by the looks of it, she'll have her work cut out for her.
34:48Olly Leader in Greenhithe.
34:52And next, if you've been out and about today, you've probably felt it.
34:55I know I have.
34:56But we can confirm Kent is officially one of the hottest places to be in the country today.
35:02It comes as the UK's heat wave has entered its fifth and hottest day so far,
35:07with temperatures exceeding 33.5 degrees Celsius near Tunbridge Wells.
35:12Well, Bartholomew Hall sent us this report from a farm in Meppham earlier.
35:16Well, it is only Tuesday, but it's definitely been a hot week so far.
35:20The mercury has risen, and not least today, because it is officially the hottest day of the year so far.
35:27Temperatures of 33.6 degrees recorded in Frittenden here in Kent, just a few miles, in fact, from where I'm stood at this farm in Meppham.
35:35Now, all of this hot weather has brought with it a heat health alert.
35:39There's number one in force for us here in the southeast.
35:41That lasts until tomorrow.
35:43Public services such as hospitals and public transport could be significantly impacted.
35:48The NHS is warning us to make sure that we avoid being overheated with the risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke there for anybody who does stay out in the heat for too long.
35:59They're advising us to make sure we're wearing a hat, wearing sun cream, drinking lots of water.
36:04Now, for farmers in areas such as Meppham, they do have to take precautions as well.
36:08I was speaking with Steve, who looks after a lot of these very dry crops behind me, who said that he's hoping for some rain over the next few days and weeks to make sure that it's ready for harvest.
36:19Yeah, it makes it harder. As you can see, the cattle behind, they're still grazing.
36:24They are still finding something, but it is starting to get short now.
36:29If we don't get rain soon, it's going to be rough for a lot of people.
36:33A lot of people will have to sell stock.
36:35We should be able to hang on, but our problem is going to be getting in winter fodder for them.
36:40If we sow turnips now, they're not going to grow.
36:44What does that mean when you've got a long period of hot weather, dry weather, going straight into a lot of rain?
36:50It's not too bad, other than you can have very dry, hard ground and then on slopes it will just run off and you won't see it at all.
36:56But we're going to need a lot of rain to get over this.
37:00And in terms of the risk of wildfires as well, I know it's something we've seen in years gone by.
37:06Is that something that you're having to mitigate?
37:08Yeah, we're sort of worried now. We're just about to get rolling with the combines.
37:13Yeah, you've only got to have a bit of a spark when it's really dry.
37:18And you have to bear in mind, this is flinty ground and our combines have steel knives.
37:22So you have got flint and steel there. It's a great way to start a fire.
37:26Now, if you like Stephen, you're not a fan of these really hot days.
37:29I do have some good news for you over the next few days as we reach the weekend.
37:33Temperatures will be climbing down a bit, something a bit more in the mid to low 20s range,
37:38a bit different from the 30 degree heat that we've been experiencing.
37:42Tuesday night tonight will be a bit more comfortable for sleeping across most areas.
37:46I mean, some parts of the southeast, you will expect a bit more of a hot night as well.
37:49So maybe do keep the windows open, keep that fan on if it's safe to do so.
37:53But by Wednesday, that heat wave will be over for most of us.
37:57Some rain is expected as well.
37:59So perhaps a bit more of a brighter side to things as we go towards the weekend.
38:04Now, further concessions could be on the cards as MPs are set to vote on one of the largest overhauls to disability benefits in decades.
38:14Disabled people here in the county fear that despite a previous U-turn to protect existing benefit claimants,
38:20that it could create a two-tier system.
38:22But with PIP claimants doubling since the pandemic, the government say something has to be done to bring all the benefits,
38:29to bring the benefits bill down.
38:31Our local democracy reporter, Ollie Leder, joins me on the sofa now with the details.
38:36So can you give me a rundown then of what's happening?
38:39Well, we have a bit of a breaking news situation here.
38:42In the last – because the bill's been voted on in the next few hours –
38:45in the last few hours, the government have made yet more concessions.
38:49They made a U-turn last week protecting existing claimants.
38:54That wasn't originally on the table.
38:56There have been new assessments for everyone.
38:58And now it was originally going to be after November 2026 that harsher guidelines will be put in place around claiming PIP.
39:07That's been delayed until after a review around PIP eligibility.
39:12PIP is personal independence payments.
39:14It helps disabled people live life to the fullest.
39:18And it's been delayed as far as we understand.
39:22Will that still be enough to win over those rebels, those MPs, who still are not happy about this bill?
39:29We're currently uncertain.
39:31The government do say they have to do this.
39:33It's going to cost them a lot of money otherwise.
39:35And then you get more people back to work.
39:37In fact, we have Liz Kendall talking about it in the Commons earlier.
39:41And Kerry Badenoch, the leader of the opposition, pushing back.
39:46Members opposite left us with a system that incentivises people to define themselves as incapable of work just to be able to afford to live.
39:56They then wrote people off without any help or support and then blamed them to grab a cheap headline.
40:03The result is 2.8 million people out of work due to long-term sickness.
40:12And one in eight of all our young people not in education, employment or training.
40:17It beggars belief that the Labour Party came into office after 14 years in opposition with absolutely no serious plan for reforming welfare.
40:26What were they doing all that time? What were they doing?
40:29The welfare bill is already totally unsustainable.
40:33And it is only getting worse, Mr Speaker. It is only getting worse.
40:38And it's not just them talking about it.
40:41Disabled people here in Kent are furious at the government.
40:45I spoke to one of them over the weekend when we didn't know about these new concessions.
40:49She's absolutely livid.
40:51It's not for people that are out of work.
40:54It's for anybody who's disabled.
40:57But just because someone is not able to work doesn't mean they don't want to.
41:02And they shouldn't be classed as something that's negative because they physically have something wrong with them.
41:11It means they can't work.
41:14The Labour Party should be looking after us, not stopping us from having a life.
41:22And this is going to be a big moment for the government.
41:27Can they see off the rebels?
41:29What would this mean for confidence in what was a year ago?
41:33A sizable majority now seeing lots of those new intake pushing back against the government.
41:39It's all to play for, down to the wire.
41:41And it's to save people's lives who are on the line.
41:43Thank you, Ollie.
41:44More news for you after the break.
41:46We will see you very, very soon.
44:48Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live on KMTV.
45:16Now, former Arsenal and England captain Tony Adams has taken to Margate's FC pitch after 23 years of not playing.
45:23All to raise awareness for two recovery support charities.
45:27The Emma Urquhart Cup is named after the charity's late volunteer and saw Roar the Forward Trust face off to honour her memory.
45:36Phil McDermott went to pitch side to see how the charity match went down and if Tony Adams can still put up a good fight after all these years.
45:43So, first of all, how does it feel to get back on the pitch after 23 years?
45:50Exhausting. Absolutely exhausting.
45:54Well, it may have been 23 years since ex-England and Arsenal captain Tony Adams has laced up his boots, but he still brought his A-game to Margate FC's Hartstown Park to support those struggling with addiction.
46:09Adams himself struggled with alcoholism off the pitch, and now he's lined up with volunteers from the addiction support charities Roar and the Forward Trust to raise money and awareness for the charities in the first ever match of the Emma Urquhart Cup, named after a volunteer for the charities who passed away a short while ago.
46:26I've got some fantastic services in employment, in education, housing and recovery.
46:33And it's all about recovery. Emma used to work for the Forward Trust who sadly passed away.
46:38So I'm more than happy to put my boots on to honour Emma's memory, the great work the Forward Trust do here and Roar.
46:48We played against Roar today, reach out and recover. They do a lot of good work also in the area.
46:53I'm very proud to be chairman. I'm very proud to put the boots back on.
46:56Since the days of Tony's playing career with Arsenal in England, football has undergone a transformation,
47:01and now clubs like Margate can be a vessel for social change in their communities.
47:06Yeah, football can do that in lots of ways. Obviously, it brings people together.
47:09As part of our drop-in, we have football sessions running anyway on a Friday, so people get together.
47:15They develop social networks, they develop friendships, they realise that they've still got the skills they had a long time ago,
47:22and, yeah, it can obviously help with mental health and physical health all at the same time.
47:27In the end, the Forward Trust lost on penalties, but even though Tony said he would only play ten minutes a side,
47:32he ended up playing around 70 minutes, which goes to show just how much the cause means to him.
47:37Other people, my fellowship, the people around me have helped me get clean and sober, so this is why I do days like this.
47:45We need the connections. We can't beat this on our own, so reach out for help.
47:49The man who spent most of his career helping Arsenal to four Premier League titles is now spending his time working with volunteers
47:56and helping those who need it most. Finn McDermid for KMTV.
48:02Now, don't forget you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent by logging on to our website,
48:07KMTV.co.uk. There you'll find all the reports, including this one, about a cervical screening test,
48:14meaning more accessible care for women who may otherwise have not been screened.
48:19Cervical screening rates in Kent are slightly above the national average,
48:23but more than five million women across England are still overdue for the potentially life-saving test.
48:30But now, a new scheme aims to make it easier and more accessible than ever.
48:34Starting in January, women who are overdue for cervical screening will be offered an at-home testing kit by NHS England.
48:41The fact that I might find a test kit dropping through my letterbox early next year makes it so much easier.
48:48I can do that. I can control the environment. I can make sure that actually I'm sitting comfortably,
48:54that I'm perhaps the only person in the room and there aren't three others or people walking in as I've had that experience.
49:00So I know that I will do it. And again, we have to be careful. It's looking for the HPV virus, which we know can be a precursor to cervical cancer.
49:10So actually if that test shows there are those cells, you would need to go in and see your doctor to have a proper full cervical smear test.
49:19By delivering these free tests discreetly and with prepaid return packaging,
49:24the NHS hope that it will make people feel more comfortable and increase uptake by a predicted 77%.
49:31The self-sample kit that tests for HPV, the virus that causes most cervical cancers, can be done privately at home in just a few minutes.
49:40So we know across the UK that there are around about 3,300 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed every year.
49:47That's about nine cases every day. And it's estimated that introducing these home testing kits will save around 5,000 lives every year.
49:55Many different women face different barriers for taking part in cervical screening.
49:59A recent trial that was carried out in London found that women from LGBTQ or plus backgrounds,
50:06women from ethnic minority backgrounds and women living in more deprived areas were likely to take part in these home testing kits.
50:14So offering it really does mean that we can reduce that cancer inequality that comes with cervical cancer.
50:20Just under 69% of eligible women in England are up to date with their screening.
50:25In Kent, the figure is slightly higher at 71.5, but still short of the NHS target of 80%.
50:33With allowing for more comfort and control over physical health,
50:36these at-home kits may reduce the stigma and fear surrounding these screenings.
50:41In turn, increasing health and wellbeing for those who need the test.
50:45Kristen Hawthorne for ChemTV.
50:47Now, coming up after the break is another episode of Kent On Climate,
50:53covering all the environmental news from across the county.
50:56On this week's episode, we will hear all about how soaring temperatures are impacting the county
51:01and a moth which has been rediscovered after 73 years of extinction.
51:06Well, joining me now to tell us more is our show's producer, Daisy Page.
51:10So 73 years is a long time. Can you tell me a little bit more about how this moth was rediscovered?
51:15Yeah, so this moth we can see right next to us here is known as the Dover Twist.
51:21And it has not been recorded here in England since 1952.
51:25And on today's climate show, I've spoke with Rebecca, who's an ecologist from the Butterfly Conservation,
51:30and she actually rediscovered this moth.
51:33And this is great news because we've been seeing a decline in butterflies and moths.
51:38And data has shown that 2024 was the fifth worst year on record for butterflies across the UK.
51:46Now, this moth has been rediscovered at Lyddon Temple Ewell Nature Reserve,
51:51which is managed by Kent Wildlife Trust.
51:53And it was discovered on Wednesday the 18th of June.
51:55On the day, they discovered 13 of these moths, and they've since been back.
51:59And currently, on record, they've discovered 24.
52:02Now, the Dover Twist also goes by a different name.
52:05But I'll let Rebecca explain that a little bit more for us.
52:09This species of moth was thought to be extinct from England, and specifically the Dover area,
52:15where it was known back in the 1950s.
52:19We weren't expecting to see it in Dover.
52:24So when a population turned up in the 80s on the island of Tyree, way up off of Scotland,
52:32it got renamed the Tyree Twist moth more recently.
52:38But now that it's back in Dover, we're going to call it the Dover Twist down in England,
52:44and they can call it the Tyree Twist up in Scotland.
52:48So a lot of moths sometimes, especially this one, you know, it's different colours.
52:52What is the difference between a butterfly and a moth?
52:54Because it's quite confusing sometimes.
52:56Well, this is one thing that I was always quite unsure about.
52:59So obviously having an ecologist on the programme today,
53:02I obviously had to ask her what the difference is between a butterfly and a moth.
53:06And rather than me explaining, we'll have the expert explain now.
53:09If they have a clubbed antennae, that's a really thick point at the tip of the antennae,
53:16it's more likely to be a butterfly.
53:18And if they don't have that, if they've got really feathered antennae with lots of projections coming off,
53:25it's more likely to be a moth.
53:27So one of the key points there was taking a look at their antennae to see the size or whether they're feathered,
53:34to try and identify whether it's a butterfly or moth.
53:37And also in today's programme, not only do I speak with Rebecca,
53:41but my butterfly knowledge is also tested.
53:44So I thought, why not test your butterfly knowledge?
53:46Is it good?
53:47Well, I'm not sure. I'm not sure.
53:50It's OK. We'll find out. We'll find out.
53:52So what's going to happen?
53:53We're going to have an image appear next to us.
53:55I'm going to give you two options.
53:56I'm going to give you A or B, and you've got to try and guess which one's right.
53:59So let's start with our first butterfly.
54:02Is this a brimstone butterfly or a clouded yellow butterfly?
54:07Oh, brimstone. Well, clouded yellow.
54:10I mean, it's more green than yellow.
54:12So I'd like to, it does look very much like a leaf.
54:15I can't stop looking at it.
54:16I'd say the first one maybe because it's not yellow.
54:18Yeah. So you're correct. Starting off strong.
54:20This is actually a brimstone butterfly.
54:22As you said there pointed out is that is very distinctive
54:25with its leaf shaped wings and commonly spotted in gardens,
54:28woodlands and parks.
54:29And now the really interesting thing about this butterfly is actually
54:33it created the butterfly name and how we identified these species.
54:37So they've got the name butter in them because the wings kind of look
54:41a little bit like the colour.
54:42It's typically more in male wings.
54:44They're more bright to yellow as this one's a bit more green.
54:47And hopefully your butter isn't green.
54:49So let's move on to our next butterfly.
54:52Is this a ringlet butterfly or a meadow brown?
54:56A meadow brown.
54:57A meadow brown.
54:58Oh, okay.
54:59We've got one so far.
55:00This is actually a ringlet butterfly.
55:02So this is common, commonly found in woodlands, edges,
55:05head growths or on damp grasslands in the summer.
55:09It gets its name, the ringlet butterfly.
55:11As you can see here, it's got some little ringlets on the outside of the ring.
55:17So that's the most common way to identify them.
55:20And we'll move on to our last butterfly as well.
55:23Now this one I always get confused with.
55:26So it's a bit tricky.
55:27It's a little bit tricky.
55:28Do you think this is a painted lady or a peacock butterfly?
55:33I'm going to say a peacock butterfly just because of the little spots that it has towards
55:38the top of its wings reminds me a little bit of a peacock.
55:41Well, exactly right.
55:42So we got two out of three.
55:43That was brilliant.
55:44So yes, this is a peacock butterfly and perhaps one of the most familiar butterflies
55:49that we can see out and about.
55:50And as you mentioned again, their markings are unmistakable.
55:54They've got what they described as the big blue eyes.
55:58They're very similar to what we see on a peacock feather tail.
56:02And unlike other butterflies mentioned, it can also be seen feeding on flowers all year
56:07around and is a regular visitor to your garden.
56:10So if you've got a garden or a park nearby, make sure to go out and take a look for them.
56:16But also the interesting thing about this butterfly is that when alarmed, the peacock is able
56:21to make a hitting noise by rubbing its wings quickly together.
56:25And I just think that's quite interesting to kind of scare away some predators there as well.
56:30Fabulous, Daisy.
56:31Thank you so much.
56:32And then I believe we also have a quiz in Kenton Climate as well.
56:35Yeah, we do have a quiz, but I'm going to be tested on whether I can identify a difference
56:39between moth or a butterfly.
56:41We'll see that very, very soon.
56:42I'm sure everyone's really excited.
56:44That's all we have for tonight.
56:45Thank you so much.
56:46And we'll see you soon.
56:47Bye bye.
57:14Bye bye.
57:44Bye bye.
57:45Bye bye.
58:14Bye bye.
58:15Bye bye.
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