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Catch up with all the latest news from across the county with Ollie Leader.
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00:00Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight live here on KMTV.
00:28I'm Oli Leder and here are your top stories on Friday the 4th of July.
00:34A spineless move. KCC under fire following ban on trans books.
00:41Cabinet members should perhaps be spending a little bit more time in committees,
00:44which they keep cancelling, rather than faffing about with books in libraries.
00:49Change or disdain? What does the county think of Labour's first year in power?
00:56Dramatically let down by these changes and these proposals that are being rushed through.
01:01And the Kent County show kicks off. We'll have the latest from the first day of celebration.
01:08Weather's just right, it's not too hot. Nice breeze. Everybody seems to be enjoying themselves.
01:13First tonight, controversy at Kent County Council.
01:27After the reform leader, Lyndon Kamkaren, said all transgender related books have been removed from children's sections of its libraries.
01:37It comes after fellow Reform UK councillor Paul Webb said the books had been removed after a concerned member of the public had contacted him.
01:48Bartholomew Hall reports and says it's unclear which books have been removed.
01:53I've today issued instruction for them all to be removed from the children's section of any of our libraries.
02:00They do not belong in the children's section of our libraries. Our children do not need to be told they were born in the wrong bodies.
02:06This is Reform UK's cabinet member for communities Paul Webb speaking to his followers on X to announce Kent County Council has removed all transgender related books from the children's sections of its libraries.
02:19The move has quickly sparked opposition online, with a petition set up calling for the ban to be repealed.
02:26It's disgusting, you know, from the era that we live in now and this nasty rhetoric anti-trans stuff that's still coming and hitting the trans community, especially in Kent.
02:42You know, all I can say is I think that those people are the ones that need to be educated.
02:49The leader of the council, Lyndon Kamkaran, later joined the online discussion writing another victory for common sense in Kent.
02:56This trans material has been removed from the children's sections of all Kent libraries.
03:01The book in question, The Autistic Trans Guide to Life.
03:05Its online description, written by the publishers, clearly states it's a book for adults.
03:11Meanwhile, a quick search on KCC's library directory shows it's part of the adult non-fiction collection.
03:18We cross-referenced the pictures posted by the council leader with these images from Herne Bay Library's online virtual tour.
03:25It appears it may have been displayed in a pride-themed welcome section, rather than the library's colourful children's section.
03:32We have a fantastic staff of very well-trained, very well-qualified librarians across Kent
03:38and I'm sure that they ensure all books are in the right sections of the library,
03:41not least because that's the easiest way for people to find the books that they're after.
03:45Cabinet members should perhaps be spending a little bit more time in committees, which they keep cancelling,
03:50rather than faffing about with books in libraries and interfering with the day job of our hard-working librarians.
03:57In a statement, Kent County Council told us staff at the county's 99 libraries have been asked
04:03to ensure that books are always stocked in age-appropriate categories
04:07and that no adult literature makes its way into areas specifically aimed at children
04:12or where children will be selecting books such as the public welcome displays.
04:17The book has since been relocated to a section that is unlikely to be visited by children.
04:22It's unclear which books or how many have been affected by reform's request,
04:27leaving many to wonder if this chapter is really closed on Kent's library shelves.
04:32Bartholomew Hall for KMTV.
04:35Well, Shea Coffey, the founder of Medway Pride, joins me here for a bit of reaction.
04:41What do you make of this and what do you think this will mean for trans people here in the county?
04:47What do I make of it? It's a bit of hokum, isn't it?
04:50It's a cheap, easy, quick bit of publicity for a political party.
04:54What does it mean for trans people?
04:56Yet again, trans people are the butt of something and they're fearful right now.
05:01There's no doubt that what we've seen over the last two years has been across media,
05:05across political parties, an orchestrated campaign that leaves trans people,
05:10sometimes alone, often very frightened.
05:12Because Reform UK says it's all about safeguarding.
05:15That's why they did this. Are there any safeguarding concerns?
05:18Do you not think they might have a point here?
05:20They don't seem to want to safeguard anything else.
05:23They were safeguarding people from flags last month.
05:26This month, it's a book that isn't in the children's section, that wouldn't be read by children,
05:31isn't catalogued for child section.
05:34And we've found a cheap and easy win that we can use to throw red meat to the faithful.
05:40And with these books, do you think this will be the start of something?
05:44Do you think there's been more stunts than targeting trans people, given that it has picked up on social media?
05:50People have been sharing it.
05:52Do you not think that this might be the start of something, a larger campaign by KCC around this issue?
05:58Invariably, I'd like to separate KCC from Reform, because while they do indeed control the council,
06:04there's a lot of council staff that just don't agree with the way Reform are running things.
06:08That is easy to see on social media. Reform keep trying to stamp it down.
06:12Is it part of something larger? Obviously. We saw that in America.
06:17We saw it go from just being about books, to being about teachers, to being about politicians.
06:23And it's a thin end of a very large wedge. And banning books never ends well.
06:29Do you think that this reflects a change in attitude from our politicians?
06:34Or do you think it is a sense that there are issues, there are concerns that are valid around single sex spaces,
06:42that are rising to the forefront? Or do you think it's a mixture of both?
06:46I think to a certain extent it's a mixture of both.
06:48If you keep seeing scare stories in the media about shark attacks,
06:52you're going to be worried next time you go to the beach.
06:54But it doesn't mean that there are going to be shark attacks.
06:57It's very easy to get these stories into the media and stir up worries, stir up concerns.
07:03The thing you do actually stir up is hatred.
07:06Well, Shay, thank you so much for joining us on the sofa here.
07:08It's a really important discussion which you can follow on Kent Online as well.
07:12Thanks so much, Shay.
07:14Now, in other news, a man who claims to have no memory of abusing his five-year-old daughter
07:19has been sentenced to life in prison.
07:22Baby Everly died after suffering a catastrophic brain injury, bruising to her mouth and multiple fractures.
07:3025-year-old Thomas Holford has been sentenced to life for her murder with a minimum term of 16 years.
07:37Although he accepted responsibility for his newborn's injuries and that he was under the influence of cannabis at the time,
07:45he gave no explanation as to how or why he inflicted them.
07:50Today's sentence could mean he could be aged 40 when he is released.
07:55Now, a Ramsgate building left derelict for decades has been converted into a restaurant, bar and co-working space.
08:07The project at the old wine warehouse will create 40 jobs and six apprenticeships,
08:13with hopes for further restoration works of other empty buildings across Ramsgate.
08:18Well, I went down to the launch event to find out why this means so much to the community.
08:25The old wine warehouse, originally built by local wine merchants Page & Sons in the 1890s,
08:34has been empty for the last decade.
08:37But with the help of more than £400,000 in Kent County Council loans,
08:42a not-for-profit heritage organisation has brought the building back to life
08:48as a community hub designed to create 40 jobs.
08:54A commonplace survey done recently by Ramsgate Town Council
08:57that trying to repair and restore and reuse derelict buildings
09:02was one of the top things that came up in the questionnaire of local people.
09:06So we know people care passionately about this.
09:08And we want to restore pride in the town.
09:10We want to create jobs.
09:11There's been no net job growth in this town for 10 years.
09:14So we want to support good jobs for local people,
09:17get more people using the town centre,
09:19supporting more local businesses and help do our bit to get Ramsgate regenerated.
09:24Where I'm stood right now is the new co-working space here at the old wine warehouse.
09:30People are already doing their working day up here overlooking Charlotte Court.
09:38And this is part of the regeneration process,
09:43encouraging people to come and use the facilities and generate growth for the area.
09:50And with 10,000 people expected to use all the facilities here in the building within the next year,
09:59it's going to get a whole lot busier.
10:03All we've got here is the possibility of having a restaurant,
10:05having workspace and indeed a bar, a place where people can come and share ideas.
10:10So this could well become the kind of creative hub that can really get things going.
10:15We've got so much creative energy here in Ramsgate.
10:18Having something like this will really harness that energy to make a difference.
10:23One of the things I feel strongly about, it's got to be at the heart of the community.
10:26And we keep the community, we are the community.
10:28I live in Ramsgate. Rob lives in Ramsgate.
10:30We are people from the community working on it to keep it going.
10:33We constantly consult people.
10:36We're constantly talking to people about what we're doing and how we're doing it.
10:39And we want it to be at the heart of the community.
10:43It means a lot.
10:44I think we've not even opened yet and we've created eight part-time jobs.
10:48Working with the restart scheme.
10:51So people have been out of work for quite some time.
10:53But it feels great to already be creating jobs and we're not even open yet.
10:57Having uncorked the warehouse's potential, Ramsgate Heritage Labs aren't planning to stop just yet.
11:06With the organisation in discussions with local authorities about bringing the East Cliff shelters back to their former glory.
11:16But for now, they'll be raising a glass to years of hard work finally paying off.
11:23Only leader in Ramsgate.
11:26Always good to see a good news story just before the break.
11:33Apologies for that black frame there.
11:35Now, we'll be back after the break with thoughts on Labour's first year back in power.
11:42And we're talking hopefully to a Medway MP.
11:46Stick around.
11:47We'll see you in a few minutes time.
11:49You can see you in the next session.
11:51Do you want to talk please about abs I have been doing
15:15Today marks one year since Labour won 11 seats across Kent in a landslide election.
15:23The previously conservative heartlands of Kent turned red, but with U-turns on welfare policies
15:29and an increase in both national wages and national insurance, how do people really feel
15:35about Labour's first year having lived through it?
15:38S. Lee Reynolds has been out in Rochester for us.
15:41One year ago, Labour won the general election. The party took 412 seats, giving it a majority
15:48of 174. Here in Kent, Labour won 11 seats and the Conservatives lost 10. Previously blue parts
15:57of Kent, such as Folkestone and Hive and Ashford voted in Labour candidates. But how did the
16:03people of Kent feel Labour have done in their first year?
16:06They've been a bit weak, haven't they? They started off being tough on benefits and stopping winter
16:11fuel allowances, but unfortunately they've U-turned on all of them, shown them to be weak.
16:18Sometimes a change is good because it just tells you, you know, that we needed something.
16:24I think they're trying their best. I think there's definitely a lot of things they can
16:27improve on, but it's just got to see how it goes for the future, I guess.
16:32He's not doing very well, is he, basically? Hey, winter fuel payments, I mean, all that's
16:37up in the air? No.
16:38A few of the things that he's cut and whatever, he's gone wrong to start with.
16:43I think the obvious bits that he's not doing well, I agree with that. He looks like he's
16:49not doing very well, Keir Starmer, but I think in the background there are a lot of things
16:53that he has done well that sadly he's not actually publicising.
16:57Economically, Labour have increased national wage, which has helped many, but they also
17:02increase national insurance, which is affecting businesses' profits.
17:07But a focus on infrastructure, such as roads and trains, could help with economic growth.
17:12Looking at their infrastructure strategy and industrial strategy, these are all things
17:16we've not had for several decades. So they've made some progress, but yeah, it's been slower
17:22going than I think they had originally hoped for.
17:25Others feel this first year has let them down. Recently, Labour did a U-turn on their welfare
17:31policy. And the Dartford Kindness community recently hosted a Care Not Cuts coffee morning in response.
17:39General consensus is that we've been ignored. A lot of people in the room voted for Labour,
17:46but still those people are feeling dramatically let down by these changes and these proposals
17:52that are being rushed through. And it all seems grossly unfair.
17:56With mixed opinions across the county, many watch on to see if the next year will bring
18:00change or disdain. Etterley Reynolds for KMTV.
18:06Well, Etterley joins us on the sofa now because it has been a tumultuous week for Labour. After
18:13a year that's been a mixture of positives and negatives for the party faithful, break down what
18:20voters in Rochester were telling you because they were quite divided. This was a Labour target seat
18:25back last year in 2024.
18:27Yeah, it was kind of, I went down the high street, spoke to a plethora of different people. And there
18:32was a real mix of opinion. Now, before this general election, Labour had gotten a lot of seats,
18:39sorry, during the general election, from a lot of places that were described as true blue. So these
18:44are places that had consistently voted Conservative. And from that, Labour managed, they won the election,
18:51and they managed to get a lot of red seats across Kent. And people in Rochester were saying,
18:57saying a mix of things. Some people were saying that they feel it's, even though it's a year on,
19:00it's too early to determine whether it's been a good or a bad government. Whereas some people
19:05were saying, you know, they've U-turned. Well, let's talk to someone who knows all about this.
19:09Tris Osborne, the Labour MP for Chatham and Ellsford. Thank you for joining us down the line. We know
19:15it's been a bit of a tumultuous process joining us today, but it's great speaking to you. I want to
19:21kind of get your sense of it because this week hasn't been the government's finest hour. There's been
19:26last minute U-turns. There's been lots of concern from backbenchers. Do you think that this has been
19:32a good year? What have your party actually delivered? Yeah, so I'm in Bluebell Village at
19:40the moment. So I've just finished, funnily enough, a residence meeting with residents here. And I asked
19:45them exactly the same question. What are the positives and negatives? I think a lot of people want to give us
19:51more time. I think one year in, we've obviously begun the process of change, but some people aren't
19:57seeing that in their lived experiences. So we've got to get that money into the NHS to cut those
20:02waiting lists. The economy is growing, but people aren't feeling that in their pockets. So we need
20:07to have more trade deals to ensure that working standards and living standards increase. And also,
20:13we need to improve schools, hospitals and get rid of those potholes in our roads that are causing so many
20:18problems. So no one is claiming that this is mission done, mission success. We have got a
20:25shed load more to do. And the public are frustrated. And we need to prove every single day that we are
20:31working on their priorities. I'm under no illusion about that. And look, I understand the cynicism.
20:38I understand the media sometimes will portray a tear as being more than that. But politics is a tough old
20:46trade. But I would ask people watching, give us more time and you'll see the results.
20:51I suppose the question would be, it says not mission done. But for many people, it looks like
20:55mission impossible, because we've heard about U-turns on welfare, on winter fuel payments. We still
21:04know that there's billions of pounds to fill come the autumn with worries about tax rises.
21:10Is this government got their hand on the steering wheel here? Because with backbenchers even concerned
21:17now, why should we trust the government if backbenchers aren't trusting the government?
21:22Okay, so I don't know what the growth situation will be over the next six months. That will be for
21:28the fiscal event in November. So I'm not going to talk about ruling taxes in and out, because that is
21:35the same game that people say, just when you ask people, will you or won't you? We won't know until
21:41the OBR forecasts are published later on in the year. And that's the same with any government. But
21:46the reality is that Labour MPs fully support Keir Starmer. We are not going to go through the same
21:53psychodramas and constant churn of leadership that the Conservatives went through with Rishi Sunak and
21:59Liz Truss and Johnson. We've learned those mistakes. But of course, in a democratic party,
22:04there will be things where those on the left will disagree with each other on. And we need to have
22:08those conversations. And where I will say is on welfare, these are very difficult conversations
22:14about honourably in our community. We do need to reform welfare. The way it was handled could have
22:20been better. And I look forward to the Stephen Timms review, which will conclude where we need to be
22:25going forward. But I can tell you that the large majority of stuff that we're doing at the moment,
22:33all Labour MPs are on the stage. We just want to get on and deliver the change that people voted for us
22:38on. Great speaking to you, the connections to get a bit fuzzy there. But thank you for joining us.
22:44So last minute, it's great talking to you. We'll catch you very, very soon, I'm sure.
22:48Now let's take a very quick look at the weather for the weekend.
22:59Tonight, partly cloudy skies across the county. Temperatures ranging between 16 and 19 degrees
23:05into tomorrow morning. Clouds across the board. Temperatures around 18, 17 down in Tunbridge,
23:11Wales into the afternoon. Much of the same with temperatures rising to around 20 degrees.
23:17Not that sunshine that we were hoping for though. And for the beginning of next week, cloud and sunshine.
23:25And finally, from cattle to sheep to food stores and new displays,
23:29The Kent County Show has returned. Henry Luck has more.
23:32From big to small, The Kent County Show is back and ready to showcase the farming wonders
23:40found only in the Garden of England for one weekend at Detling Showground.
23:46This year's show even saw a visit from the Royal Duchess of Edinburgh and some young farmers were lucky
23:54enough to speak to her. It's very nice speaking to the Duchess. It was, it felt very special to be
23:59kind of recognised as a federation. Obviously, we're very fortunate that the National Federation's
24:09patron is His Majesty the King. But it was nice to see it on a personal level and hear her interest in
24:16what we were doing and how invested she is in the future of our members. It was very nice, very special.
24:24For those who love nature on the wild side, the Kent Youth Trials Club demonstrated the
24:30spectacle of motorcycles. It's a very friendly sport. As a club, we have events like this,
24:37where we're all the way camping for the weekend. We have about four, what we call double headers,
24:42Saturday and Sunday competitions, where we camp as well. And the children get on brilliantly.
24:48And in the evenings, they're away playing in the woods together, riding their bicycles together.
24:54You don't see a tablet or a phone. It's good. It gives them a real sense of community. My son who
24:59rides, he has more friends within the club than he does outside of the club. There are also spots at
25:06the county show that teach the public the wide range of biodiversity found in the county. In Kent,
25:14we've got arguably more bumblebee species than anywhere else in the country, including five of
25:20the rarest. And so our work is to help both the common ones, but also the rare ones with targeted
25:28projects to try and help them expand. And that's something that the general public can really help
25:36with through the actions they take in their gardens and their workplaces. The event has thousands of people
25:43showing up every July. But what did they think of the annual celebration?
25:47Brilliant. We've had a quick wander round, haven't we? It's good things to do.
25:52Brilliant. It's fun. Weather's just right. It's not too hot. Nice breeze. Everybody seems to be enjoying themselves.
26:00Well, obviously, I've enjoyed looking at the sheep. They are the most fantastic selection of animals.
26:08I never realised there were so many different types of sheep. Going on for over 100 years now,
26:15it looks like the Kent County show still has plenty of steam in its engine. A visit to the Kent County
26:22show wouldn't be complete without indulging in some delicious Kentish strawberries.
26:27Oh, I'm very, very jealous of Henry there. Those strawberries look fantastic. Well, you, well, good night. See you soon.
26:46I'll see you soon.
26:58I'll see you soon.
27:06I'll see you soon.
27:18I'll see you soon.
27:22I'll see you soon.
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