Meet the Cliftonville Kent County Council by-election candidates
Please come along to ask questions and hear the answers from the candidates standing to be your Kent County Council member for Cliftonville in the by-election on Thursday, 9 April.
This is an event for anyone in the Cliftonville electoral division who is interested in or concerned about how our county is governed and led, how that affects us, and how we can make a difference.
Candidates
All the candidates have been invited:
Joanne Janet Bright, Labour Party [statement]
Lucy Gray, Independent [TBC]
Charlie Leys, Conservative and Unionist Party Independent [not available]
Marc Lee Rattigan, Reform UK [TBC]
Dr Mo Shafaei, Liberal Democrats [TBC]
Rob Yates, Green Party
Chair: Nico Macdonald
Focus and Questions
Kent County Council is responsible for Education and children’s services; Adult social care and public health; Transport and highways; Strategic planning, housing, and economic development; Environment, waste, and leisure; and Governance and representation
You can submit questions in advance, or ask on the evening.
Your question should be related to KCC’s responsibilities or the broader challenges for the county. Or the candidates’ priorities or vision for the county; or their principles, suitability for public office, and how they make decisions. You might also ask about community and democratic issues.
A selection of questions will be chosen. At the event, you will be welcome to ask your question from the floor. At the door, there will also be a form for you to submit questions, and these will be asked by the chair.
Format
Candidates will briefly introduce themselves, their aspirations as your representative on Kent County Council, and their party’s policies and plans for Kent.
We will then take questions submitted in advance, which the questioner will be invited to ask, if they are present. Candidates will respond.
Other questions from the floor will then be invited. Candidates will respond.
Candidates will then make closing statements.
Registration
To take part, please register (above) or just come along on the evening. You can submit a question when you register.
All Welcomed.
There is no cost to take part. A voluntary donation to cover venue and PA system hire can be made on the door, in cash or digitally.
Background
This non-selective hustings is being organised and paid for by Nico Macdonald, a Margate private citizen. The event is not affiliated with or underwritten by any organisation, political or otherwise. It is an opportunity for us, the voters, to take responsibility for those to whom we will give political power.
This election was called because the incumbent Kent County councillor for Cliftonville was disqualified. The following month, on 7 May, there are also elections for 136 local councils in England, not including Kent County Council. Voters in Scotland and Wales will also elect representatives to their national parliaments.
Voting
To check whether you are in the Cliftonville electoral division and eligible to vote on Thursday, 9 April, please check the Who Can I Vote For? site.
To vote, you must bring with you to the polling station an accepted form of personal identification. This includes a current driving licence or passport, or your Voter Authority Certificate. For more information, see the Thanet District Council Voter ID page.
To find your polling station, enter your postcode on the Thanet District Council Find my polling station page. Your polling station will also be on your poll card, which you will receive through the post a few weeks before polling day.
Security
Kent Police has been informed about this event.