Irony & Solutions
Saying one thing and doing another is something our local Tories are good at.
Let me explain,
Recently I received a Tory leaflet through my door, as I suspect have many of you. What is so ironic about the leaflet I received is that it was printed in Dagenham by Paragon CC. So I’d ask what is the carbon footprint for this leaflet?
But just to be clear and unbiased, the three green candidates standing in Cheriton, got their flyers printed in Southend on Sea; which is even further away than Dagenham, and would have a larger carbon footprint, than the Tories. How’s that Green?
Also it says very clearly neither of them can want a strong local economy, as bothe the Greens & Tories have spent money outside of the district. Which is a contradiction in and of itself when you spend money outside the local economy.
Bothe the Tories and Cheriton Greens could have had their leaflets printed at Folkestone Printing in Cheriton. I know I had my flyers printed their as did Labour. The Lib Dems have printed their leaflets in Sandgate, so the joint carbon foot print is smaller than the Tories and the Greens.
The Tories have controlled Folkestone & Hythe District Council since 2003/04. In that time what have they really done for business? If one looks at the data from 2011 onwards, they have pulled in just 740 VAT and/or PAYE businesses, to our district, the lowest of any district in the County.
Then lets not forget, the five year survival rates for businesses in our district are not good, as the evidence from the ONS and KCC show.
There are people with great business acumen out there, such as Geoff Miles of Maidstone Studios and also the previous Chairman of Kent and Medway Economic Partnership.
If we are to succeed in making our District a place where people want to do business, and succedd and sustain that business, then we need to draw in people like Geoff and others who have a proven track record.
If you elect me, and I’d urge you to do so, as a Cllr for Folkestone Central Ward for District & Town, I would work to bring together a collaborative team of Cllrs, Business People and Residents, to find the solutions to make our district a more successful place to do business.
I have already put forward solutions to create a thriving district, but I reiterate them again
1 Reduce business rates.
2 Progressive business rates for small and start up business for 12 months. This means that the more a company earns, the more it will need to pay more in business rates over that initial year.
3 Then a further partial subsidy for another 6 months, if needed.
So how can that be done?
Currently local councils such as ours retains half of the income from business rates, the other half is paid by councils to central government, which uses the income to fund grants to local authorities. The half retained – minus the percentage which goes to KCC, can be used to support small start up local businesses.
In 2021/22 Folkestone & Hythe District Council retained £7,727,600 in business rates. Some of this could be used to help small and start up businesses who choose to set up here.
So be sure to
VOTE RYLANDS
FOLKESTONE CENTRAL
MAY 4
Promoted & Printed by: Bryan Rylands, Flat D Avenay Court, Sandgate Rd, Folkestone, CT20 2LN
Giving money to central government creates middle man costs and interest.
The earlier subject of contractors starting jobs prior to contracts being signed suggests confirmation of a wide spread laxness with prior acceptance outside of legal practices, at best. Many might suggest this in stronger terms.
As it would appear, matters are dealt with in a cavalier attitude; a government moratorium on all FHDC contracts, investigation in to all persons involved by an independent government department might be a move towards transparency, based on a model, expanding to other Kent authorities.
Meanwhile, the habit of council chamber being vacated when councilors do not want the public to hear what they are discussing is considered offensive and frequently believed an abuse of authority amongst many of the public.
Similar applies, when the public are offered an opportunity to offer constructive objections and suggestions, which are then dismissed en bloc, unread.
One may talk of transparency in local government, belief in the truth being spoken, let alone materialisation, for perhaps the majority, appears quite another.
Those in council employ may comment that public grumbling is a common infection, perhaps so, it is a necessary part of democracy, it is not an excuse to justify undesirable performance by those in any form of public office, or an attitude with which to take advantage. Such attitudes undermine the core purpose of government. Now, more so than in many previous years, poor local government requires pruning.
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