Kent Politics Show Special: Election 2024 (05:18-06:17)
Watch back KMTV's live coverage of the UK's 2024 General Election results.
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00:00Absolutely, Abbie, it has been, it always is on election night, it's a cascade, an absolute
00:16kind of flood of results coming in, all of them at the moment turning red, and a good
00:21reminder there of what happened in Tunbridge, Wales, and we're going straight to Tunbridge
00:26because another result is coming in.
00:56The Green Party, 7,351 Anna Victoria Coke, Green Party, 7,596
01:09Ian Bradford, Social Democrat Party, 156 Theresa Susan Hansford, Reform UK, 7,548
01:29Tim Shaw, Independent Alliance Kent, 926 Tom Tugendhat, Conservative Party candidate, 20,517
01:45John Corbyn, Liberal Democrat, 4,234. The number of candidates rejected was as follows,
01:58one of an official mark zero, voting for more than four candidates in the voting of 600
02:05or two, 30, writing or marking which voter could be identified as two, being unmarked
02:13or wholly void of uncertainty, 180, so the total spoilt votes was 150. The ballot papers
02:23issued was 50,478, the electorate 72,799, the turnout was 69.3%, and I hereby declare
02:37that Tom Tugendhat has been duly elected as a Member of Parliament for the Tunbridge Parliamentary constituency.
02:46APPLAUSE
03:05So we're seeing pictures there of Tom Tugendhat having won his seat, widely predicted that
03:10he would do that, his vote held up, 20,500 votes for him, and possibly a future Conservative
03:17Party leader there. We can't hear his acceptance speech, it'll be interesting in the context
03:26of how the defeat will be being confirmed.
03:40My humblest thanks also to the people of Tunbridge, thank you very much for placing your trust in me again.
03:46Sound quality not quite good enough on that one, apologies, but I'm sure we'll be hearing
03:52from Tom Tugendhat at some point, and very interesting to see what he has to say as someone
03:57who now may well be a front-runner in the party to replace Rishi Sunak when he, as is
04:03expected, announces his resignation. But we're back in Medway now, all three results here
04:08at Medway now in, all three of the Medway MPs now are Labour MPs, and I'm joined by
04:16Nicholas Chan, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Chatham and Aylesford.
04:20Good morning.
04:21Good morning. And of course, you've just come straight from the stage, an emotional evening
04:28I would imagine, 2,000 votes, but of course it never really looked on the cards that the
04:32Liberal Democrats would win here, but how does it feel now?
04:36Well, it was a good campaign. We get to campaign for the party, so it is a privilege to first
04:42speak to the people, residents in Chatham and Aylesford. It's always a privilege to
04:49stand as their candidate, and it's always a privilege to stand with my party, pushing
04:55out our social care deals, our plan to have a better environmental issue, saving water,
05:02better quality in rivers, especially we did some testing in River Medway, which we will
05:08definitely want to see some improvement in the next government.
05:12So you were sat next to me for a little while as those results were coming in. We watched
05:16there the Tunbridge Wells result come in. How does it feel to have the Liberal Democrats
05:22having won their first ever seat in Kent? And it wasn't predicted, the exit poll said
05:27that was going to go Conservative in the end, a big majority for the Liberal Democrats.
05:31I had the chance to go to Tunbridge Wells for quite a few days and knock on doors with Mike.
05:37So the campaign was really going well with Mike, so congratulations to Mike.
05:43It's always good to have Liberal Democrat colleagues around because we really want to push
05:50our social care agenda with the new parliamentarians in the coming parliament.
06:01It's an interesting thing you raise about the social care agenda. All three of the Labour
06:06candidates that have just won in Medway, they were all reading from the same script effectively.
06:10We've heard it time and time again from every Labour candidate that's won across Kent this evening.
06:15You voted for change. I think it must have been a central message sent out.
06:19Every candidate has to say that in their acceptance speech.
06:22What does that change need to look like in Medway, do you think?
06:27We do need to fix the public services. I think public services have been run down for far too many years in Medway.
06:37There is a new administration in Medway Council with a new government.
06:42I hope Medway residents can look forward to better deals in the administration of Medway.
06:53When it comes to the Liberal Democrats, we haven't got the councillors here yet,
06:58but we have the chance to scrutinise a whole new administration, both in different levels of government.
07:05We look forward to working with different parties and bringing what the residents' voice is to the MPs and councillors in charge.
07:17We know that the big issue in Medway locally is around the local plan, it's around growth, it's around houses.
07:23Those have been big parts of Labour's pitch to the country.
07:27Keir Starmer says he's going to build a lot of houses.
07:30He says he's going to rip up planning to make growth easier.
07:34Could that potentially have some negative impacts for Medway?
07:38Both the Liberal Democrats and Labour will have almost similar plans on building houses.
07:45But what we would emphasise is that we need 150,000 social houses and affordable houses to be built around the country.
07:53So definitely people in Medway should get the chance to have affordable housing.
07:57When it comes to development, we might have some slight concern, especially for check-in docks,
08:04whereby the Liberal Democrats in Medway do really want to keep the check-in dock as a functioning dock.
08:12It has paid very good wages, very good apprenticeships to the local residents.
08:18Speaking to my colleagues who come before me in Medway, we know that when the docks were vacant many, many years ago, Medway does suffer.
08:31So check-in docks should have a better plan.
08:36And the houses, the Medway Liberal Democrats have also written many comments on the local plan,
08:44whereby houses can be built in better areas with the same quantity as well as the same quality.
08:50It could become an issue for us here because Keir Starmer knows he needs to deliver on these pledges that he made.
08:57He's going to be under pressure.
08:59He's borrowed a lot of votes from people who didn't want to vote Conservative in this election.
09:03They've put their X in a box, but they're not habitual Labour voters.
09:08They are going to be judging this party on its record in five years' time.
09:13Labour-run councils like Medway are going to be facing a lot of pressure from the central party
09:18to make sure that these election pledges are delivered.
09:22So if Keir Starmer says he wants to build 1.5 million new houses,
09:26you can bet that there's going to be a phone call to Vince Maple at some point saying,
09:29well, how many of these houses can you give us?
09:32I'm sure you'll get also a phone call from myself.
09:36What would that come to say?
09:38Reflecting on residents' concerns about whether their houses are built sustainably
09:44or whether they're in the right places.
09:48It comes back to the first-past-the-post.
09:52Many voters around the country, including Liberal Democrats themselves,
09:57will have Labour supporters or even Conservative voters borrowing their votes
10:02and supporting us in this election night.
10:05So we owe it to them to put our manifesto into plan,
10:09as well as scrutinise the Labour government,
10:12which looks set to be in government in a few hours.
10:16I'm just hearing that Lauren Edwards, who just won a seat for Labour here in Medway,
10:21is ready to speak to us live.
10:23We're hoping to be able to cross to her very soon down on the floor.
10:28Cameron, are you there?
10:30People were really supportive of the policies that we had,
10:33that we recognised the problems that were in the country
10:36and we were providing the solutions,
10:38and that's why I'm standing here tonight as the Labour MP.
10:40The reform vote did very well. It split the Conservative vote.
10:44Does that really show that they're as committed as your party?
10:47Well, reform are always going to be a factor in this constituency
10:51and they have been across the country,
10:53but I guess what matters is that Labour has got more votes
10:56and so that's why I'm standing here today and why we've got a Labour government.
11:00And you spoke about change there, Lauren. Sorry, Cameron from KMTV.
11:03What does that mean for your constituents that you're now going to be representing?
11:08It's going to mean an NHS that actually functions.
11:10It's going to be an NHS that is back on its feet.
11:12It's going to mean more investment.
11:15We're going to have a fantastic new GB Energy,
11:19a new publicly owned energy company that's going to lower people's bills.
11:23We're going to deal with the cost of living crisis.
11:25People are going to see an impact.
11:27It might not be immediate, but we're going to work very, very hard
11:30and we are going to deliver on our policies and our pledges.
11:32There's been a lot of scrutiny throughout the campaign
11:35about the costings of Labour's plans and proposals.
11:39You're a former Bank of England worker.
11:43With that mandate that you've now got,
11:45is there now a mandate for Keir Starmer to maybe be more radical with his proposals,
11:49to maybe stick his neck out a bit with those plans for budgeting and spending, etc.?
11:55I think it's been really helpful to our credibility on the doorstep
11:59to be able to say this is what we're going to do
12:01and this is where we've identified the money is going to come from.
12:03That's really helped with voters because it just re-establishes that sense of trust.
12:07We've been very clear about what we're going to deliver in government
12:11and I think we just need to focus on doing so.
12:13A quick word on your family. You mentioned them in your speech.
12:16Have you managed to tell them you've won?
12:17No, I haven't. I haven't spoken to them yet, actually.
12:19When the exit poll came out, I did say to them,
12:21look, I think we're going to get a Labour government, so we'll wait and see.
12:24But obviously I haven't spoken before now.
12:27So I think when I leave here, it's going to be one of the first things I do.
12:31Thank you very much, Lauren. Thank you.
12:33Cheers. Thank you.
12:39Hi, Tris. Cameron from KMTV. Lovely to see you as well.
12:42Congratulations on your victory. We are live on KMTV now,
12:44so we're just going to ask you a couple of quick questions.
12:46Incredible scenes across the country today and here in Medway,
12:49going from that blue wall to red wall.
12:51When you saw all that unfolding, what was your reaction?
12:54Well, look, I'm really humbled that the country has put their trust in Keir Starmer.
12:58It looks like we're going to have a large majority government
13:01and there's no magic wands here.
13:03There's a lot of work to get on with, from improving our NHS
13:06to delivering great British energy to improving our economy.
13:09So we have a really full agenda and I'm really looking forward to cracking on with that
13:13and delivering for residents in Chatham and Eltham, but also the country.
13:16A lot of talk up to the election has been about the personalities
13:19and the role that they have played in it.
13:21Doorknocking in your constituency,
13:23did you find it was more those personalities who swayed the vote
13:26or do you think it was those hyper-local issues?
13:28So that's a really good question.
13:30Depending on where you knocked, so clearly people did talk about
13:33some of the characters and personalities, but actually, fundamentally,
13:36it was about the policies which impact their lives.
13:38The primary one was the economy.
13:40Economic stability underpinning all of our agenda
13:43and I can tell you that Rachel Reeves is going to get started on day one.
13:46She is a safe pair of hands on the tiller
13:48and I'm looking forward to working with her to deliver that stable economy,
13:51get that growth, then we can invest those in the public services
13:54which we all need in our health services and our education and schools.
13:57And change, we heard that at the start of your speech,
13:59we've heard that throughout the campaign.
14:01What's that going to mean for Chatham and Aylesford?
14:03Well, change in a literal sense is a new MP,
14:06but actually it is that agenda which we have put forward
14:09and the British people look like they've endorsed the night
14:12by putting Keir Starmer there.
14:13So that is, you know, more teachers in our schools.
14:16That is improved NHS waiting, reducing NHS waiting times,
14:20improving our NHS with a workforce strategy.
14:23That is setting up Great British Energy
14:25so that we can stabilise energy prices and reduce costs on the consumer.
14:29And also powers for antisocial behaviour,
14:31something I do as a councillor every single day
14:33is just trying to stop nuisance spikes.
14:35We're going to give more powers to curtail
14:37and combat some of these nuisance behaviours.
14:39So I think we've got a really bold agenda.
14:42I'm really keen to get it delivered.
14:44I'm keen to work on it and I'm looking forward to getting going.
14:47Big shoes to fill, taking over from Tracey Crouch as well.
14:50Yeah, and the previous MP, Jonathan Shaw,
14:52who did immense good for the community.
14:54And I do stand in their shadow.
14:57And if I can be as good an MP as them,
14:59I will be really, really pleased at the end of my tenure.
15:03They delivered such great things for the community.
15:05And I said this to Tracey Crouch in my speech.
15:08She is tenacious, bold and a brave woman as well.
15:11And I will be working with her over the next couple of days
15:14to take her casework and continue that service to the community.
15:18And just finally, campaigning and winning is the easy part.
15:21Now it's the hard part of actually governing
15:23and implementing those.
15:25What is going to be your first action?
15:27What are you going to do when you go up to Westminster?
15:29What are you going to be campaigning for?
15:30Well, I need to get an office set up
15:32because constituents need to have someone's contact for their concerns.
15:35And I want to get that up and running as quickly as possible
15:37to getting key people in place.
15:39Because it's the daily issues of people's lives
15:41that I want to help resolve.
15:43In terms of policy issues, I'm a school teacher by background,
15:45so education for me is a real priority.
15:47SEN, getting EHCP plans, looking at how we can resolve those.
15:51And lastly, as a former special constable,
15:53getting that anti-social behaviour agenda,
15:55anti-crime agenda through as well.
15:57So working with our ministers and getting that platform.
16:00Josh, congratulations on your victory.
16:02Thank you very much for your time this evening.
16:04Thank you.
16:06We're going to do a group photo.
16:09OK.
16:11Are we going? We're keeping going.
16:13Sorry, I couldn't hear you there.
16:15So we're just making our way through the Labour supporters
16:18who have gathered.
16:20It's all filtering out now,
16:22as you saw really busy scenes earlier today.
16:25It looks like there's a group photo.
16:27There's all jubilant scenes we've heard.
16:29Shouts of joy over the course of the evening.
16:33We've spoken to all three candidates.
16:36Here she is.
16:38Nashba is making her way over,
16:40the new Gillingham and Raynham.
16:43Nashba, just before you go on stage to take a photo,
16:48congratulations again on your victory.
16:50Are they doing their photo?
16:52We'll let you go for your photo first.
16:54We'll talk to you later on.
16:56We have done an interview with her already,
16:58so we will play that in a little bit.
17:00We've spoken to all of the outgoing MPs.
17:03Here we go.
17:05A view over here of all the candidates and all their teams.
17:09Huge teams, as you can see, that have been involved at the front,
17:13led by Councillor Leader Vince Maple,
17:16all the various campaign managers in there as well with them,
17:22canvassers, all up here.
17:25So here we see finally Medway no longer blue,
17:31full red there with their three MPs standing there at the front.
17:36One more time, Labour gain on three.
17:46One, two, three.
17:48Labour gain!
17:51There we go, the words of home time there.
17:57So, a round-up of those results.
18:01Neshaba Khan, the new Jillingham and Raynham MP for Labour.
18:06Also an interesting point there, the first female Muslim MP in Kent.
18:11We have Lauren Edwards, who is a new Rochester and Shrewd MP from Labour.
18:16And finally Tris Osborne for Chatham and Aylesford.
18:19That is it from all the accounts here.
18:22There's obviously going to be more chat from Rob.
18:24I'm going to go up there to the studio,
18:26get a little bit of air conditioning up here,
18:28and a little bit of a hot house of activity down here.
18:31We're going to go back to you in the studio.
18:38We've just been watching those scenes there, jubilant scenes.
18:42A little bit jealous watching that?
18:44Well, congratulations to all three Labour MPs.
18:47Congratulations to Tris especially.
18:49It was a well-thought campaign.
18:51I'm sure it wasn't easy flipping the Conservative vote.
18:54So congratulations to him for getting the majority that he deserves.
18:59And it's an interesting thing here that all three of these Labour candidates
19:04who have just won, just become MPs for Medway,
19:07all three of them are quite senior members of the team at Medway Council.
19:14Should they now be leaving their posts at Medway Council,
19:18calling by-elections?
19:19Is it possible to be both a Medway councillor and a Medway MP?
19:23Well, it's always possible.
19:25I do remember, even for Raymond and Kelly,
19:31they are definitely councillors and MPs at the same time.
19:34And they do serve well during their time.
19:38So I'll leave it to them how they jingle around their administrations.
19:45Obviously, if they did that, it would be called by-elections,
19:47and maybe the public appetite for another election so close after this one,
19:51so close after the local elections in May, may not be that great at the moment.
19:55Well, we do have quite a few elections at that time.
19:59So, yes, stability is important.
20:01I would definitely want to see social care in Medway,
20:07fixed Medway residents to get their GP appointments.
20:11I would definitely be writing to the new Labour MPs
20:15if there's anything that can be done about mental health in primary schools
20:19or dentistry appointments,
20:21because definitely children should get a proper dental appointment,
20:27which is just simply not really available in Medway right now.
20:31So these are the priorities that I'll put forth to the council.
20:35Whether there's a by-election coming by or not,
20:38I'll leave it to them for their decision.
20:40I want to ask you about the diversity of candidates that we're seeing today,
20:45the people who are winning particularly.
20:47Cameron just said there that this is the first time
20:50that we've had a female Muslim MP in Kent.
20:53We've seen quite a few female MPs being elected into positions
20:57that have previously been held by men.
20:59We're waiting, I still think, on the result in Sandwich and Herne Bay,
21:04where the first candidate,
21:06she believes she's the first openly autistic candidate for Labour,
21:12is favourite to be elected.
21:15What do you make of the diversity now of the people representing the people of Kent?
21:19I'm very proud of the diversity.
21:22Liberal Democrats also have candidates who are disabled
21:26and need different kind of challenge equipment
21:30to facilitate their everyday business.
21:36So it is very essential for Parliament to have...
21:40We're going to Sitting Board and Sheppey right now as the election comes in.
22:10Lovely.
22:27So I'm joined by Nushabha Khan, the newest MP for Gillingham and Raynham.
22:32Obviously an amazing achievement for all of the Medway candidates.
22:36For you personally, what does this victory mean?
22:39It means so much.
22:40Gillingham and Raynham is the place that I was born and grew up in.
22:42It's my hometown.
22:43I passionately care about this place.
22:45And I'm desperate to make change here.
22:47So it means a lot.
22:49I think I'm still digesting the fact that it's happened, if I'm honest.
22:53And it's obviously been a long night.
22:55We've heard change mentioned by everyone.
22:57We've heard it mentioned by Keir.
22:58We've heard it mentioned by the whole campaign.
23:00What is change going to mean for your constituency?
23:03Hopefully it will mean a lot,
23:04because it's something that came up time and time again on the doorstep.
23:07People felt like there were so many issues that they were facing
23:10across Gillingham and Raynham,
23:11whether that be the cost of living, poor-quality housing,
23:14and NHS on its knees.
23:15But the biggest thing that came up was a lack of hope,
23:18and that's what a Labour government has to reinstall.
23:20I hope that this country can do better,
23:22can do better for residents, but can do better for future generations.
23:26And I'm really hoping that's what Labour Party will be able to show
23:29that we're capable of.
23:30And what do you hope for your new leader?
23:32I hope for my new leader that he will make a fantastic Prime Minister.
23:35I know that.
23:36But I also hope that he's got an incredible team around him
23:39that are able to give him the support that he needs
23:41to start rebuilding this country.
23:43And finally, day one, what's going to be the first action
23:46you're going to tackle for your constituency?
23:48There are so many things that people have raised with me.
23:50So first and foremost, it has to be about the regeneration of our town centres
23:54so that people feel safe and secure,
23:56but also looking at housing and the lack of affordable housing
23:59across the constituency,
24:00but also some of the conditions people are living in.
24:02But equally, it's got to be about being an MP that listens.
24:05There are a number of people that have raised issues that they've had
24:08time and time again with me across this campaign,
24:10and I want to do my best to try and resolve as much of that as possible.
24:13Some of this will have to come from a national government,
24:15but as a local MP, I will do my best
24:17to make sure I'm representing everybody here.
24:19And I believe Kent's first Muslim female MP as well, making history.
24:23I didn't know that, but there we go.
24:25If that's the case, then there we are.
24:27But for me, it's not really about any of those labels.
24:29It's about being somebody who cares about this community,
24:32who's passionate about the change they can bring
24:34and hopefully can give future generations new opportunities.
24:37And I believe there's going to be some dinner, some party for all of you now,
24:41probably some rest as well, so I'm going to let you go.
24:43Nishaba, thank you very much.
24:44Thank you very much. Have a good day. Bye-bye.
24:55So we're looking here, pictures from Sittingbourne and Sheppey.
25:00Audio is not wonderful, so I'll be narrating a little bit.
25:04We'll try and pick up the results.
25:06This was a very tight race in the exit polls.
25:09Leaning Conservative, but everything we've heard
25:12is that this could go either way.
25:29Young, Michael Jones, known as Mad Mike Young,
25:33who's 15 months below the Union target, 223.
25:37And I hereby declare that Kevin McKenna has been de-elected.
25:41Yeah!
25:44CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
25:47CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
26:12We're just checking this result,
26:14but we've also heard that the results are coming in
26:16in the Weald constituency.
26:18That's Kent's brand-new constituency.
26:20And Katie Lamb has won that one for the Conservatives.
26:25Very interesting candidate there.
26:29And here we go.
26:32Sittingbourne and Sheppey has gone Labour.
26:35Kevin McKenna has won Sittingbourne and Sheppey.
26:39So that's another one that the exit poll did not get right.
26:42That was blue on the exit poll, but red now.
26:46That's the 11th seat that Labour have won in Kent.
26:53Back in the studio with us here at Medway Park.
26:57And joining me now is also Dr Susan Kenyon.
27:00She's our Principal Politics Lecturer
27:02at the Christchurch University.
27:04And still with me, Nicholas Chan,
27:06the Liberal Democrat candidate from Chatham and Aylesford.
27:10Well, we've just seen these results coming in.
27:13An awful lot has happened in the time it's taken you
27:15to drive the five minutes down the road from the other studio.
27:18These are quite big results.
27:20Sittingbourne and Sheppey going red.
27:22Quite significant.
27:24I think so.
27:25And what's surprising for me is how quickly the whole of Kent has now...
27:29More than 50% of Kent has now obviously switched to Labour,
27:33which is a big change.
27:35People do seem to be voting for change, don't they, across Kent,
27:38as they have done across the country as well.
27:41We've got pictures on at the moment from Maidstone,
27:44still yet to declare.
27:46Another one which is expected to be a safe Conservative seat.
27:49The result will be coming in at any moment.
27:52There were times in the campaign trail
27:54that the Liberal Democrats thought they had a chance in Maidstone.
27:58Times when Labour thought they had a chance in Maidstone.
28:01But Helen Grant, the incumbent MP there, very much the favourite.
28:09There were times in this campaign
28:12where Reform thought it might be a target.
28:15Nigel Farage gave a big speech there
28:17just after that controversial interview
28:20where he seemed to be siding with Vladimir Putin
28:23on the war in Ukraine.
28:25We'll cross back to Maidstone once there's developments there.
28:29But absolutely, you're saying that this is...
28:32A pattern is emerging, isn't it?
28:36The exit poll initially said 11 seats expected for Labour in Kent.
28:41They're probably going to exceed that now, aren't they?
28:44Yeah, we've hit that already, it looks like, haven't we?
28:47I haven't actually...
28:48As you mentioned, I've just driven here from the studio,
28:51so I've missed a few of the results coming in.
28:53What's turnout looking like in these other constituencies
28:56that we've seen coming in?
28:58I think it's a really interesting one.
29:00So, yes, we're talking about in the 50% in a lot of these seats.
29:05I mean, what do you make of that?
29:07And how do you think that fits into the bigger narrative of this election?
29:11It's interesting because turnout has been increasing across the country
29:14since about 2001, I think, we had our lowest turnout for a while.
29:18And when there's a change of government,
29:20there does seem to be a higher turnout,
29:22which is why it's quite surprising that we have a low turnout
29:25in this election and a change of government.
29:27So in the coming weeks, it'll be really interesting to probe that
29:30and find out what's going on.
29:32Is it because... Excuse you.
29:34Is it because people are unhappy with our current politics?
29:38Is it that voting for a change
29:40isn't quite as powerful as voting for a positive change?
29:43Feels like it's been quite a negative, cautious campaign, doesn't it?
29:46So interesting to see the effect of the campaign there.
29:49Pictures again from Maidstones. We wait for the result there.
29:52But, Nicholas, as a candidate in this election,
29:55is the reason that we haven't got the turnout because of the campaign?
29:59Is it because of what the candidates have been doing?
30:01Or is there something else at play here?
30:03Well, the low turnout has been a bit quite expected
30:06when I go knock on doors.
30:08People were saying that they would not vote,
30:10which is very sad.
30:12I do come from Hong Kong,
30:14so democracy is very important that people should turn out to vote.
30:18But I do see that truth in politics comes at a very bad time right now.
30:23So it is very important politicians,
30:25whether candidates who have lost,
30:30have the duty to rebuild their trust and confidence in the general public.
30:35It raises an interesting dynamic here, doesn't it?
30:38Because a big win, a landslide victory,
30:41but on the basis of quite a low turnout
30:43and a relatively low share of the vote
30:46makes it quite a confusing message.
30:48It's emphatic, but it's also not emphatic.
30:51Yeah, it's emphatically voting for change, isn't it?
30:53It's emphatically suggesting we weren't happy,
30:57but it's perhaps not saying that we're very excited,
31:00as we were perhaps in 1997, excited about a change.
31:04So I think the Labour Party will have a lot to do there
31:06to build trust in politics and respect.
31:09And what's been fantastic,
31:10and we spoke about this in the studio as well,
31:12fantastic seeing the candidates coming out
31:15and being very respectful, very civil, very gracious
31:18in their acceptance and their commiseration speeches as well.
31:23And that's so important with the turn that we've had in Kent,
31:25in Canterbury particularly,
31:27making sure we're restoring respect and civility and safety in politics
31:31and hopefully get that turnout
31:32and that interest in politics back up again.
31:34I think we can hear from the winner in,
31:37I think, is it Gravesham or Dartford?
31:40In Dartford, we can hear now.
31:43Really, really excited.
31:45We've got an amazing idea for change for the country,
31:49and it's many, many months of knocking on doors
31:52and listening to residents in Gravesham
31:54finding out their priorities,
31:56and this is what I hope to raise in Westminster on their behalf.
31:59So I'll be serving until the local party and national party
32:05deem it the right time to kind of step down,
32:07but absolutely, this needs to have my full focus.
32:10But I've got a fantastic team at Gravesham Council
32:13and at Kent County Council as well.
32:15Kent County Council elections are next year,
32:18so we're always looking for new candidates,
32:20so please come on by.
32:21Sorry, a little plug there.
32:22But no, I think it's...
32:30We've just lost the end of that interview there,
32:32but we picked up the general gist of that.
32:35Lauren Sullivan, an interesting candidate in Gravesham.
32:37She's the opposition leader at Kent County Council,
32:41and there'll be elections at Kent County Council next year.
32:44Do you think that what's happening now
32:47will have aftershocks for those elections next year?
32:50Gosh, it's difficult to know, isn't it?
32:52We have seen changes in councils coming up to this election,
32:57so we'll have to wait and see
32:59how the new government does in the coming year.
33:03I think a lot of that is going to be about the tone and the message.
33:07Perhaps people are wanting change quite quickly,
33:09but I think managing the expectations
33:11and, again, bringing the trust and the civility back into politics
33:15is going to be key to increasing voter participation
33:19and lots of negative campaigning from the...
33:23Do you need to go?
33:24We've got Jim Dixon, who is the winner at Dartford.
33:27We can hear from him now.
33:28Well, absolutely elated.
33:30It's fantastic news for Dartford.
33:33It's brilliant news for Dartford Labour.
33:35And I think it's brilliant for Dartford residents.
33:37They told us about a whole series of things in their lives
33:41and in their town and in the constituency that they suffer with.
33:45The terrible NHS, real problems finding police, gridlock,
33:50poor housing opportunities.
33:52And we've got a chance with a Labour government and a Labour MP
33:55working together to really sort some of those things out.
33:58So I'm elated for Labour,
34:00but I'm more elated for the residents of Dartford
34:02because I think we've got work to do and we're going to start soon.
34:08Nicholas, obviously for the Liberal Democrats,
34:10you've got the momentum of your first seat won today.
34:14You've had some very strong local elections this year as well,
34:18including in Sunbridge Wells.
34:20Do you think that you can take that momentum
34:22into Kent County Council elections next year?
34:24Well, this will be an opportunity to bring our social care plans,
34:28our plans for better environment deals to the residents in Kent.
34:33I'm sure there will be many policies to talk about to the residents
34:39and getting residents a chance to know what exactly we can do
34:46with other different parties in Kent County Council
34:50as well as on a local level.
34:52We have always advocated for devolution
34:54as well as residents to be able to participate in policies.
34:58So this will be the kind of policies that we are looking at.
35:00We've got pictures here at the moment from Maidstone.
35:02That's Helen Grant there you can see in the centre of the picture,
35:05looking very confident.
35:07It's never really been a question that she would win that seat.
35:11The question might be how big her majority is.
35:14The smile on her face suggests she thinks she's done well.
35:19We're obviously expecting a result there very soon
35:22and we will jump to it as soon as the candidates are lined up on the stage.
35:33I think we are hearing a result there now actually.
35:37The number of ballot papers rejected was as follows.
35:47One to the beneficial mark, zero.
35:49Voting for more candidates than voted was entitled to, 30.
35:52Writing on mark by which voter could be identified, zero.
35:55Being unmarked or wholly void for uncertainty, 101.
35:59Total 131.
36:01And I do hereby declare that Helen Grant is duly elected.
36:04Congratulations.
36:07Thank you.
36:26There we go.
36:27Helen Grant confirmed there.
36:29Some technical difficulties,
36:30but Helen Grant confirmed winning Maidstone and Morling.
36:34We are getting close to a full set in Kent.
36:38Just a few of the races still left to run.
36:42Susan, I'm interested in your specialism is in transport.
36:46And it's been an interesting part of the election campaign.
36:50We seem to be in a period of politics where being pro-car
36:54is seen to be a very powerful message for voters,
36:58where there have obviously been big questions
37:01about the affordability of mass public transport systems
37:04like high speed.
37:06How do you see that issue developing now with a Labour government?
37:10It's going to be fascinating to see how transport goes.
37:13Obviously, we would expect the Labour government coming in
37:17to renationalise the railways and support public transport,
37:21support bus franchising as well to improve public transport.
37:26There's precious little mention in the manifesto of active travel,
37:29which is quite interesting in itself.
37:31I think Rishi Sunak really leaned into the car culture,
37:34the ideology of automobility,
37:37where we could really see that he was supporting the idea
37:41that the car is an expression of ourselves
37:44and not wanting to tackle that very much.
37:47But we need to change that.
37:49There are two big problems with transport as I see it.
37:52The environmental problem is one of them,
37:54but the social exclusion side as well.
37:56We can't all travel in a car.
37:58It's just not practical.
38:00It's just not affordable for many people.
38:02So we do need to start looking at reducing mobility across Kent.
38:06Kent's a fascinating place to study transport as well,
38:10given the links or the lack of links in Kent as well.
38:15But the extent of transport and exclusion in Kent...
38:20We do have a lot of rural communities, lots of villages
38:23that can quite easily be isolated by the removal of one bus route.
38:27Of course, that's been a very real issue in Kent.
38:30On the long list of things we've discussed tonight,
38:32that Keir Starmer might see as a priority,
38:34but he's going to have to spend money on,
38:36how high do you think these issues are?
38:38I don't know. It's difficult to know.
38:41I think obviously going down the bus franchising route
38:44and the deregulation route, I think...
38:50What's the word? Renationalisation is the word I'm looking for.
38:53I'm tired, as I'm sure you are.
38:55It's been a long night, hasn't it? It has been a long night.
38:58But it's not necessarily about investing lots in public transport.
39:02We can start looking at bringing things local as well.
39:05I know 15-minute cities are not terribly popular,
39:08but perhaps in the future we need to try to look at accessibility
39:11as bringing services closer to people rather than pushing them further away.
39:16We really do need to start bringing health, education,
39:20employment opportunities closer to people
39:22to reduce the amount they have to travel to get around.
39:25So obviously in Kent there are lots of mobility issues, as you mentioned,
39:29lack of investment in roads and public transport as well.
39:33Hopefully Keir Starmer will recognise
39:36that in order to improve education, improve employability,
39:41improve healthcare,
39:43we do need to improve accessibility to these services.
39:47So fingers crossed that transport and exclusion
39:50are at the top of the list.
39:52Nicholas, we're building up quite the to-do list for Keir Starmer tonight.
39:55We'll send him a bundle at the end of the evening.
39:59But part of that, one of the long-running issues in Kent,
40:03is the future of Eurostar.
40:06And the fact that we haven't had fast trains running from Ebbsfleet,
40:09we haven't had fast trains running from Ashford to the Continent
40:12since before the pandemic,
40:14with at the moment no firm date when they might be restored,
40:17if they ever are.
40:19Is that something that you think might change?
40:22That needs to be changed.
40:24The Ebbsfleet and Ashford rail stations
40:27are actually built at a very high cost to the taxpayer,
40:30and having it sit idle is just not worth it.
40:33So in our manifesto in the Liberal Democrats,
40:37we say the HS1 route can bring in competition
40:43so that different other companies can bring in competition
40:48to run international rail service,
40:50as well as making them affordable.
40:52That would be something to look forward to,
40:55how a Labour government will handle it,
40:57as well as how, for example,
41:00maybe how the Metway local bus service network can be reshaped
41:05so that not all buses have to go to Chatham
41:08before you change to other kind of buses.
41:10So maybe there could be a network
41:13whereby it goes to Maidstone,
41:16to the international rail station,
41:18hopefully then you can hop on a train to Europe.
41:21These are the things that a devolved administration
41:25or local communities can look forward to,
41:28hopefully, in the next government.
41:30We've got Katie Lamb, the Conservative MP for The Weald.
41:34We can hear what she had to say on her victory now.
41:38OK. First of all, congratulations.
41:40Thank you.
41:41The first MP, you know, of The Weald.
41:43Yes.
41:44How do you feel for the constituency, what do you think?
41:46I think it's a very exciting change, this boundary change,
41:49is to have a new seat in Kent that is entirely countryside,
41:53you know, a properly rural seat without a big town,
41:56where its Member of Parliament can be a proper champion
41:59for the rural way of life.
42:01And, you know, this evening slash morning,
42:03we've seen the Tories lose multiple seats.
42:05Yeah.
42:06So what do you think that's going to mean
42:08for the Conservatives in Kent?
42:10I think it's probably still too early to say.
42:12I think that there will have to be a period of time
42:14where we reflect on how things have gone,
42:16on what we've offered the voters
42:18and what they've told us in return.
42:20And how do you think it's going to feel
42:22being the opposition now in the country?
42:24I think it is going to be a challenging
42:26and very, very important role.
42:28I think holding the government to account
42:30is a fantastically important thing to do.
42:32And especially here, as I say, in such a rural seat,
42:35it will be, for better or worse,
42:37quite an urban-weighted government,
42:39the MPs in that government.
42:41And so I think that there's a fantastically important job
42:44to stand up for the countryside.
42:46And what in particular do you think
42:48is going to need working on for this constituency?
42:51Well, it will depend slightly on what the government's agenda is,
42:54because I think a lot of that will be, as you say,
42:56holding them to account
42:58and putting it across a different perspective.
43:00But there are also various priorities
43:02that have come up during the campaign,
43:04cracking down on crime, investing in our roads,
43:07championing our farmers,
43:09so I think that will be where I'll look to begin.
43:11All right, that's it. Thank you very much.
43:13Great. My pleasure. Thanks for having me.
43:22Back to us in the KNTV studio now.
43:26You're both back from your counts.
43:28Finn, you're in Folkestone and Hythe.
43:30Andrew, you were in Gravesham.
43:32Long night, long morning.
43:34How are you both feeling?
43:36Well, I'm being kept awake
43:38by the Red Bull alone, but we're still standing.
43:41Other energy drinks are available.
43:43OK.
43:45So, let's jump straight into Folkestone,
43:49and we can hear from the winner there,
43:51but just tell me what it was like in Folkestone.
43:53Tony Vaughan, the Labour candidate,
43:56taking it from Damien Collins.
43:58Well, I mean, it was a huge upset.
44:00Damien Collins has had the seat
44:03since, I believe, 2010,
44:06he's had it for 14 years,
44:08and it's always been a true blue Conservative seat,
44:10I mean, since 1950.
44:12So, it was definitely a shock to everyone there.
44:14And when we look at the numbers here we can see on screen,
44:16we've been talking a lot about turnout as well.
44:1862%.
44:20That's pretty decent in the grand scheme of things,
44:23the sort of high numbers we'd seen here in Kent at 67%,
44:26so sort of in the middle there.
44:28But what's interesting is how close
44:30Damien Collins and Bill Wright were,
44:32the Conservative and Reform.
44:34A lot of people adding those numbers up together
44:36and seeing that it would have overshadowed
44:39the Labour Tony Vaughan there.
44:41But I think, actually, Phil, we're going to hear from Tony.
44:44You spoke to him earlier.
44:45Yeah, well, it's all been a bit of a whirlwind, really.
44:47I mean, as I said to someone else,
44:49I was selected on the 24th of May,
44:51and it's just been a whirlwind since then.
44:53But we've had an amazing team,
44:54there's a fantastic group of people
44:56who've spent their life, frankly, working for Labour.
44:58And to have that group of people behind me to make this,
45:01it's been a pure team effort.
45:05OK, now we'll go over to Gravesham quickly.
45:09That was Tony Vaughan from Folkestone there.
45:11How are you feeling first with it on the water? Good?
45:15Yeah, no Red Bull for me.
45:17It was a kind of chaotic night, a bit busy.
45:21There was a lot of spoilt ballots, it seemed.
45:26There's a lot of sort of disgruntled people,
45:29and that was also reflected in low turnout.
45:32It was 59%, whereas it was 64% last time.
45:37So perhaps there were a lot of people
45:39who just didn't turn out to vote for Adam Holloway,
45:43the Conservative incumbent there,
45:46because they're not happy with the party,
45:49even if they did like him personally,
45:52because he seems to be a very big character in the local area.
45:56And Lauren Sullivan, who is going to be taking over,
46:00she also has been around on Gravesham Council for a very long time,
46:05so she's well known in the area too.
46:07Leader of the opposition at Kent County Council as well.
46:10I was speaking to Roger Gough earlier,
46:12the leader of Kent County Council,
46:14the Conservative, a welcomed opponent,
46:16but of course he was disappointed.
46:18He did expect the result.
46:19I think we can actually hear from Lauren again now.
46:22Let's take a listen.
46:23Do you want to just introduce yourself first?
46:26So I'm Lauren Sullivan, MP-elect for Gravesham.
46:32Well congratulations.
46:33Thank you.
46:34How are you feeling?
46:35Really excited. Really, really excited.
46:38We've got an amazing idea for change for the country,
46:42and it's many, many months of knocking on doors,
46:46listening to residents in Gravesham,
46:48finding out their priorities,
46:49and this is what I hope to raise in Westminster on their behalf.
46:53Was it a result you were expecting?
46:55We were hopeful.
46:56Absolutely hopeful.
46:57Every vote is, and every conversation that we've had over months,
47:01many, many months, has been well worth it,
47:04and just I'm very grateful for the people of Gravesham
47:07for opening up their doors and having those conversations with me.
47:13OK, there's hearing a bit from Lauren there.
47:16We can see the numbers up on the screen now.
47:22A bit of the turnout, 59%, sort of that middle ground again.
47:29Yeah, and it's another situation where you can see that reform,
47:35if, you know, you can't guarantee that every reform voter
47:38is an ex-Conservative voter,
47:40but if they were, they would easily have beaten the Labour candidate.
47:45Lots of ifs, buts, and maybes.
47:47We've gone past the sixth hour now,
47:50so it's a lot of discussion, and there'll be more throughout the day,
47:53throughout the days coming and the weeks,
47:55trying to actually dissect these numbers
47:57and figure out who turned out for who there.
48:00But 16,000, a majority of 2,700, just above.
48:06What was the sort of feeling on the ground there,
48:08like the support for Lauren there?
48:11There was quite a bit of support,
48:15and also from, not in terms of party political allegiances,
48:21but from the ex-Conservative MP,
48:24he wished her well going forward,
48:28and he believes that the constituency,
48:32if not, he might not believe the country,
48:34but he believes the constituency is in safe hands.
48:37And was there much surprise, confidence, shock on the ground?
48:40What was sort of Lauren like walking into it?
48:42Was she pretty confident?
48:44I imagine you had an eye on her throughout the night,
48:46seeing how it was going.
48:48She turned up pretty late compared to some of the other candidates
48:53who, Lib Dems, Greens, were there a lot earlier.
48:58But she seemed confident when she arrived.
49:02There was a large reform presence, actually, as well.
49:08I think they were probably the most noticeable party at the count.
49:13But, yeah, the Greens and Lib Dems were there too.
49:17But it was definitely the Reform who were there in numbers.
49:21Made their presence known, yeah.
49:23And what was it like for you, Finn and Folkestone and Hyde?
49:25A lot of support on the ground for Damien Collins.
49:28How hopeful? What about for Tony?
49:31Yeah, there was definitely a lot of support, obviously, for the big parties,
49:34but I was very pleasantly surprised
49:36that some of the smaller parties, the Greens and, like Andrew said,
49:39the Reform Party, were there in quite a few numbers.
49:43So it was definitely interesting to see.
49:45It was nice to see sort of the spirit, almost, of the party there.
49:49Yeah, we say smaller parties that are looking a bit more amazing now.
49:53Looking at that exit poll as well,
49:56that would have broke when you were at your counts at ten o'clock,
49:59getting ready to join us live, giving us a bit of atmosphere.
50:02I'm interested to know, for us here as journalists,
50:05it was all go, trying to get those numbers crunched.
50:08But what was it like, the whispers around at the counts, Andrew?
50:11When that poll broke, people shocked at that huge number?
50:15Well, it's difficult to get a word out of anyone, really.
50:20You know, the candidates who did speak to us, Lib Dems and Greens,
50:24were saying, you know, well, we don't want to really comment too much
50:30on an exit poll, we'll see what happens.
50:34Labour said...
50:35The amount of times I've heard, see what happens tonight.
50:38Labour said, well, we'll talk to you after the actual result.
50:41Conservatives, we just won't talk to you at all.
50:44But, you know, Adam Holloway did talk to us in the end.
50:48So, you know, we managed to crack him.
50:52Well, we're well on our way.
50:54I'm just looking at that national picture now.
50:56On the way to reaching that poll, that 410, that exit poll,
51:00Labour currently on 393, Conservatives on 104, Lib Dem on 61,
51:06SNP 7, other 32.
51:09And we've got a couple of counts here left.
51:11You can see on our graphic at the bottom of the screen
51:14that we've been keeping you up to date with all night.
51:16Conservatives 4, Labour 11, Liberal Democrats 1.
51:19We're still waiting for Herne Bay and Sandwich and Faversham and Mid Kent.
51:26So we're still waiting for those counts to come in.
51:28We did have the Maidstone result through not too long ago at the same place.
51:34So hopefully with Helen Grant there retaining her spot,
51:37but hopefully we'll be bringing in the next count there.
51:41I'm interested to know, we've been talking a lot
51:43and we had the channel director on it hours ago
51:46discussing the very beginning, the opening of this
51:49and what this coverage would be like.
51:51What's it like, Finn, to work on this behind the scenes
51:55and to be awake at 6am live on TV right now
51:58after being to the count across the county,
52:00joining us live through all the tech issues
52:02and managing to deliver some great reporting.
52:05What's that been like?
52:07It's definitely been an adventure
52:09and I'd be lying to you and the audience
52:11if I said I wasn't a bundle of nerves today.
52:13But being on the ground, it's been amazing.
52:18Watching it all unfold and just seeing people's reactions.
52:21I was even entertained when I wasn't going live
52:24watching people doing the voting.
52:26Finn, I'm going to have to interrupt you there
52:28because I think we have Favisham and Mid Ken.
52:30Brilliant.
52:31Favisham and Mid Ken, we're going live to that now.
52:33We're not going live to it, it's going to come shortly.
52:36OK, it's going to come shortly, but we are getting there.
52:39OK, we're going to try and get that result as it comes out.
52:44We'll just wait for that.
52:46But Favisham has been held by the Conservatives,
52:49so we'll try and get that.
52:51Ann Waitley has kept her spot there,
52:54but we're trying to get some reaction.
52:56We've still got a good few more hours of broadcasting
52:59and hopefully we'll get some reaction.
53:01But just while we're waiting for that result to come through
53:04and reaction there from Favisham and Mid Ken,
53:07the same question to you, Andrew.
53:09What's that been like on the ground
53:11and seeing the reactions from the parties?
53:13It becomes less about the numbers, the statistics, the polls.
53:16It becomes more about, oh, these are actually all people standing.
53:19Yeah, speeches, and they're quite emotional.
53:21They talk about their families.
53:23It feels, oh, these are real people standing to be members of Parliament.
53:27Yeah, I think that to be there today,
53:31the first time I've attended an election count,
53:35and it sort of...
53:37It puts a face to it, really.
53:39You see there's so many different kinds of people
53:42from all walks of life all together
53:46in what is essentially, you know, democracy
53:51happening right in front of us.
53:53And to be able to be there, to be able to see it
53:56and talk to the people who are involved
53:58has been...
54:00Well, it's been great fun, but it's also been interesting
54:03and it's been quite a privilege, I'd say.
54:05Oh, and something I keep saying as well is every journalist's Christmas.
54:09Yeah.
54:10Christmas, isn't it?
54:12Getting to report on all of this as well.
54:15OK, I think we've got Oliver Leader de Sacks ready in Canterbury now.
54:20Oliver, what's it like there? What can you tell me?
54:24Well, it's grey skies outside Westgate Hall,
54:28but it is a sense of jubilation from the Labour camp.
54:33Two have now left for Canterbury.
54:35Rosie Duffield won a sizable majority,
54:40increasing from 1,800 in 2019
54:45up to a majority of around 9,000.
54:50She had quite a good night.
54:52I did ask her, I hope we have the clip available,
54:55of what she'll be doing in the Parliament.
54:58Obviously, there's lots of new Kent MPs across Kent.
55:02And I asked her, does she see herself as a role model
55:06to those new Kent MPs?
55:08That's quite a recognisable, well-known backbencher.
55:11No idea yet.
55:13I might be causing trouble from the backbenchers
55:15or I might be kind of promoted, who knows?
55:17But it's really amazing to have some neighbours.
55:20And, you know, I guess we'll all work together and put Kent first.
55:24Thank goodness Kent is going to get some real representation at last.
55:30All attendance is now on Herne Bay and Sandwich,
55:33one of the very last Kent seats to be called.
55:38Lots of people on the ground saying it's too close to call.
55:41We will find out the result in the next hour, we hope.
55:45Roger Gale appeared around half 45 minutes ago.
55:49Helen Whitehead, the Labour candidate, also here as well.
55:53And it's going to be a tight contest between the Conservatives and Labour.
55:57The exit poll has Herne Bay and Sandwich as a Labour seat by 86%.
56:03But plenty of surprises tonight and this morning.
56:07So we're going to have to wait and see for the result.
56:11But it's going to be interesting nonetheless.
56:14And trust you, Oliver, our politics nerd,
56:17our biggest politics geek in the newsroom,
56:20Anne, you've got the last result for the county.
56:25Who'd have thought it, eh?
56:28What's it been like throughout the night?
56:30You're talking here in the studio with the reporters
56:33that have been at the count, Finn and Andrew,
56:36at their various counts across the county.
56:39But what's it been like, the support on the ground?
56:42It still looks incredibly busy behind you.
56:45It has been hectic all night.
56:48It doesn't help that the count came in at slightly odd times.
56:52Obviously lots of delays, lots of close calls throughout the evening.
56:56It has led to a lot of frustration on the ground
56:59and lots of people watching the TV, watching the results come in.
57:03Some cheering as cabinet ministers have lost their seats
57:07as the protection results were called.
57:10But the feeling has been rather jubilant from some parts,
57:14tense in others.
57:16And as I keep saying, it has been close to cool in some parts.
57:19I think lots of people have had a relatively happy night.
57:24Conservatives thinking they had it better than expected.
57:28Reform enjoying an increased vote share.
57:31And, of course, Labour on track to secure a majority
57:35in Herne Bay and Sandwich Corner to the exit poll
57:38and securing a sizable majority in Canterbury.
57:41So it's been an interesting night here in Westgate Hall
57:45and hopefully the coffee doesn't run out soon.
57:48I'm hoping mine, neither yours, Oliver.
57:52I'm just going to bring you in very quickly on a local story to us here in Medway.
57:57We saw some postal vote issues.
57:59People not getting their postal votes.
58:01I know that's something you've been covering this week at KMTV
58:04and looking into.
58:06Has there been whispers of how that might affect
58:08as you've been looking into the politics of that?
58:13Obviously some of these majorities are quite big across the county.
58:17So it shouldn't affect the results too much, I wouldn't suppose.
58:21And plenty of the people I spoke to online who had postal vote disruptions
58:26received their votes earlier this week, around Tuesday, Wednesday.
58:30So hopefully it hasn't been that much of an impact.
58:34But, of course, we have seen those concerns.
58:37Obviously Vince Maple writing to Royal Mail.
58:40Obviously lots of concerns about that.
58:43So we really have to wait and see in the next couple of days
58:47as people react across the county to these quite shing results.
58:54But it is going to be an interesting one.
58:57Obviously these postal votes are a new phenomenon.
59:01Lots of people voting by post this election, making their minds up relatively early.
59:06It wasn't just about polling day yesterday.
59:08It's been polling day postal votes for weeks now.
59:17Thank you.