Kent Tonight - Monday 2nd September 2024
Catch up with all the latest news across your county with Mahima Abedin.
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00:00Hello and welcome to Kemptonite Live on KMTV.
00:29I'm Mahima Abedin and here are your top stories on Monday the 2nd of September.
00:35Means testing changes.
00:37Mother worried for son's future as Kent County Council's new care charging policy comes into
00:42effect.
00:43But for somebody like Nathan, that means the difference between living a life or just existing.
00:50Ready for a long weekend?
00:52Kent considers impacts of a compressed four day week.
00:55I think this is beneficial.
00:57If you work for a very small business, it might drive that business to the wall.
01:01And top of the table, the Deals keep their first place spot after an intense weekend
01:06fixture.
01:07Because that's what gets you winning football teams and yeah, their work today was class.
01:21First tonight, a Tunbridge mother of a disabled man is fearing a new care charging policy
01:27will contribute to the deaths of other vulnerable people.
01:31Bernadette John worries that Kent County Council's controversial increases will stop some people
01:36from paying for vital support out of not being able to afford it.
01:40As of today, disabled people are now having more income from benefits taken into account
01:45as part of their means testing.
01:47As our local Democracy reporter Gabriel Morris explains.
01:51They can't work in the first place.
01:53They can't get a second job.
01:54They can't take on overtime.
01:56The reaction as increases to care charges take effect to her son and others across Kent
02:01today.
02:02Nathan, who has lifelong learning and physical disabilities, lives in a care home outside
02:06the county.
02:07Each week, he contributes towards the cost of the support he receives.
02:11The last month, his mother received a letter from Kent County Council informing her that
02:15Nathan will now have to pay an extra £35 a week.
02:19That might sound like a small amount to the councillors sitting up in County Hall, but
02:25for somebody like Nathan, that means the difference between living a life or just existing.
02:31Some people who need to run specialist equipment, which uses up a lot of electricity, they might
02:36need a specialist diet.
02:38If you start cutting back on any things like that, the potential harm to their health could
02:44be absolutely devastating.
02:46Are we talking death?
02:48I think it could.
02:50Kent County Council's policy on calculating care costs now considers higher benefit rates.
02:55The change means that affected disabled people will pay more for the care they receive.
03:00Sophie, who runs a charity supporting vulnerable people, wrote to the council earlier this
03:05year urging them to halt these changes.
03:08She argues that since disabled people are often unable to work, these increases could
03:13push more people into poverty.
03:15So it's going to have a major impact on a lot of people who are going to have to be
03:19making difficult choices again about whether to take care, whether to pay for care at all.
03:27And often it is crucial support, but there are people who do go without.
03:32Now the charity says these changes to charitable care will impact thousands of households right
03:38across Kent.
03:39But there's now a motion from the Labour group that could potentially stop that.
03:44They say the new government's three-year funding settlement for local councils could potentially
03:49reduce the need for these care cost increases.
03:51In the overall budget for KCC and adult social care, it's a very small amount.
03:57And I believe that if we can delay this until that award comes through, we can find the
04:02money to do this year after year after year.
04:05Now you're trying to bring this motion forward for the next full council in mid-September.
04:09Is that going to be too late for any changes to happen?
04:12All they have to do is say we're not implementing.
04:15In a statement, Kent County Council said the decision was not taken lightly.
04:19They plan to mitigate some of the impact by including a £900,000 contingency into the
04:24budget to help with the increased disability-related expenses.
04:29But for Bernadette, the fight to reverse these changes for her son and others across Kent
04:33is far from over.
04:35She's not ruling out legal action.
04:37Gabriel Morris in Tunbridge.
04:41Last night, a man has been charged after a police officer was attacked while responding
04:46to another assault in Wincheap.
04:48On August 29th, just after 9pm, police were apprehending a man after he had attacked a
04:53member of the public when Ashley Munchin attacked one of the arresting officers.
04:58The 37-year-old has now been charged with attempting to wound the officer with intent
05:02to cause grievous bodily harm, as well as assaulting another person and causing criminal
05:07damage to the man's earpods.
05:09He appeared at Magistrates Court and was remanded to appear at Canterbury Crown Court
05:13later this month.
05:16New cameras have been switched on today, the Beaver Road and Sackville Crescent in Ashford.
05:23This is so that drivers disregarding the bus gate rules will be caught and fined with a
05:28£70 fine.
05:30These areas implemented a bus gate zone, meaning that anything other than public transport
05:34and taxis are prohibited from using the area.
05:37Previously, Beaver Road was blocked by a retractable bollard, but this has been inactive for years
05:41meaning that motorists have been taking advantage of the route, using it as a shortcut.
05:46Residents in the area are welcoming this change in hopes that it will decrease unnecessary
05:50traffic and increase safety in the area.
05:55Now workers in Kent and beyond could get the right to request a four-day week.
06:00Under new government plans, workers would still need to clock in their usual contracted
06:04hours, but could squeeze that into a fewer days as long as it's feasible for what they're
06:09doing.
06:10But is Kent ready for a four-day week?
06:12Oliver Leader de Sacks has been finding out.
06:15Would you want to do a whole week's work in four days in exchange for a longer weekend?
06:21Under current rules, workers can request flexible working, but employers don't have to agree.
06:28But a new law may force businesses to offer flexible working from day one, except where
06:35not reasonably feasible.
06:37While the government says they're not imposing a four-day working week on anyone, new plans
06:42would give workers the option of doing the same hours in fewer days.
06:46And for some businesses who are already working shorter weeks, like Digital Reflect in Maidstone,
06:54they think the plans could be beneficial.
06:57Yes, initially it was a bit of a shock for some people that it was such long days, but
07:01actually it's made me a lot more productive, meaning that I'm just going to get my work
07:07done in those four days, and then the Friday it's off, it's your own time, you can spend
07:14it how you want.
07:15And for me, yeah, it's just been a real game changer.
07:18It'll be hard to ever go back to a five-day week.
07:22Speaking on the Kent Politics Show, Conservative councillor and small business owner Mark Joy
07:28told the programme he wasn't sold it would work.
07:32The legislation's already there for flexible working, where it suits both the employee
07:37and the employer.
07:38Giving 100% carte blanche to the employee is going to, again, with everything else that
07:46Keir Starmer is seeming to do to small businesses at the moment, it's just going to keep putting
07:51nails in that coffin.
07:53So are passers-by in Rochester as equally concerned about a compressed working week?
08:00I think it's a very good idea, yes, because I think it would be easier on people who don't
08:05want to do five days.
08:06I think if you work for a very big business, then they can afford to do it.
08:09I think if you work for a very small business, it might drive that business to the wall.
08:13I think it's ideal.
08:14I mean, I do four days sometimes, three days sometimes, six days, yeah.
08:20I think it's beneficial.
08:22The hours are going to be too long.
08:25People don't want to spend seven to whenever in work when they've got kids.
08:30They want to go home and see the kids.
08:32A spokesperson for the Department of Business and Trade says any changes to employment legislation
08:38will be consulted on to find the balance between improving workers' rights and supporting those
08:44who pay their wages.
08:46We won't have to wait long to find out the future of the long weekend, with further details
08:52expected within the next few months.
08:56But whether Kent is ready to clock in more hours to clock off a day early, it's hard
09:02to say.
09:03Oliver, Leader of the Saks, reporting for KMTV.
09:08But this isn't the only political news as Parliament returns from summer recess.
09:12What can we expect in the weeks and what faces have been making an appearance on the Green
09:16Benches?
09:17Well, our political presenter Oliver, Leader of the Saks, joins us now.
09:21Oliver, can you fill us in on what's been happening in Parliament today?
09:23Well, Mahima, do you remember what it was like when you first went back to school, like
09:27so many kids across Kent are doing today?
09:29Well, it was a bit like that today.
09:31That's what recess coming to an end is like.
09:33All the MPs coming from across Kent and the country back to Parliament, meeting up with
09:37each other, discussing the big issues for the coming months.
09:41And that actually started earlier in a session today, in an oral questioning session with
09:45the Minister of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
09:50And you're going to hear a few of the MPs now talk about issues such as high street
09:54regeneration and rural house development.
09:57Jillingham High Street in my constituency, where only yesterday we launched our Love
10:02Jillingham campaign and initiative, faces numerous challenges.
10:06Will the minister agree to meet with me to discuss some of these challenges, as well
10:10as the possibility of a compulsory register of properties on high streets?
10:14The government is rightly focused on bringing empty properties back into use as part of
10:19our commitment to regenerate high streets.
10:22But encouraging footfall by supporting local communities to hold events in our town centres
10:27is another way that we can bring life back to our high streets and also support local
10:31businesses.
10:32Will the minister write to the leader of Fannock District Council and remind him that agricultural
10:37land is the stuff that we grow food on, and it's needed for housing if we are to remain
10:41sustainable?
10:44And Ollie, what can we expect in the coming weeks?
10:46Well, Mahima, there's a few things to look out for, maiden speeches, there's still a
10:50few MPs that haven't given theirs from Kent, so keep an eye out for that, as well as the
10:55Conservative leadership race, which is hotting up since Laura Trott, the Sevenoaks MP and
11:01Shadow First Minister for the Treasury, gave her endorsement for Kemi Bannadotte, calling
11:07her the next Margaret Thatcher.
11:11So it's going to be interesting, it's the first knockout week in the Conservative leadership
11:14race and of course in the coming months we've got the budget which will lay out the government's
11:19fiscal plans for the rest of the year, so lots to look forward to, lots to keep an eye
11:24out for.
11:25Well thanks so much for joining us Oliver, that's all we have time for for now, but it's
11:29time for a short break, we'll see you soon.
15:12Hello and welcome back to Kentonite live on KMTV.
15:17Now, a prison in Rochester has become the first Category C prison to receive an urgent
15:22call for improvement.
15:24Self-harm, drug use, rising violence and a rodent infestation were among the issues found
15:30in a damning inspection of HMP Rochester, which the Chief Inspector of Prisons has deemed
15:35a shocking level of neglect.
15:37Staff and prisoners' relations were reportedly poor and inspectors found significant evidence
15:43of disrespectful treatment of visitors by staff as well as failures in prison healthcare.
15:48The Secretary of State has been called to invoke an urgent notification for improvement.
15:55Now according to diners across Kent, it's becoming increasingly likely to see an automatic
16:00service charge on the final bill.
16:02While tipping is normally a choice for the customer, it is a highly contested issue with
16:08some saying it should remain an option for good service, others don't like the trend.
16:13We spoke to people on Canterbury High Street about what they think about a tip being a
16:19necessity rather than a kindness.
16:21I actually think the best way around this, for me, is either a statutory, as America
16:29do, 20%, which is quite high actually, but I actually do think that I'm very happy to
16:35tip waiters or waitresses there on the table.
16:38Good idea.
16:39I would take it off if it was that bad, yeah, definitely.
16:43Just because I think it makes life a lot easier, I think you don't have to worry at the end
16:48of it, particularly if you're in a group, you don't have to worry about working out
16:52the service charge and all of that kind of thing, so yeah, I think it's just simpler.
16:58We're off to sports tonight, to sport, and the Gilles have had a near-perfect start to
17:02their season, going unbeaten in their first four games.
17:06An entire roster of Kent Paralympians from Ashford to Sheldwitch are in Paris to see
17:10if they can pick up a gold medal for county and for country.
17:14Well joining me now in the studio is Finn McDermott, Finn, can you talk us through this
17:18week's game?
17:19Well, it was certainly a strange one this weekend for the Gilles, it's not often you
17:23see two red cards in one match, look, they looked all set to continue their unbeaten
17:28run when they scored inside the first ten minutes.
17:31But the 60th minute sending off of their captain Max Eymer caused everyone's mood to just tank,
17:37I'm sure, in the stands.
17:38I mean, it was his second yellow for a foul only five minutes after his first one.
17:43Well, we have a brief interview with manager Mark Bonner.
17:48When it's hard to have too much of an impact on it, the players are spent really, you just
17:54see that, but they still made every run, and that I think is the point, you've just
17:59got to dig in.
18:00We said at half-time, whatever happens in this game, wherever the game goes, we ain't
18:04giving up, we ain't giving up on it, we're fighting all the way through it.
18:08We probably didn't predict that that was going to be the outcome of the second half, but
18:11that's what we did.
18:12And that is the grip that we're trying to build and the resilience that we're going
18:14to try and build, because that's what gets you winning football teams, and their work
18:18today was class.
18:20And so Finn, is this rare for the Gilles, does this usually happen?
18:24Well, we saw it a bit last season, where they won their first four fixtures in a season,
18:29but they failed at the fifth and sixth hurdles.
18:31I think a lot of Gillingham fans will be expecting that, obviously everyone wants to be promoted,
18:37but I think it'll be good to just wait a little bit longer, just to wait and see, and they've
18:41had such a great summer transfer window, so maybe, we'll see what's on the cards.
18:46And so can you talk us a little bit more about the Paralympics, moving on from the football
18:50to that?
18:51Yeah, absolutely.
18:52There's been a lot of action and there's a lot to cover, so I'll get right into it.
18:56The first of the big stories is that this is the most ever golds for the Paralympics
19:01in a single day this century for Team GB, 12 golds.
19:05And first off, Tunbridge Wells, Will Bailey, MBE and known for Strictly Come Dancing fame,
19:12is likely to add to that, I can't say anything yet, but they beat local legend Stéphane
19:18Messi from France with three back-to-back sets to earn a spot in the table tennis quarterfinals.
19:24His goal is to take back his 2016 Rio gold after earning silver in Tokyo.
19:28And on the screen now you can see that is Henri Ourand, who missed out on a medal in
19:34the triathlon, but that is the winner, Daniel Molina I believe, congratulating him and just
19:40being a really good sport, so you'll have to see that sort of thing.
19:43In swimming, Tunbridge's own Iona Winifred also just, just missed out on a podium spot
19:49by a few seconds in the 200m medley, but she has a chance to go for gold in the 100m breaststroke
19:55on Thursday and 50m butterfly on Saturday.
19:59And this weekend, Dartford powerlifter Liam McGarry will compete in the men's over 107kg
20:06powerlifting final.
20:07Sounds like there's lots to look forward to in the coming games.
20:10Don't forget you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent by logging
20:14onto our website kmtv.co.uk. There you'll find all our reports, including this one about
20:20the government cutting the annual winter fuel payments for some pensioners, leaving many
20:25fearing how they will brace the cold for the coming seasons.
20:28It might be August, but 89-year-old Sheila from Kent is already bracing for a frosty
20:33winter, with the government announcing its plans to scrap the annual winter fuel payments
20:38for those that aren't on pension credit or other benefits. It means Sheila, who once
20:42relied on it to keep her warm, has been left feeling helpless and unsure on where to turn
20:47to for help.
20:48I'll be getting cold. I'll have to wrap up more because being 89 and then living in a
20:54drafty house, it'll affect me quite a bit. I don't know who to go to for help. I don't
21:01think at my age you should have those worries because it's not only if you've got extra
21:07money, pension credit, there's people without pension credit that need it just as much.
21:14With thousands of pensioners in Kent and beyond expected to be impacted by these cuts, charities
21:19like IMAGO, that provide support for those struggling in the community, say this will
21:23leave the most vulnerable having to make difficult decisions this winter.
21:27They've worked hard all their lives, these people, and for them to be struggling and
21:32in the situation they're in I think is terrible. People struggle as it is and they rely on
21:40that fuel payment. It's always a case of eating or heating for them and we'll have a lot of
21:49people I think that will be hungry or cold this winter.
21:55In a statement, a government spokesperson said,
22:02But given the dire state of the public finances we have inherited, it's right that we target
22:08support to those who need it most while we take the difficult decisions needed to fix
22:13the foundations of our economy.
22:15But it's not just IMAGO that's feeling the pressure with the decision to cut the payments.
22:19The Gillingham Street Angels, which also provides free support to the local community, says
22:23people are already phoning up and asking for help.
22:27It's a matter of life and death. I think there's people out there who just can't afford to
22:30live. People are panicking, they're already panicking. Maybe means test it, there's people
22:33out there who maybe can afford it, but to just cut the whole lot of everybody, it's
22:38just, it's bad, it's a bad idea.
22:42These are just some of the blankets that Neil has ready to be handed out this winter to
22:45those that are going to be feeling extra chilly. Now he says that his charity is already feeling
22:50the pressure and fears they will only get worse.
22:53I mean the voluntary sector will do what they can to help. We've already started collecting
22:55warm clothing, blankets up, but there's a lot of people who don't engage with these
22:59services, who don't engage, they haven't got the internet, they can't find out where us
23:02people are, so I think it's going to be hard.
23:05While these changes won't actually come into force until the 16th of September, Kent charities
23:10are urging those fearful of the winter months ahead to reach out.
23:13Mahima Abedin for KMTV in Gillingham.
23:18And finally, many people across Kent would have been some of the millions trying to get
23:22Oasis tickets this weekend. Many fans complained about websites crashing and if they did get
23:27through so-called dynamic pricing. The government has now promised to look into this as tickets
23:32for the Oasis reunion tour more than doubled while on sale. One of those who tried and
23:37failed to get tickets was our local democracy reporter Gabriel Morris. Well, he joined us
23:42now. Now Gabriel, you had five screens open and you didn't manage to get a ticket. What
23:46was that like?
23:47It was actually worse than that. I just remembered I actually had my phone going as well, so
23:49six devices going. Each computer I had three tabs going for the various different ticket
23:55websites you can get through. You can see some of the pictures there. That's how my
23:57Saturday morning looked. On every website, trying to reload it. I went on to go and join
24:03at about, what time was it, around about 8.30 in the morning. So the ticket sale started
24:10at nine and unfortunately, well, I wasn't lucky enough to be able to get any tickets.
24:16Now I managed on my phone to get through to the queue and I was about 220,000 through.
24:21This is what it looked like when I got to the end of it. An unexpected error occurred.
24:25So I was one of many fans who didn't get through. I did manage to try again on another device
24:31and get through a little bit later. And that's when I got the ticket tier into dynamic pricing,
24:36which lots of fans have complained about. So I was trying to get a standing ticket,
24:40which was about £151. They were actually going for about £350 by the end of it. And
24:47the government have now said they're going to have a review on that and see actually
24:50should they be doing that. Ticketmaster says it's the event organiser who had priced those
24:54tickets. Well you spent your whole Saturday morning
24:57trying to get these tickets and you didn't manage to get your hands on them. I'm sure
24:59a lot of people will be able to relate. But what's next for fans who didn't get the tickets
25:03like yourself? Well there are resales. Twickets sales are
25:07going to go up there soon. Now there has been a bit more controversy on this today because
25:12Twickets actually can charge a booking fee on this. And fans were saying, well it's quite
25:15an inflated booking fee. Owner of Twickets has come forward and said, actually, you know
25:19what, we're going to reverse our decision. They're only going to now charge a booking
25:22fee of 10% which will be capped at £25. So they say that's to charge their admin fees
25:27and also fees which go through the bank. Ticketmaster is the other one. You can get ones through
25:31and it's suggested not to go for others. Thank you for that, Gabriel. And before we
25:35go, let's now take a look at the weather. Tonight the weather may be humid as rain appears
25:45with low winds across Kent. Temperatures stay relatively high, remaining in the high teens.
25:51In the morning, temperatures increase to 20 degrees in the north of the county towards
25:54Chatham and Canterbury areas. Some rain is expected with some cloudy yet sunny skies.
26:00And in the afternoon, the day continues to get warmer, reaching highs of 22 degrees.
26:05The rest of the week looks similar with overcast yet sunny skies and warmer temperatures.
26:16You've been watching Kent Tonight live on KMTV. There's more news made just for Kent
26:23throughout the evening. And don't forget you can always keep up to date with the latest
26:27news across your county by logging on to KMTV.co.uk. You can keep us on your social timelines by
26:33liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter. And if you have a story you think
26:38we should be covering, then get in touch. But for now, that's all from us here at KMTV.
26:42We hope you have a very good evening.