Confederation of Kent Green Parties

Category: Green Party

General Green Party news and events.

  • Cllr Stephen Thompson: Government must fund sustainable farming adequately

    Cllr Stephen Thompson: Government must fund sustainable farming adequately

    Green Councillor Stephen Thompson at the edge of a Kent field with rolled crops.

    A BBC report today notes the government’s latest £233m fund allocation for sustainable farming has fallen substantially short of needs, leading to a scramble of online applications, and leaving thousands of farmers out of pocket.

    Cllr Stephen Thompson, Green Ward Councillor for Boxley Downs, Maidstone, says:

    “Environmental stewardship should not be a lottery. Farmers should not have to take part in a six-hour online race to secure funding for the work our countryside depends on.

    Yesterday’s £233 million Sustainable Farming Incentive funding window opened, and closed again less than six hours later because the entire budget was already allocated.

    We know there is strong demand from farmers to invest in sustainable land management, and the funding mechanism is failing to give them the certainty they need.

    The NFU had warned in June that the available environmental land management budget was insufficient to meet demand.

    Ministers knew this would be an exceptionally high‑pressure round, yet still allowed a first‑come, first‑served system that turned environmental stewardship into a race against the clock.

    The Government must now tell us how many farmers were ready and eligible to apply but missed out, and how much planned environmental work will now not happen as a result.

    Farmers need certainty. Nature needs continuity. And the public needs confidence that environmental funding is being allocated through a system designed around good land management, not whoever can click fastest.

    As a Green councillor, I want farmers to be properly supported to produce food locally, while restoring soils, protecting water, improving biodiversity and adapting to climate change. This is not a luxury; It is part of building resilient farms and resilient communities.

    In Kent, where farming, food, horticulture, water resources and biodiversity are so closely interconnected, this uncertainty is not just a problem for individual farm businesses; it is a problem for our long-term local resilience.”

    Cllr Thompson is the Cabinet Lead for Economic Development at Maidstone Borough Council.

    Green Councillor Stephen Thompson at a farming conference in East Malling, Kent. A panel is taking place.
    Cllr Stephen Thompson at the ‘Fruit Focus’ Farming Conference in June at East Malling.

  • Successes at Green-led Folkestone & Hythe District Council

    Successes at Green-led Folkestone & Hythe District Council

    Local Green Party members at the opening of the new adventure and play area in Lower Leas Coastal Park, Folkestone.
    Local Green Party members at Lower Leas Coastal Park, Folkestone. Photo by Shepway Greens.

    The Green Party for Folkestone & Hythe (Shepway) have released the following statement concerning possible changes to plans for local government reorganisation (LGR). Folkestone & Hythe District Council is Green-led and has been very successful in this format. Here is the statement in full:

    Having spent months preparing for local government reorganisation (LGR) the process has been paused and elections to Folkestone & Hythe District Council (FHDC) will go ahead in May.

    LGR, if it ever happens, will reduce local democracy, with fewer councillors representing bigger areas and covering a much wider range of responsibilities. They – and the unitary council they are part of – will be much more distant from the communities they represent.

    Our Green councillors pride themselves on listening to and working closely with residents, many of whom have told us over the last three and half years just how responsive they have been.

    Our Green-led council – the first in Kent following the 2023 elections – has worked in partnership with local community groups and supported them, organising networking and wellbeing events, establishing community forums, and providing hundreds of thousands of pounds through a new Green Grants scheme and expanded ward grants and community grants programmes.

    The council has been busy transforming our district, supporting residents and businesses, protecting the environment and helping to attract visitors.

    Regeneration of Folkestone town centre is nearing completion. Benefits will include a new green space with exciting play area, more street trees and safer road layouts. The old Debenhams is being restored and a medical centre is planned. A town centre manager will be based at 19 Guildhall Street: a hub providing new businesses support, childcare, hot-desking and food sustainability initiatives.

    The council has invested in a new adventure play area in Folkestone’s Coastal Park and the Changing Tides coastal centre at Greatstone and reopened a new-look Romney Marsh Visitors Centre. It is  providing a £2.4 million grant to reopen Folkestone pool for community swimming, then  Hythe Pool will get a much needed £6 million plus refurbishment and a new sports facility will be developed at Martello Lakes.

    FHDC recently received the highest rating (C1) from the Regulator of Social Housing  – the first council in Kent to receive this distinction and among just 14% of councils nationwide. The council is providing scores of new affordable homes and making its own housing stock cheaper to heat and light, as well as achieving improvements to privately rented properties.

    Success comes from strong financial management – turning the £4.5 million deficit we inherited into a rare conclusion of ‘substantial assurance’ from the auditor: the first she has given any council in her long career.

    It’s a record we’re proud of, demonstrating what can be achieved when people elect a Green council. Now that LGR has been paused, we have an opportunity to continue this great work at Folkestone & Hythe District Council. Roll on the May elections!

    Want to help us make hope normal again? You can join the Green Party here.

  • KCC Green Group statement on 5th September Dover protest

    KCC Green Group statement on 5th September Dover protest

    View of Dover from atop the castle, June 2014. The harbour and beach, along with a number of residential buildings and a large car park, are clearly visible. In the background a green hill sits against the sea and a blue sky above.
    View of Dover from atop the castle, June 2014. Photo by Dave Croker.

    The Green Group at Kent County Council (KCC) is calling for greater co-operation between the council and Kent Police to counter the type of intimidation that occurred during the 5th September far-right protest in Dover, and what appear to be terror tactics.

    These balaclava-wearing men, who seemed to be wearing a kind of uniform, are not welcome in our county.

    Dover has enormous traffic issues at the best of times, and the only boats affected by the blockade of the docks last Saturday were cross-channel ferries, which were disrupted for many hours following the invasion by the group calling themselves “Patriot Platform”.

    The Bishop of Dover, the Rt Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, called the action “deeply troubling”, and noted she and others were made to feel “far from safe” in their home town.

    Orders have been made previously to prevent face covering at protests, and permission is sought in advance.

    The Chief Constable has yet to respond to the KCC Green Group Leader, Mark Hood, regarding a failure to act on the information the police had in advance and the failure to make a single arrest.

    Please sign the petition calling on KCC to debate this issue and tighten up processes before we have further chaos on our streets brought to Kent by outside agitators.

  • People vs Palantir – International Day of Action, 1st October

    People vs Palantir – International Day of Action, 1st October

    A protest for Palestinian rights with a large banner saying 'No Palantir in the NHS'. Photo by Talia Woodin.
    We need to get this problematic corporation out of our public services. Photo © Talia Woodin.

    On Thursday 1st October, patients, NHS workers and activists across England are uniting to say NO to Palantir in our NHS. The action is jointly co-ordinated by Amnesty International, Global Justice Now, Good Law Project, Health Workers for a Free Palestine, Just Treatment, Keep Our NHS Public, MedAct, Palestine Solidarity Campaign UK, Pull the Plug and We Own It.

    Amnesty’s website contains a list and interactive map of local actions already called; it’s likely we can expect more to be arranged. So far, protests have been organised in Central, North and East London, Maidstone, Medway and Tunbridge Wells.

    More information about Palantir and the NHS

    Call to Action – Substack by Dr. Julia Grace Patterson, who has reported extensively on this subject

    Concerns Regarding Palantir in NHS Data Systems – March 2026 report by MedAct

    The Single English County Saying No to Palantir – Wired article, 21st August 2026

  • Save Oaken Wood: have your say on the consultation

    Save Oaken Wood: have your say on the consultation

    Dense cluster of trees in leaf along a shadowed woodland path.

    Following our previous post on Kent Reform councillors’ disastrous decision to destroy 100 acres of ancient, irreplaceable woodland, the consultation over this proposal is now under way, and will remain open until 10th September.

    Kent Wildlife Trust has provided guidance on responding to the consultation, along with a direct link enabling you to have your say. The more of us make ourselves heard, the more pressure on Kent County Council to spare Oaken Wood; please send a response if possible.

    You can also check out the Save Oaken Wood Facebook page to keep up with the latest on this campaign.

  • Standing with trans people: our response to the EHRC guidance

    Standing with trans people: our response to the EHRC guidance

    The Green Party logo on the Progress Pride colours.

    We wish to share the excellent statement by our friends in Tunbridge Wells, authored by Geoff Mason, responding to the new EHRC guidance on the 2010 Equality Act.

    As is true of the Green Party nationwide, this author too stands in unequivocal solidarity with trans and non-binary people and the entire LGBTQ+ community, and deplores the cruel and ill-informed backlash against trans rights in the UK and elsewhere.

    Please read and share Geoff’s post. You can also join our movement here and help to make hope normal again.

  • Climate crisis: Zack Polanski delivers “reality check” to prime minister Andy Burnham

    Climate crisis: Zack Polanski delivers “reality check” to prime minister Andy Burnham

    On Wednesday 5th August, Green Party leader Zack Polanski got together with experts and workers, including presenter Chris Packham, to give a press conference described as a “reality check” for the Prime Minister. You can view the full press conference above.

    From the Green Party national website:

    After highlighting the multiple threats we face – to our safety, our food and water supply, and our way of life – Zack called for action to keep people cool and safe, taxes on oil and gas giants to fund our fire services, and public ownership of water to end the failed experiment of privatisation.

    Zack was joined on stage by an ex-soldier and engineer, a doctor, and a firefighter, who described the consequences of extreme weather they had seen in their work – as well as broadcaster and environmental campaigner Chris Packham who warned of the present and future risks of the climate crisis.

    Zack started his press conference with a vivid description of the consequences of the extreme heat that has hit the UK this year.

    The day before he had witnessed the aftermath of the devastation caused by a wildfire in Oxfordshire.

    “Trees reduced to charcoal. Cars turned to burnt out wrecks. The smell of smoke still lingering in the air, on the site of what was once a thriving local business – now reduced to ash.

    “Wildfires. Literal scorched earth. And that looming sense that this is only the beginning.

    “These days feel exceptional, but what we’re living through right now are likely some of the least extreme summer temperatures we’ll experience in our lifetimes.”

    Zack also filmed a short video on location where the wildfire had destroyed a local business and surrounding woodland.

    Meanwhile, extreme weather continues to cause bleak scenes across Europe; yet right-wing voices still deny the severity of what is happening right in front of us. It is imperative that those in power immediately address the climate emergency for what it is.

    Join us today and become a vital part of the battle for survival and sustainability.

  • Save Oaken Wood: Kent County Council’s Reform votes to decimate centuries-old woodland

    Save Oaken Wood: Kent County Council’s Reform votes to decimate centuries-old woodland

    Dense cluster of trees in leaf along a shadowed woodland path.

    By an extremely narrow margin of 37-33, Kent County Council has approved the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan, which includes an expansion of Hermitage Quarry. This will involve the destruction of 100 acres of irreplaceable ancient woodland at Oaken Wood, West Maidstone.

    To force the measure through, the Reform chair used “special powers” to completely block a Green Party amendment that would have saved the site.

    The planned expansion will mean taking the bulldozer to ancient soils, veteran trees, bluebells, and rare wildlife in an area continually wooded for four centuries: an unconscionable and irreparable loss.

    Here is a statement from our Facebook page:

    Today was an extremely frustrating experience for Save Oaken Wood campaigners and KCC Green Councillors who were deliberately blocked from proposing amendments to remove the expansion of Hermitage Quarry from the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan.

    Reform UK’s Chairman, Jeremy Eustace, yet again demonstrated why he is incapable of serving all members of the council by using a little used constitutional technicality and refused to accept an alternative suggestion to the administration’s proposal to even be debated.

    Reform UK in Kent are fast becoming control obsessed enemies of democracy incapable of adhering to the basic principles of fair debate.

    Residents expect their representatives to be able to challenge the administration and fulfill the roles ascribed to any opposition group. That is a requirement of any functioning democratic institution.

    We all know where silencing dissent inevitably leads us. Fortunately after today’s Local Government Reorganisation announcement Reform’s tenure at County Hall is drawing to an end, but it seems they are determined to add Ecocide to their list of “achievements” before successor councils sweep them away.

    The next step will be to challenge the plan during the six-week public consultation, by sending objections to the Planning Inspectorate.

    You can join the Save Oaken Wood campaign and stay informed of future developments by following their Facebook page.

    – with thanks to Get Wild

  • Home truths: Labour, progressive politics and the affordable housing crisis

    Home truths: Labour, progressive politics and the affordable housing crisis

    As the Guardian noted yesterday, Labour ministers are currently chewing over plans to relax affordable housing quotas, which potentially threatens the existence of 32,000 new affordable homes, particularly in rural areas, where pricing is already inflated.

    The article points out that this issue is technically being considered under the auspices of the outgoing prime minister (PM), Keir Starmer; and thanks to his government, we have all perhaps become accustomed to the remodelled, uber-capitalist Labour that echoes Blair’s tenure and at least attempts to efface Corbyn’s. Whether the next PM will reverse this rightward creep and revive the party’s damaged roots remains to be seen. Regardless, as Green deputy leader Rachel Millward discussed in her recent BBC interview, there is something very wrong with how many in the political establishment seem to view housing.

    “Houses are, first and foremost, homes; they’re not first and foremost investment vehicles,” she states in the clip above. And to this author it is indeed bewildering that houses are often considered (at least by those who can afford them) as a means of generating profit, rather than as a necessary and fundamental facet of human life, without which we face all sorts of hardships and barriers.

    How is it possible that the general discourse fails to acknowledge a truth that one would expect to be axiomatic? That the existence of multiple households on waiting lists, and of hundreds of thousands of children living in temporary accommodation, does not immediately lead to prioritisation of their basic welfare over a superfluous economic gain for those who are already comfortably housed? How can the most vulnerable among us be left without this most essential protection as a consequence?

    It makes no sense, and the time is ripe for a politics that supports everyone.

    The Green Party’s latest manifesto pledges:

    • 150,000 new social homes each year, including from the purchase of existing builds
    • £42bn total over the next five years to support low-carbon energy and insulation
    • A community right to buy
    • Investment in local health, transport and other services to accompany new developments
    • Ensuring new builds meet sufficiently high standards
    • MPs pushing for rent controls, stable tenancies and an end to no-fault evictions

    Join us today. Together we’ll make hope normal again.

  • Support the Nature’s Rights Bill

    Support the Nature’s Rights Bill

    Green peer Natalie Bennett has introduced the Nature’s Rights Bill into Parliament. Its second reading took place today in the House of Lords; you can view Natalie’s speech here.

    This bill was authored by Mumta Ito, founder of Nature’s Rights, and is based on the Integrated Rights Framework she originated and developed. It is designed to grant nature legal recognition for the first time in UK law, affording unprecedented protection to our remaining biospheres amid the ongoing threats of climate change and exploitation. Natalie described the bill in her speech today as a “green Magna Carta”, intended to support democracy as well as environmental conservation.

    If you wish to express support for the bill, a template letter to your MP is available on Natalie’s website.

    You can find out more about the Nature’s Rights campaign here.