Cllr Kate Chinn 💙 🇪🇺 🇺🇦

The next war won't be won by armies, navies or air forces alone. It'll be won by the country whose 19 year olds can code, whose factories can build drones in weeks not years, and whose grid stays on when someone tries to switch it off. Industry. Society. Economy. That's the fight now. We're not ready. And we're not being honest about what getting ready will cost.

A protest vote can feel powerful - but it doesn’t always have the impact people expect. In many elections, votes don’t just reflect preference, they determine results. Sometimes a protest vote can unintentionally split support and help deliver an outcome further away from what was intended. That’s why it’s worth thinking not just about what you’re voting against, but what your vote might actually help deliver on the day.

So much negativity…come on everyone it’s Xmas. Be kind and balanced before judging. This is a new initiative and I am grateful to the team for pulling this together, funding it and delivering the plan to support those that need it…this is a good thing 🫡🥳. Around 30,000 junior personnel in years 2-5 of their military careers – a group particularly affected by postings far from home early in their service – will benefit from a funded return journey to see their loved ones this Christmas. A further 5,000 separated parents with non-resident children will also receive travel credit, helping them reunite with their children over Christmas. This is targeted support where it is most needed – with personnel in their early years of service most likely to be separated from family and friends due to the demands of military life and placements. While many in the Armed Forces already qualify for travel cost support, around 35,000 service personnel don’t currently qualify for this support, and the Government is changing that this festive season.