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00:00Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live on KMTV.
00:26I'm Bartholomew Hall, here are your top stories on Wednesday the 30th of July.
00:31True Blue, former Kent Conservative MP defects to reform, saying they have a better direction
00:37for the country.
00:38But, you know, I'm doing it because I think now's the right time to do it.
00:42President, or prankster, 20-year-old from Dover claims he's set up his own country next
00:48to Croatia.
00:49I'm sure it's not a joke or a prank, you know, we have loads of legal experts that support
00:53it in our favour.
00:54Under Kentish currency, we bring Rochester's ideas for a new British banknote to life.
01:01Something iconic and representative of history, like the Spitfire.
01:05Whereabouts would it be?
01:06Over Dover, the Cliffs of Dover.
01:19Good evening.
01:20First tonight, the blues are over.
01:22That is, for one of our former MPs.
01:24As the previous representative for Gravesham, Adam Holloway has jumped ship from the Conservatives
01:29to Reform UK.
01:30Mr Holloway lost his seat to Labour at last year's general election after nearly 20 years
01:37in Parliament.
01:38Now, he says that the Tories have been taken over by careerists and only the populist right-wing
01:44party has the answers.
01:46Our local democracy reporter, Olly Leder, caught up with Kent Rebel earlier.
01:50You have defected to Reform UK.
01:52You were previously a Conservative MP for quite a significant amount of time.
01:59The big question is why?
02:01Well, I'm kind of following my former constituents.
02:04I mean, you know, the country is in a mess.
02:07Things are going to get a lot worse in the next four years.
02:09If you look at the polls right now, reform is surging in what it describes as a sort of
02:16as a rescue mission.
02:17My former constituents seem to be understanding that and having faith that reform are the people
02:23most likely to be able to deal with these things.
02:26And I'm getting on board now precisely because I want to play my part over the next four years
02:32of getting reform credible and fit for government.
02:36That's why I'm here.
02:37I mean, if it was just about me getting Gravesend, the Gratum seat back, I'd probably be a weasel
02:42and I'd wait for a couple of years and then go and, you know, beg for Arj to say, please,
02:46can I stand for you because of where the polls are.
02:48I'm doing it now when there's no certainty that reform, you know, will win the next election
02:55at all.
02:56But, you know, I'm doing it because I think now's the right time to do it.
03:00But looking at the polling, I mean, they have a good chance, they're currently two points
03:03ahead.
03:04Many of the polls are electoral calculus, YouGov say Gravesend will turn turquoise.
03:09There's a good chance that you could become MP again.
03:11There's a very nice guy who was the candidate last time, Matthew Fraser-Mode, I've spoken
03:17to him today.
03:18You know, I'm not coming here sort of assuming that that's going to be the case.
03:23But honestly, that's not what it's about.
03:24People who know me, you know, throughout my political career, you know, part of the reason
03:28that I was never a senior minister, you know, it could be that, you know, I've always tried
03:33to be independent and not rebel against my constituents.
03:37And it's kind of, it's sort of the same today, really.
03:40You know, the easier thing would be to wait.
03:43You know, lots of people when I've discussed this with them say, Adam, you know, it's a
03:46bit early.
03:47It's a bit of a risk.
03:48Well, if getting back the Graveship seat was my primary concern, I'd have waited a couple
03:52of years because I've kept my options open.
03:56Now, I don't have any options.
03:57You know, I'm all in to try and get the opportunity to play a small part in getting reform fit and
04:06credible for government.
04:07I know you mentioned that part of the reason you didn't leave earlier was not to let down
04:11your constituents.
04:12But you clearly weren't happy with the direction of travel and issues like immigration, on
04:18issues around taxation.
04:21How could you stand in 2024 on a policy platform for a party that you no longer properly believed
04:27in?
04:28Well, no, I think I did.
04:30I mean, it's not sort of, it's not kind of either or, you know, it's like, you don't,
04:37if you're part of a club or a team, you don't necessarily agree with everything they're doing,
04:42but it's about the sort of the overall direction of travel.
04:45And I think now that the direction of travel that's most likely to be able to deal with
04:50the mess we're in and the mess, by the way, in the next four years, is yet even worse under
04:54this disastrous Labour government.
04:56I think it's these people, you know, I may be proved wrong, you know, but I hope not for
05:01the sake of my former constituents, the people of Kent and the people, you know, across the
05:06country.
05:07And you can read more on that story over at Kent Online.
05:11Now, though, in the last few hours, there's been major disruption to flights arriving and
05:16departing from the southeast.
05:18Gatwick Airport says it's caused by, it's been caused by a technical issue with air traffic
05:23control.
05:24Although officials have confirmed the issue's now been resolved, disruptions expected to
05:29continue for the rest of the day.
05:30Well, Gabriel Morris joins me in the studio.
05:32Now, Gabriel, this comes right at the peak of holiday season.
05:35Anybody hoping to catch an evening flight this evening?
05:38Not what they want to hear.
05:39Schools are off.
05:40Likely many families heading to the airport today to try and get off on their summer holidays.
05:45Unfortunately for many, it's going to take a little longer for them to get off today.
05:48That's due to an issue with air traffic control, a technical issue, according to NATS.
05:53That's the air traffic control service for us in the UK.
05:56They say that issue has now resolved.
05:58But the problem is planes were unable to depart from most London and natural airports across
06:03the UK for a large amount of time.
06:05This means that a lot of planes stuck on the tarmac, missed their slots and now having to
06:10wait to go.
06:11Now, there are a few issues.
06:12This could play out for the rest of today and into the afternoon.
06:15We can just go to some live pictures now just to get some departures from Gatwick Airport.
06:21OK, we haven't got the pictures there, I'm afraid.
06:23But anyway, pilots have a set amount of hours that they can fly.
06:27So if they're delayed by too much, they could maybe have to find new crews.
06:30Or there might just not be any available.
06:32And by the same token, planes could be in the wrong place tomorrow morning.
06:36So they could have a knock-on effect going forward.
06:39For passengers departing, they don't have too many rights on this as air traffic control
06:45is not a factor for airlines to pay out compensation.
06:49But if the flight is delayed by more than two hours on a short-term flight, then they can get some meals.
06:56You can see on the screen now some live pictures.
06:58You can see planes are now departing.
07:00But if you have a look at some of them on the ground, you can see this one was due to
07:03depart to Malaga at 2.50 this afternoon.
07:07Now 5.40, so some severe delays there by front of you.
07:10And it's affected many places across the UK.
07:13Edinburgh Airport's had delays, Cardiff as well.
07:15And we want to catch a flight down to the Channel Islands.
07:17Even they've had disruption today.
07:18Well, hopefully those people hoping to go on holiday will enjoy themselves and have no more
07:23disruption.
07:24Gabriel, thank you for those details.
07:25Now, what were you doing in your early 20s?
07:29Maybe studying at university or even working a nine-to-five?
07:33Well, for Daniel Jackson from Dover, most of his time is taking up presiding over the Free Republic of Verdis.
07:40Well, you might not have heard of it because it is technically not a country.
07:44It's not recognised by any other countries.
07:46But according to President Jackson and his 400 citizens, he's claimed land between Serbia and Croatia as his own.
07:54Abby Hook's been to meet him in Dover.
07:56Why is this 20-year-old from Dover making headlines 1,200 miles away in Serbia and Croatia?
08:06Well, it's all over a piece of unclaimed land where Daniel claims he's the president.
08:13He's named it Verdis, set up a flag, government, citizenship and even cabinet members.
08:20But it's not a recognised nation-state.
08:23It's not deemed a country.
08:25It's land left behind from a messy border drawn between Serbia and Croatia after the Yugoslavia wars.
08:33Everything on this side of the river is claimed by both Croatia and Serbia.
08:37And the pockets on this side, such as Verdis there, are not claimed by either.
08:42What would you say to those people who just think that this is one big joke?
08:45Well, I'm sure it's not a joke or a prank.
08:47You know, we have loads of legal experts that support in our favour.
08:50We issue documents.
08:52We spend loads of our own money to get to where we are today.
08:57We provide humanitarian aid.
08:58It's a costly thing to do.
09:01So here I have the three different identifications for the Republic of Verdis.
09:06In three different languages, English, Croatian and Serbian.
09:11But if you took any of these to an airport, you wouldn't actually be able to fly.
09:16None of them would be recognised in any kind of meaningful way
09:19because the state they claim to represent is a fictional creation.
09:23It's not something that would meet any kind of recognised diplomatic protocol
09:28and all the associated regulations with them.
09:31But at the end of the day, it needs a lot more than just kind of setting up
09:35house and setting up shop and declaring yourself king or emperor or president or whatever
09:41for a real state to exist.
09:43But even being detained, banned and deemed a national security threat in Croatia
09:50after he tried to start a settlement on Verdis hasn't put Daniel off his mission.
09:56We find it funny that they refer to us as this title because, again, we don't see ourselves as a threat to Croatia.
10:02We're open for cooperation with them.
10:04And most Croatian and Serbians have been positive towards us.
10:07It's really not something every 20-year-old in Dover is doing.
10:10So just tell me why.
10:12I mean, the world is boring without something like this happening.
10:16I think it's something that's taught me a lot.
10:18It's something that I believe in.
10:19And, you know, I'm happy doing all of this.
10:22You know, it's been an unimaginable and amazing journey so far.
10:28We did reach out to the Croatian and Serbian authorities but had no response.
10:33So the verdict on Verdis may not be international recognition.
10:38But Daniel hopes one day governments across the world will start speaking his language.
10:44Abby Hook for KMTV in Dover.
10:49Abby Hook reporting for us there.
10:51Now, police in Thanet are cracking down on antisocial behaviour after bikes were ridden into traffic at Westwood Cross Shopping Centre.
10:59This video shows the moment a young cyclist rode a bike straight into a police officer before being stopped.
11:05Police were called after reports of nuisance teens riding their bikes into oncoming traffic and performing wheelies near members of the public.
11:12The following day, six more teenagers were dispersed and two bikes were seized.
11:17Thanet inspector Richard Batten said officers have also spoken to those responsible as well as their parents about their actions.
11:24The century-old three-penny shelter in Tunbridge was knocked down after being hit by a maintenance vehicle.
11:30The rubble is currently being cleared away and taken to a storage where local authority will soon carry out an assessment and decide what the next steps are.
11:37The shelter was originally built back in the 1920s and was funded by workers constructing a local promenade.
11:44A spokesperson for the council has said they understand the penny shelter holds local significance but it's too early to say what will happen next.
11:50Well, next for us we'll be having a break and we'll be back after this.
11:53The Ref prenders Hospital
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16:36during the strike, accusing each other of making things dangerous.
16:40Do you think there's a different feel to the strikes this time around?
16:42The last time we saw strikes was under the Sunak government, a completely different party
16:46in charge.
16:47Is there a different feel this time about the way the government's handling it?
16:50I get the impression, ironically, that the junior doctors, there's less outright anger,
16:55but there is frustration about the fact that they haven't got what they wanted.
17:00There's definitely been a different approach from the hospital trusts.
17:06It obviously impacted waiting times, but that was to make sure that emergency services
17:12carried on.
17:13This time around, they didn't do that, and that's why there was this row, because
17:17they applied to the BMA to have the strike cancelled there so that emergency services could be made.
17:27You wouldn't have needed to do that.
17:29And it just goes to show as well how much pressure there is on the NHS, that hospitals are having
17:34to go, look, we actually cannot cope to strike in the first place.
17:40I mean, if there is going to be another strike, I think they have to think again about cancelling
17:44routine sort of operations appointments and so on.
17:47But all of this impacts patients.
17:49We've seen a visit this week from the Health Minister, Karen Smith, at the Whitstable Medical
17:56Practice, which has said it's going to be one of the same day GP and consultants appointments.
18:06So, can you explain this slightly too, getting a sort of same day appointment was the norm?
18:14Yes, it's got increasingly to change significantly.
18:19It's not that we're working less hard, we're having to do a lot more.
18:22Whitstable have always pioneered things.
18:25A decade ago, they were acting as a pilot for a different scheme to do with community care.
18:32A time ago, all the practices came together as a single practice.
18:34They built purpose-built premises.
18:37And in those premises, they put the ability to do minor operations, do x-rays and so on.
18:41And that's very much the model that's going to be applied with so-called neighbourhood
18:44centres across the rest of the NHS.
18:48Finally moving care out of hospital to closer to, because there's a lot of things in the UK
18:52we do at hospital, which don't need to be in that big, very expensive building.
18:57They could be out closer to where people are and also at a much cheaper cost.
19:01And what is it about this scheme that allows it so that we can see same day GP appointments
19:06and why isn't it something that's already in place?
19:09Part of it is using the mix of different professionals to provide care.
19:13So rather than relying entirely on GPs to provide all the consultations, you've got a greater
19:16mix of nurses and so on.
19:18It's a very large practice and having that economy of scale means there's more flexibility.
19:24If you lose one of 40 doctors for holiday, it has very little impact.
19:28If you use one of four doctors, then you've lost a quarter of your appointments at that
19:33time.
19:34So that sort of thing can make a difference.
19:35And really it's a question of adjusting things to make sure that people who need to be seen
19:39same day, because not everybody wants to be seen same day, but if they need to be seen,
19:44then they get seen.
19:45OK, we'll have to keep a close eye on how that one plays out and want to move on now
19:49to the Lionesses.
19:51Huge victory at the weekend, of course, winning their second European title in a row.
19:56One of the big headline grabbers from it, though, was that defender Lucy Bronze revealed after
20:01winning that she'd actually been playing the tournament with a fractured tibia.
20:05Can you explain in maybe a way that's not going to, we were talking about it before,
20:09maybe shiver a little bit.
20:11Can you explain what that actually means?
20:13I have to say, when I heard the news, I had to push my jaw back up because I couldn't
20:16believe it either.
20:18The tibia is the big bone that takes most of the weight from your knee down to your
20:22ankle.
20:23It's a fibula, a little tiny thing, and it's not very helpful.
20:27There tends to be two types of fractures.
20:29One is the sort of thing people to think of, you know, if you've been in a car crash or
20:32something like that, and the bone is properly broken, absolutely no way you're going to
20:36be able to do sport.
20:37You can't even walk.
20:38The other type, which is quite common, is stress fracture, and that tends to happen
20:42in athletes.
20:43You see it in distance, athletes, footballers, and so on.
20:45And it's a crack, normally at one or other end of the bone rather than the middle.
20:49And that's a stable fracture, so it's not going to wobble around.
20:52You don't have to be in plaster.
20:54It's going to be painful.
20:55And you still have to admire her, even with pain relief, that you can actually play professional
20:59football with that.
21:01So good on her, but I wouldn't do it, I can tell you.
21:04And maybe not recommend it as well, because although she played and she was very successful
21:08and came out a champion, but for youngsters that are maybe looking up to her, wanting to
21:13start, especially for female footballers as well, where we've seen the issue of injuries
21:18is a major issue there, especially when you think about ACL injuries, that they need
21:23to really be looking after their bodies.
21:25Yes.
21:26We've got to be very careful.
21:28Significantly greater numbers of anterior cruciate ligaments, ACL ligaments, in knees,
21:34in female players, particularly around the times of their periods.
21:38And we think it's probably because of the hormone changes that happen during the cycle.
21:42There are times of the cycle where those ligaments are more at risk and they can be damaged.
21:47And we've got to learn more about that and find ways to actually reduce that risk, because
21:51a broken ACL can be a major problem lifelong.
21:55Then again, there's the pair of us men sitting on the sofa here talking about how they should
22:00be doing us all proud and winning championships.
22:02So maybe we'll leave that one there.
22:04Gabriel.
22:05Gabriel.
22:06Sorry, not Gabriel.
22:07Sorry, Julian.
22:08It's all right.
22:09Hard to do anything.
22:10Right.
22:11One final one.
22:12We're going to talk about exercise.
22:13New research has found that going on a brisk 15-minute walk a day can boost heart health
22:16and reduce risk of death by 19%.
22:19We all know the sort of 10,000 step goal a day.
22:23What can you say about that?
22:24The interesting thing on 10,000 steps is it seems to have been a number that was plucked out
22:28of the air.
22:29And there's evidence that probably 7,500 is enough to get the same sort of benefit.
22:35And the more we learn about exercise, the more we realise you do not have to be hammering
22:39yourself.
22:40You know, a brisk walk, which is one that just makes you slightly out of puff, can be
22:43as good as going out and jogging five kilometres.
22:46Now, if you can do 5k, even better.
22:48But, you know, do what you can.
22:50Brilliant.
22:51Julian, thank you very much for bringing us those.
22:53I'll keep that in mind and I'll look after my legs as well.
23:00Right.
23:01Now, though, don't forget you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across
23:02Kent by logging on to our website, kmtv.co.uk, where you'll find all of our reports, including
23:04this one.
23:08Music has been in mourning, as Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness, passed away earlier
23:18this week.
23:19A global music star, known for his wild on-stage antics and roaring vocals,
23:23but, before selling out stadiums, he actually performed in a nightclub in Folkestone, only
23:27a year after joining Black Sabbath.
23:29Now, Tofts has turned from a club into a bar and cafe and are holding a weekend tribute to
23:34honour Ozzy's legacy.
23:35When we heard of the passing of Ozzy Osbourne, you know, I think no matter what music you're
23:39into, you know, we're talking about the passing of an icon, and a pioneer in music, and to have
23:44that direct link that he played here in his early days when, you know, he was just starting
23:48out, we just thought it was really fitting that in Folkestone that we host something for
23:52the fans.
23:53We've had reunion nights where people that used to club here in their heyday, in their
23:58teenage years, you know, they're now sort of running to their 60s and 70s, and they all
24:01come here and get together, share stories.
24:03We play, you know, playlists from things like Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, lots of different
24:08ones.
24:09People have just given us reams and reams of stories, as you'll see, about the people that
24:13have played here, when they played here.
24:16And you'll see here as well, where Black Sabbath played on the 11th of April 1970.
24:22So again, this was a local that used to frequent the nightclub, and he kept a diary and all his
24:29tickets and all his flyers, and so was able to give us sort of itinerary of all the artists
24:33and when they played, which was, which was fabulous.
24:35Now this would have once been Toft's nightclub, where Ozzy Osbourne performed to a massive
24:39crowd of about 12 people. But from humble beginnings, he forged a dynamic global music
24:44career, cementing himself as one of the icons of heavy metal and hard rock. He also inspired
24:50many around the world and some bands that might perform right here in Kent.
24:54Well, we kind of got into it because one of the guys that we were in a band
24:59with at the time was, not that it's been in bands for many years, but we was in a band
25:04and one of the guys had been harbouring this desire to do like an Aussie tribute.
25:12So he kind of kicked it off. And really, when you look at Black Sabbath, they've influenced
25:18so much of the rock and metal scene anyway. You know, you can't help but just be influenced by that.
25:26Ozzy passed away only 17 days after his final performance and many of his fans around the world
25:31have been playing his songs that now hold a different meaning, like his 1996 hit,
25:36See You On The Other Side.
25:39A lovely report there from Finn, of course, on the day of Ozzy Osbourne's funeral.
25:52Now, before we go to a break, let's take a look at the weather.
25:55Tonight, things are looking rather mild with warm temperatures hitting up to 20 degrees in Dartford.
26:05So it might be a bit of an uncomfortable one.
26:07Tomorrow, that yellow weather warning that came into us from the Met Office earlier for thunderstorms is in place.
26:12So do be careful if you're heading out. As we go into the afternoon, temperatures hanging around the sort of 19-20 degree mark
26:19and rain is definitely expected.
26:22It subsides, though, as we go into the end of the week, Friday and the weekend,
26:26looking to be in the low to mid-teens and cloudy skies.
26:30Time for a very quick break now, but coming up we'll have a recap of your headlines this evening,
26:41including a story about a 20-year-old from Dover who's claimed to have set up his own country next to Croatia.
26:47All that and plenty more after this short break.
30:00Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live on KMTV.
30:14A reminder now of your headlines on Wednesday 30th July.
30:18True Blue?
30:19Former Kent Conservative MP defects to Reform UK, saying they have a better direction for the country.
30:26President or Prankster, 20-year-old from Dover, claims he's set up his own country next to Croatia.
30:33And a Kentish currency?
30:36We bring Rochester's ideas for a new British banknote to life.
30:41First, though, look back at our top story this evening, and the blues are over.
30:46That is, for one of our former MPs.
30:49As the previous representative for Gravesham, Adam Holloway,
30:52has jumped ship from the Conservatives to Reform this afternoon.
30:56Mr Holloway lost his seat to Labour at last year's general election after nearly 20 years in Parliament.
31:02But now he says that the Tories have been taken over by careerists,
31:06and only the populist right-wing party has the answers.
31:09Our local democracy reporter Olly Leder caught up with the Kent Rebel earlier.
31:13You have defected to Reform UK.
31:15You were previously a Conservative MP for quite a significant amount of time.
31:22The big question is why?
31:24Well, I'm kind of following my former constituents.
31:27I mean, you know, the country is in a mess.
31:29Things are going to get a lot worse in the next four years.
31:32If you look at the polls right now, reform is surging.
31:36In what it describes as a sort of rescue mission,
31:40my former constituents seem to be understanding that
31:43and having faith that reform are the people most likely to be able to deal with these things.
31:49And I'm getting on board now precisely because I want to play my part over the next four years
31:54of getting reform credible and fit for government.
31:58That's why I'm here.
32:00I mean, if it was just about me getting Gravesend the Gravesend seat back,
32:04I'd probably be a weasel and I'd wait for a couple of years
32:07and then go and, you know, beg for us to say,
32:09please, can I stand for you because of where the polls are?
32:12I'm doing it now when there's no certainty that reform, you know,
32:17will win the next election at all.
32:19But, you know, I'm doing it because I think now's the right time to do it.
32:23But looking at the polling, I mean, they have a good chance.
32:25They're currently two points ahead.
32:27I mean, the poll's electrical calculus. YouGov say Gravesend will turn turquoise.
32:32There's a good chance that you could become MP again.
32:34There's a very nice guy who was the candidate last time,
32:38Matthew Fraser-Mode. I've spoken to him today.
32:41You know, I'm not coming here sort of assuming that that's going to be the case.
32:45That's honestly, that's not what it's about.
32:47People who know me, you know, throughout my political career,
32:50you know, part of the reason that, you know, I was never a senior minister,
32:54you know, it could be that, you know, I've always tried to be independent
32:58and not rebel against my constituents.
33:01And it's kind of, it's sort of the same today, really.
33:03You know, the easier thing would be to wait.
33:06You know, lots of people, when I've discussed this with them, say,
33:08Adam, you know, it's a bit early, it's a bit of a risk.
33:10Well, if getting back to the Gravesham seat was my primary concern,
33:14I'd have waited a couple of years because I've kept my options open.
33:19Now I don't have any options.
33:21You know, I'm all in to try and get the opportunity to play a small part
33:26in getting reform fit and credible for government.
33:29I know you mentioned that part of the reason you didn't leave earlier
33:33was not to let down your constituents, but you clearly weren't happy
33:37with the direction of travel and issues like immigration, on issues around taxation.
33:44How could you stand in 2024 on a policy platform for a party
33:48that you no longer properly believed in?
33:51Well, no, I think I did.
33:53I mean, you know, it's not sort of, it's not kind of either or.
33:56You know, it's like, if you're part of a club or a team,
34:02you don't necessarily agree with everything they're doing,
34:05but it's about the sort of the overall direction of travel.
34:08And I think now that the direction of travel that's most likely
34:12to be able to deal with the mess we're in, and the mess, by the way,
34:15in the next four years, it'll get even worse under this disastrous Labour government.
34:19I think it's these people.
34:21You know, I may be proved wrong, you know, but I hope not,
34:24for the sake of my former constituents, the people of Kent
34:27and the people, you know, across the country.
34:31Well, look, Oli's here with me in the studio now.
34:34He's not the first, and he might not be the last Conservative to move over to reform.
34:39What does this mean for the grand scheme of things?
34:41Look, Oli's been around half a dozen former Conservatives
34:45who have now jumped ship through reform.
34:47He's our first one here in the county.
34:50There's probably not going to be that many more.
34:53Lots of the former cohort of Conservatives here were what you call wets.
34:57They're kind of more on the left of the Conservative Party.
35:01But Adam Holloway, he says that's kind of the problem with the Conservatives.
35:05That despite having a leader like Kemi Badenoch,
35:08or potentially Robert Jenrick in the future, who leaned to the right,
35:12there's a lot of people, he says, would fit better in the Liberal Democrats.
35:17And that's why he's jumped ship to a party he thinks he's going to answer some of the big questions
35:23from an electorate that's increasingly frustrated by the establishment.
35:29So what does this actually mean?
35:31The answer is it's hard to tell at this point.
35:34Remember, the election won't be till 2029.
35:38We don't really know how many more defections.
35:41It's not like Natalie Elphick jumping ship just before the general election.
35:45There's a death toll to the Tories.
35:47This is very much early days and someone pinning their flag for the mast.
35:53Though I don't doubt that he's probably looking at his old seats
35:56and wondering, maybe I can get it back.
35:58Who knows where the polls may be moving over the next four years.
36:01Thank you very much for those details, Oli.
36:03Next, angry residents in Ham Street say inconsiderate parking is putting lives at risk
36:09with drivers mounting pavements, blocking routes and ignoring double yellow lines.
36:14With homes already damaged, the parish council is demanding urgent action
36:18but Kent County Council says limited road space rules out many solutions.
36:22Morrison's, whose store is nearby, says it's carried out a risk assessment
36:26and is waiting to hear back from the council.
36:28Locals fear it's only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt.
36:32Not only is this car park available, there is a car park which is at the back of the Morrisons
36:37which I probably would imagine is probably half the size of this car park.
36:41Not using it, no. They'd rather stop on double yellow lines and cause havoc.
36:46There has been accidents that have happened, I'm sure you were aware of them.
36:50And obviously there's going to be a lot more that are going to happen.
36:55I mean we've even had a car like a percentage sign halfway across the road
36:59where somebody's just dropped it with the kids in, rushed into the shop
37:02and left the kids outside in the car with the car halfway across the road.
37:07I got bumped the other day with a car coming in or out of the car park, scuffed the back of my car.
37:12Obviously I was nowhere around so I didn't see it.
37:15But also another problem is when we have deliveries like this for the shop,
37:20the road gets almost totally blocked, as we're seeing at the moment.
37:25And also we do get cars mounting the pavement along here to try and let big vehicles through,
37:31which is obviously equally dangerous for any pedestrians.
37:35Nothing that we've proposed can be put into effect.
37:40So we're very concerned about what will happen in the village in the future
37:45with the increased amount of traffic and the difficulties that people have passing and parking.
37:50It's a very old village. It's a very old village.
37:53The roads are very narrow. There's a lot of traffic.
37:56We've had a lot of new developments recently bringing more people to the village,
38:01which is great for the village.
38:04What we're finding now is with the new amount of people,
38:08the shop's getting busier, the shop's getting more deliveries.
38:11We're finding more and more lorries are parking on the yellow lines.
38:16And people just can't pass.
38:19Next, what were you doing in your early 20s?
38:22Perhaps studying at university or even working a nine-to-five.
38:26But for Daniel Jackson from Dover, who is 20,
38:30most of his time is taken up presiding over the Free Republic of Verdis.
38:35Now, you might not have heard of it because it's technically not a country.
38:39But according to President Jackson and his 400 citizens,
38:42he's claimed land between Serbia and Croatia as his own.
38:46Abby Hook's been to meet him in Dover.
38:49Why is this 20-year-old from Dover making headlines 1,200 miles away in Serbia and Croatia?
38:58Well, it's all over a piece of unclaimed land where Daniel claims he's the president.
39:05He's named it Verdis, set up a flag, government, citizenship and even cabinet members.
39:12But it's not a recognised nation state.
39:15It's not deemed a country.
39:17It's land left behind from a messy border drawn between Serbia and Croatia after the Yugoslavia wars.
39:25Everything on this side of the river is claimed by both Croatia and Serbia.
39:29And the pockets on this side, such as Verdis there, are not claimed by either.
39:34What would you say to those people who just think that this is one big joke?
39:37Well, I'm sure it's not a joke or a prank.
39:40You know, we have loads of legal experts that support in our favour.
39:43We issue documents.
39:44We spend loads of our own money to get to where we are today.
39:49We provide humanitarian aid.
39:51It's a costly thing to do.
39:53So here I have the three different identifications for the Republic of Verdis.
39:58In three different languages, English, Croatian and Serbian.
40:03But if you took any of these to an airport, you wouldn't actually be able to fly.
40:08None of them would be recognised in any kind of meaningful way because the state they claim to represent is a fictional creation.
40:16It's not something that would meet any kind of recognised diplomatic protocol and all the associated regulations with them.
40:24But at the end of the day, it needs a lot more than just kind of setting up house and setting up shop and declaring yourself king or emperor or president or whatever for a real state to exist.
40:36But even being detained, banned and deemed a national security threat in Croatia after he tried to start a settlement on Verdis hasn't put Daniel off his mission.
40:48We find it funny that they refer to us as this title because, again, we don't see ourselves as a threat to Croatia.
40:54We're open for cooperation with them.
40:56And most Croatian and Serbians have been positive towards us.
40:59It's really not something every 20-year-old in Dover is doing.
41:03So just tell me why.
41:05I mean, the world is boring without something like this happening.
41:08I think it's something that's taught me a lot.
41:10It's something that I believe in.
41:12And, you know, I'm happy doing all of this.
41:14You know, it's been an unimaginable and amazing journey so far.
41:20We did reach out to the Croatian and Serbian authorities, but had no response.
41:25So the verdict on Verdis may not be international recognition.
41:30But Daniel hopes one day governments across the world will start speaking his language.
41:37Abby Hook for KMTV in Dover.
41:42Fascinating stuff there.
41:43Time for our last break of the evening, but we have plenty more to come.
41:50We'll see you next time.
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46:55and what Rebel Runners does is exactly the same thing, we're all inclusive for everybody
47:01and we have a great following across Medway, it's just fantastic.
47:05However, sprinting wasn't the only way for families to get fit, as there were plenty of
47:11other sports on offer. As well as getting people involved they're always looking for more volunteers
47:16that will help with coaching or looking after children or parents support and liaison. It's a
47:20big thing to do a local club but generally those people are passionate about their sport
47:25so the idea tonight is that the adults and children will join in, it's for everybody, it's inclusive for
47:29any ability, any sort of able-bodied person joining all the sports that we've got here
47:33and they'll talk to everybody about getting involved.
47:40The event finished with the all-famous run across Great Lines Heritage Park, hopefully giving
47:47participants of all ages a head start on health this summer. Henry Lutt for Kane TV in Medway.
47:59Now a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms was issued for tomorrow across Kent and much of the
48:04south of England. It'll be in place from 10am till 9pm tomorrow with the Met Office stating heavy
48:09showers and thunder is expected to develop throughout the day. Torrential rain is expected in a few
48:15places with as much as 60 millimetres of rain within the first two hours as well as frequent
48:20lightning and hail being additional hazards. As always there is a slight chance power cuts could
48:26occur and homes could be hit with flash flooding so caution is being advised for individuals.
48:32Well with that said let's take a look now at the full forecast.
48:42Tonight's looking rather mild with warm temperatures hitting up to 20 degrees in
48:46Dartford, 18 and 19 elsewhere. As we go into the morning not much of a change, that yellow weather
48:51warning coming into force from 10 o'clock, cloudy skies and as we go into the afternoon that rain will
48:57be hitting. Temperatures hovering around the 20 to 21 degree mark but subsiding as we go towards the
49:05rest of the week. Staying cloudy, temperatures in the low to mid 20s.
49:18Finally from us this evening, the Bank of England has invited the public to suggest new themes and
49:23ideas for the country's currency. But what do the people of Rochester think? Well with the nomination
49:28ending in on the 31st of July just tomorrow we decided to use generative AI to see what the
49:35suggestions would look like if they made it to printing. Finn McDermid went down to Rochester High
49:40Street to see what the future of British banking would look like. What comes to mind when you think
49:46of Britain, the monarchy, football, maybe something else entirely? Well the Bank of England want to know.
49:51They're asking for new submissions for redesigns of the British banknote. And they've come up with
49:57a few ideas. They say it could be a person of historical interest, it could be perhaps an iconic
50:01building or even part of nature. Whatever the case, I've taken to Rochester High Street to ask people
50:06what they'd like to see as the face of British money. And here's the fun part. Since this is the
50:10Banknote of the future, we're going to be using AI to bring people's ideas to life. Let's have a look at
50:15what they thought. What would you like to see on the Banknote of the future? Something iconic and
50:21representative of history like the Spitfire. Whereabouts would it be? Over Dover, the cliffs
50:26of Dover. I think the Shorts Brothers because they're local to Kent obviously from the Isle of
50:30Sheppey and invented the first or helped invent the first flight. So I think that's pretty astounding.
50:37Probably put the coats of arms of the counties around the UK. Brilliant. Any specific counties?
50:44Well, Kent obviously, but all of them if you could. I would say I quite like to see banknotes with
50:52different shapes of the counties on because then they're individual and then you know you go to
50:56different counties you can collect a banknote from each one. So like I'm quite obsessed with the shape
51:01of the Kent. I was looking at it the other day, you know it's quite funny how the lines are carved out
51:06in between different towns and whatnot and one town can be literally divided. I think that's quite fun.
51:11I think I have a good idea. Brilliant. And tell me what would you like to see if you could design the
51:14new British banknote? Myself on it. Who would not want that? Brilliant. And tell me how would that
51:21look? Tell me about the design. Are you off to the side looking into the distance? Oh yes, it will be
51:25like you know looking to the side and looking very regal and very important because I'm a very important
51:31person. Tell me what would you like to see as your personal redesign of the British banknote? British
51:36banknote. I think the £50 note needs to have Rossi on it. That's for sure. The big denomination, Rossi. Yes.
51:45But could any of these ideas actually be accepted and what historically goes on a banknote?
51:50It was always the monarchy, even going back to Roman times, you'd always got the head of the
51:55state was always put onto it and that way was to actually show that the actual item was of a
52:02very good value in terms of metal, silver or gold. And you'll get like, all the slave trade was based
52:11on Austrian tallers and these tallers, because they were gold, they were effectively, they were,
52:19people trusted the metal content, the gold content of the coin. While the ideas Rochester had were
52:24inventive, I'm just not sure some would ever get to printing. A bottle of gin. Nice gin.
52:32Finn McDermid for KMTV in Rochester.
52:37Well, ahead of another episode of Kent Chronicles, the show all about Kent's local history.
52:43Finn is with us now, but first of all, Finn, we're going to talk banknotes at steel. You've had a bit of
52:48fun with the generative AI, haven't you, about some of these ideas. There were some great suggestions on
52:53there. The dog was my favourite, but what have you been working on? I may have gotten a bit carried
52:57away, I won't lie to you, Bartholomew. We've got a few different ones here. We can see that's myself,
53:02that's actually my LinkedIn photo, thank you, so I'm normally not that serious. Okay, very nice.
53:06We've got another one. 20 pounds, was that the option? 20 pounds. I did 20 pounds for most of them,
53:11except for Rossi's, which is the dog, because his owner specified 50.
53:15It was 50, okay, but of course you're priceless to us. Oh, that's just a sweet moment, isn't it?
53:19Right, thank you, Bartholomew. That's really, that's touched my heart. Well, hopefully you
53:24continue to say that after we see yours. Let's have a look at Bartholomew's. There he is.
53:27Oh, look at that. That is interesting, isn't it? Yeah.
53:30And something to my face there. Something's happened.
53:33It's taken someone else's face or something. Yeah, but we've got the Invicta Sport logo as well,
53:36so that's nice. Look at that. Oh yeah, the Invicta Sport logo and also 20 pounds. Yeah,
53:42I like that. Now, let me get into the quiz. Oh, we've got a quiz.
53:46We do have a quiz. We have a quiz. They're so good. We've got the quiz. Essentially,
53:50I'm going to give you celebrities, historical figures, people with ties to Kent, and I need
53:54you to tell me if they've ever appeared on some British money. Okay, fantastic.
53:59Let's get right into it. So first of all, we have Florence Nightingale. Let's take a look at her.
54:05She helped open a hospital near the river Medway. That's her sort of tie to Kent. Okay.
54:09Do you think she was ever on a British bank? She's a very significant historical figure. I
54:15wouldn't be surprised if she was on one of the new polymer notes, so I'm going to say yes.
54:19She was. She wasn't on one of the newer ones. She was actually on the British 10 pound note between
54:231975 and 1994. We've got a lot of these, so we'll keep going. Okay. Do you know who that is?
54:29Uh, Darwin Dickens. Dickens. It is Dickens. Lived in Rochester, obviously. They have the whole
54:34festival about him. Yes. Very big Kentish figure. What do you reckon? I don't think so.
54:39Uh, you are one and one. He did in fact, uh, he was in fact on the 10 pound note from 1992 to 2003.
54:46Oh, wow. Well, I also do want to point out, uh, one of these is still in circulation,
54:49one of these, so if you don't get that one, I will be quite surprised. Well, I don't, yeah.
54:53Okay. Let's have a look at our next one. You might recognize this. You might recognize this person.
54:57Uh, this is Alessia Russo. Alessia Russo. Did she ever appear on Money?
55:01Uh, not yet. But, but I wouldn't, you know, good suggestion after, of course, winning,
55:06winning the Euros twice. Well, she has appeared on Money, but not actual currency,
55:10not anything you can trade at the bank for. She appeared on a souvenir bank note for Arsenal FC,
55:15uh, her club, obviously. What did they do with the... They just had promotional notes for all their
55:20players. She was, I believe, a 50 pound note. Oh, okay. Let's, let's keep going. Not a 23 pound note.
55:25No, not quite. Okay. Do you know who that is? I don't. I don't. Charles Darwin.
55:30Uh, lived in the village of Down, which is now in Bromley, was Kent at the time. Right.
55:35Do you reckon he was ever on some... Uh, no. No. You're not doing too well,
55:39hereby, I thought I'd be. I'm not going to lie to you. He was from 2000 to 2018 on the 10 pound note.
55:43Oh, wow. Right. I'm being told we need to rattle through the rest of them. We need to go
55:46nice and quick. Okay. Let's go quickly then. Who's that? Oh, uh, Orlando Bloom.
55:49Yeah. Uh, was he ever on Money? No. Uh, not British. He was on the Malta 2.5 euro coin card. Uh, next.
55:55I saw him. Yep. Yep. Churchill. Yep. Was he ever on it? Yes. He was and is still on the five pound note.
56:01Yes, of course. Let's keep going. That's Mick Jagger. Okay. Dartford. Born in Dartford. Money?
56:07No. Correct. Yay! Next. Anne Boleyn. Uh, no. Uh, she was. She was on coins during her brief reign as the
56:16Queen of England. Of course. Of course. Let's keep going. David Bowie. Uh, David Bowie. No. Uh,
56:21not British. He was on, uh, Brixton Pounds, which was a sort of trader coin that they could use in
56:27Brixton. That's fair enough. Last from us. Uh, who is this? This is Geoffrey Chaucer. Oh. Canterbury
56:32Tales. Yep. He was on the one pound coin in 1987. Uh, before we go, Bartholomew, this is the last time
56:38we might see you on the sofa. It is. It is. Thank you very much, Finn. And with that, I say goodbye.
56:42Thank you for the quiz. Chronicles after the break. No. Thank you for all the years. Thank you.
56:46Thank you. And the memories. Thank you for watching.
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