00:00There are clear dividing lines between communities.
00:03Parts of our county are going to be hugely disadvantaged.
00:05I think they're appalling and they're quite disrespectful the way that this has happened.
00:09After months of heated debate, the wait for answers is nearly over.
00:15Next week the government is expected to announce how our existing authorities will be replaced
00:22by a handful of bigger councils that bring all local services under one roof.
00:29What that could actually look like here in Kent is up in the air.
00:34There's some politicians who want three councils, others four,
00:38and Kent County Council just want one huge authority.
00:42Well, you know, it's very strange to see reform councillors going around saying they want to change things,
00:48they want to reform things, and then when you actually get the chance to take duplication out
00:53of local government, to get rid of two-tier councils, to eliminate two sets of councillors,
00:59two sets of chief executives, two sets of finance directors,
01:03when you get the chance to streamline it, reform or against reform.
01:07But the leader of Kent's largest local authority insists that nothing has yet been taken off the
01:14table by the government.
01:16Well, I don't think he's made any decision yet.
01:18Of course, we won't have the decision until next week, if at all.
01:23We've been given a date next week to expect some sort of decision from the government.
01:26But as usual with this government, nobody knows what their thinking process is.
01:32Nobody knows how they've come to any decision.
01:34You know, they chop and change their minds so often.
01:36The whole LGR process has just become a guessing game, really.
01:39So I'm as much in the dark as everybody else.
01:42We don't know the exact date the government's decision will be announced.
01:47But with five options on the table for how to redraw Kent's political map,
01:54the dividing lines have never been more stark.
01:58Olly Leader in Kent.
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