00:00I'm not scared to sit here and say, if the government do not come up with more money, we're going
00:05to have to lose staff.
00:07Words from the latest Conservative politician to leave the pack.
00:11Though for Medway councillor Andrew Lawrence, it isn't for Reform UK, but to create his own new party.
00:17He's launching Medway First, a party to prioritise issues specific to the five towns, and eventually to try to raise
00:25these in Parliament too.
00:26If you've walked around Medway saying to yourself, oh my God, I could run this place so much better, I
00:32want to talk to you, right?
00:33Because you probably can.
00:35You know, this current Labour administration and previous Conservative administrations have not improved life for Medway residents.
00:42You know, if you point to anything in Medway, what's actually changed, what's been improved?
00:48Councillor Lawrence is still a small C Conservative, but he wants his new party to focus more on ideals than
00:54party politics.
00:55with six areas of focus, from being more careful about house building, to boosting transport, to making Medway a place
01:03to be proud of.
01:04It might sound familiar to say that both Labour and Conservatives have failed Medway, as Reform canvassed with a similar
01:11message.
01:11But what makes Councillor Lawrence's new party any different?
01:15This election will be an alternative to Reform, because I think Reform will do very well in Medway, but we
01:22will be caring about Medway, not caring about promoting Nigel Farage or any of the other people who run Reform.
01:30We are going to be caring about Medway. We're Medway people, we're accountable to Medway people.
01:36That's what our, that's, that's what my offer is, to people who might want to come and stand with us.
01:42While County Hall's opposition is split into fairly equal groups of Tories, Lib Dems, Greens and Restore, Medway Council has
01:51remained solidly Labour versus Conservative.
01:54Could Medway first change that?
01:57Well, the leader of the Conservative group doesn't think so.
02:00I don't think that forming a new political party is what the people of Medway want to see at the
02:05moment.
02:05They want to see their councillors getting on and holding the administration to account to deliver better services for people
02:11in our community.
02:12And that's what my team and I are focused on.
02:15Just before the announcement of Medway first, the government also came out and said that LGR in Kent will be
02:22put on pause.
02:23Meaning that although Councillor Lawrence originally thought he'd be campaigning for seats on the new North Kent Unitary Authority,
02:31these 2027 elections will now take place in Medway Council as we already know it.
02:38But will Medway first be able to make a dent in Labour's stronghold on Medway Council?
02:45Megan Shaw in Medway.
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