- 12 hours ago
Catch up with all the latest political news across the county with Meghan Shaw.
This week we were joined by Cllr Vince Maple, Labour's leader of Medway Council, and KMTV Channel Director Andy Richards to discuss Prime Minister Andy Burnham's plans for the county he unveiled at the Labour conference.
This week we were joined by Cllr Vince Maple, Labour's leader of Medway Council, and KMTV Channel Director Andy Richards to discuss Prime Minister Andy Burnham's plans for the county he unveiled at the Labour conference.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:21Welcome to the Kent Politics Show here on KMTV and I'm Megan Shaw.
00:25Coming up, our local business is on board with Andy Burnham's new AI pledge and what
00:31has the media reaction to the Labour Party conference been like so far?
00:35But first, the Prime Minister Andy Burnham has unveiled his new plan to create a national
00:39care service, the equivalent of an NHS for social care on Tuesday, his first Labour Party
00:45conference as the PM.
00:46But what do residents in Medway think about the plans?
00:51There's not enough resource put behind social care in this country.
00:58And so this would have improved then?
01:00Yes.
01:01Well, I mean, yeah, to be honest, yeah, I think that would be right.
01:07I mean, tax the rich and then go from there.
01:12I would be less keen on that, but I do understand the thoughts behind it because people of my
01:21age will benefit from the social care.
01:24So I guess if we reduce our pensions, it might help to pay towards the social care.
01:32It's going to be a huge cost.
01:34I just don't know how they're going to do it, but it'll be interesting.
01:38And on the sofa now is Councillor Vince Mable, Labour and Cooperative Leader of Medway Council,
01:44and Andy Richards, the Channel Director of KMTV.
01:48Obviously, adult social care is something we will be chatting about.
01:50But first of all, as conferences go, a lot of, you know, a lot of the media have said this
01:55was an incredible speech by Andy Burnham.
01:57It was quite emotional.
01:58He touched on all sorts of things.
02:00And first of all, I mean, Andy Richards is a media professional yourself.
02:03What did you make of it?
02:04Well, I'm looking forward to hearing what Vince says because he was there.
02:07But in terms of looking at the reaction, it's been huge.
02:13All the podcasts, all the nationals, everyone has been talking about this speech as one in
02:18a generation, right?
02:19And even it's been interesting watching the different sides of the political spectrum react
02:23to it.
02:24Obviously, there's a lot about the triple lock.
02:27I think what I think is going to happen is that it's going to be quite similar to Brexit,
02:31where we all started being educated about the differences between all the different
02:36plans and things.
02:37I think we're going to hear a lot about the ins and outs of the triple lock over the next
02:41two to three years in terms of what it actually means.
02:43I think when people understand it more, then they'll be able to have a better opinion about
02:48it.
02:49Like we just saw there speaking to people in the street, they're still not quite sure what
02:53it actually means and how it's going to be funded.
02:55Even that one person said, yeah, take the money from the rich and give it to the poor.
02:59Not really understanding that it's going to be pensioners that are going to help foot
03:02the bill.
03:03I mean, about 20% of Kent's population is over 65.
03:07I mean, scrapping that triple lock and using that to fund that adult social care, is that
03:12something, you know, a fifth of the county would really be behind?
03:15We know this is an issue.
03:16So one of our biggest pressures financially is adult social care.
03:20And we're not unique.
03:21That's a challenge across the country.
03:23So doing nothing really isn't an option.
03:26So I was really pleased to hear Andy Burnham.
03:29He said a lot on Tuesday.
03:32We may speak a little bit more about that, but on adult social care, certainly the program
03:37we've got moving forward care for Medway.
03:39Actually, that would fit very well with some of the kind of detail of the plan that we've
03:43heard.
03:43It's still early doors.
03:45And I think one of the really important things is that he wants to try and build cross party
03:49consensus.
03:50I think over the last 15 years, you've seen parties in opposition use sometimes quite
03:55unhelpful language like dementia tax or death tax.
03:59Let's try and move away from that and have a mature grown up conversation about what is undoubtedly
04:04one of the biggest issues for this country.
04:06I think what's really clear is that we're going to get a lot of it.
04:11Like I just said, we're going to get a lot of education now.
04:13So he's definitely, definitely setting out his stall for the next general election.
04:16I think the likelihood of a snap general election is looking even more unlikely now.
04:22He said, I want to educate people.
04:24I want to tell them what my plan is.
04:25I'm going to have some time to do it.
04:27It's not in this manifesto.
04:28He reinforced saying things that the pledges that he was going to stick to from the original
04:34manifesto that he wasn't elected on.
04:37But I think we're going to hear a lot about his plans for a next general election, but in
04:42a full term of parliament, I think.
04:44And yet Labour have only really just edged above reform in the polls.
04:48They've got 24%, which is, you know, really quite low.
04:50I mean, all of this is if the Labour government do win the parliament again.
04:56Well, I saw one of the polls since conferences closed put us on 29% and the Tories on 19%,
05:01a 10 point lead over the current official opposition in parliament.
05:05But there's only one poll that counts to use one of the biggest political cliches in the world.
05:11And I agree with Andy.
05:12I think, you know, Andy Burnham has been clear as prime minister.
05:16We're not likely to see a snap general election.
05:19Of course, Theresa May said that more than a dozen times and then called a snap general election.
05:23I think Andy Burnham has been clear that in part because of what he was saying in his speech this
05:29week,
05:29there's some big ideas there which needs some kind of collective fermenting to go, OK,
05:35what does all of this mean?
05:36And I think one of the things I took from his speech and it was undoubtedly the best leader speech
05:40I've ever been in the room for because it had big ideas, but also that recognition that there's a conversation
05:46to be had on that, whether it's our relationship with Europe or indeed this issue around adult social care.
05:52Big issues which need a big conversation as a society.
05:56What was really interesting actually was on the Today programme the other morning when he was pushed on Brexit
06:01and he said, well, we could go with what the Liberal Democrats are doing.
06:04We could do with what George Osborne's saying.
06:07He was really trying to put across that he's not into the politics at the moment.
06:12He wants to show that he's thinking about ideas from across Parliament, which is actually a very clever political move.
06:18Also on that snap general election, I don't think any of the parties want it.
06:22It would be a terrible time for reform.
06:24Liberal Democrats are still trying to kind of sort their main policies out.
06:29And Kemi-Banadoc wants to see off reform a bit.
06:32And Labour clearly would lose a huge majority if they did it as well.
06:35So any chance of a, because of these polls, any chance of a snap general election now is looking even
06:41more unlikely.
06:42I mean, Andy Burnham covered a lot of things, you know, a lot of conversations there.
06:46Things like adult social care and housing.
06:48Well, I mean, of course you would back them as leader of Medway Council because surely they'd take a lot
06:53of the financial strain off you.
06:54Well, obviously time will tell.
06:56You can never go into that level of granular detail in a leadership speech like that.
07:01I mean, I think one of the things I took from it actually was it was very human.
07:05It was very real.
07:07I would say I was sat in the second row and there was that moment for viewers who saw it.
07:11He took a pause and it felt like a lifetime in the room.
07:15And I could see what was next on the script.
07:18He was just about to talk about his dad.
07:20Of course, his dad's funeral is today.
07:21So I'm thinking of Andy and his family right now.
07:24So from that perspective, you know, he's a human being as well as being a politician.
07:29And actually you could see that emotion, particularly at that point in the speech, which you'd expect from anybody.
07:36Yeah, I also think it's kind of moved on from being the person who talks about buses.
07:41I think that was a big thing.
07:43He made a joke about that as well.
07:45And, you know, Keir Starmer got a lot of flack for the toolmaker lines and things like that, his father
07:52being a toolmaker.
07:53Andy Burnham was starting to get that with the buses.
07:56He's going to squarely want to be known for this policy of the National Care Service.
08:00So far, it's polling very well since this week as well.
08:04Well, he's not the only one to have mentioned this.
08:06I mean, it was floated in 2010 under the Brown administration and then successive Tory governments, Tory leaders had their
08:13own spin on it,
08:14trying to cap the amount of the adult social care, you know, someone could spend on it.
08:18What makes you think that this prime minister is the one that will get that policy?
08:23I'd say two things. Firstly, the Baroness Casey Commission.
08:27Louise Casey is a respected public servant.
08:30She will bring good ideas to the table and she's talking to the whole country.
08:34So I really look forward to that.
08:35Secondly, he's already starting to try and build cross-party consensus, inviting leaders to that first conversation
08:41within a couple of weeks of him taking up the role of prime minister.
08:45That was politics though.
08:47But it's better to do that than not do that.
08:50So I think he will genuinely try and build a consensus on not just this issue, but you're absolutely right
08:56to say,
08:56as I said earlier on, successive governments have attempted this and actually oppositions have been not helpful
09:02in recognising you need to try and build a consensus on such a big issue like adult social care in
09:082026 and beyond.
09:10And we spent a lot of time talking about Andy Burnham's speech, but Vince, you also did one yourself.
09:15So let's take a look at a clip from that.
09:17It's Labour in local and regional government who are developing that system of better housing, fair housing,
09:25making sure good quality housing is there, ending the rip-off landlords with no longer having those no-fault evictions
09:32in place.
09:33That's Labour in local regional government working with central government hand in hand.
09:37And in my community, in Medway, I'm so proud that under the leadership of portfolio holder Luella Prenter,
09:44we've for the first time in the history of Medway Council delivered social rent general use council housing this year.
09:52That's what Labour in local regional government can do.
09:56Social rent general use council housing. Can you explain that for me?
10:01So, yeah, it's a long phrase. I'd rather use council housing, but there's some technicalities to it.
10:07So general use means it's for everybody on the housing waiting list.
10:11So that is people who are Medway residents who are entitled to access that system.
10:16What has been built in the past is social rent for elderly people.
10:21This is the first time in the history of Medway Council that we've delivered that for general use.
10:26So for anybody on the population who happens to be at the top of the housing waiting list when that
10:30becomes available.
10:31So really proud of that.
10:33Look, and the government nationally has been clear we've got to build one and a half million homes.
10:36We will continue to play our part both through our council housing, but of course,
10:40our other tenures of housing through Medway Development Company in particular.
10:45So what was the feeling Vince? I know from friends and family, we still, you know,
10:50my friends and family will still say that Andy Burnham's for the north.
10:54Was there that feeling conference as well?
10:56Or were the South East Labour MPs and Labour representatives feeling loved?
11:02Well, I have to say when Andy came into our South East reception, he got a rapturous round of applause.
11:08And of course, he reminded us quite rightly that the first place he went to after he'd been made leader
11:13of the Labour Party on the Friday was, of course, here in North Kent.
11:16But remember, we can talk to him.
11:18We can talk to him.
11:19I was very happy to talk to the KMTVC.
11:21He had a very tight schedule that day, as you can imagine, having just been made party leader and having
11:27a weekend to think about becoming Prime Minister.
11:28And of course, since then, he's been to Dover as well.
11:30So he's been not only to the South East, but to Kent and particularly North Kent and that very first
11:36visit.
11:36So, you know, he's for the South East.
11:39He's for the South West.
11:40He's for the North West.
11:41He's for the nations and regions of this country.
11:44And he's a great prime minister and gave genuinely the best speech I've ever seen at a Labour Party conference
11:50from a party leader.
11:52And that's all we've got time for on this part of the show.
11:54But stick around.
11:54We'll be back soon.
12:02We'll be back soon.
12:39We'll be back soon.
12:53Bye.
13:05Bye.
13:07Bye.
13:35Bye.
13:37Bye.
14:05Bye.
14:07Bye.
14:35Bye.
14:37Bye.
14:58Bye.
15:05Welcome back to the Kent Politics show here on KNTV.
15:09I'm Megan Shaw.
15:10At the Labour Party conference, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he thought Britain should be at the forefront of AI
15:16and technological developments.
15:17liken it to the Industrial Revolution.
15:20But here in Medway, how is AI actually used?
15:23And have businesses adopted it in their day-to-day use?
15:26Neela Mohamed has more.
15:28Is AI the new Industrial Revolution?
15:31Well, that's what Andy Burnham said,
15:32speaking at the Labour Party conference yesterday.
15:35When Britain takes the presidency of the G20 next year,
15:40I will show our newfound confidence as a country
15:45and I will show it to the world by putting AI centre stage.
15:50We led the world's first industrial revolution
15:54from the Midlands and the north of England.
15:56So why can't we lead the next?
15:58We can conference and we will.
16:00With AI adoption on the rise on a large scale,
16:03how are local businesses keeping up?
16:06I've been knocking on the door of local businesses in Rochester
16:09asking how or if they use AI in their day-to-day use.
16:13One business said they didn't like the thought of AI
16:15and would prefer to create their own content
16:18and promote the business themselves on social media.
16:21A team member from another business was indifferent to AI,
16:25saying that it was going to happen anyway.
16:27But other businesses along the high street
16:30say they use AI for different things.
16:33For this business, AI adoption is still very new.
16:37At the moment, we can use AI for advertising purposes,
16:41but that's basically as far as it goes for us.
16:43It's just online apps that we can use to just sort of upload images
16:47and try and work with it to just make our own advertising
16:50a little bit better than what we could do if it was doing it ourselves.
16:53And for this business, AI is a tool that helps with the easier tasks,
16:57like research and social media.
16:59But business owner Glinda is aware of using it too much.
17:03So it's got its place, it's really useful,
17:06it can save you a lot of time,
17:09but it's not foolproof,
17:11and it doesn't completely replace that human element.
17:15We do use it for some of our social media posts.
17:18So I had an actual image of someone in pirate costume with a parrot,
17:24and I took that picture outside of our shop,
17:26but then I gave that to AI and asked it to generate a social media post for me,
17:33which was an awful lot quicker.
17:36In the meantime, fresher is on for businesses to remain authentic.
17:40I think what we're seeing then is brands are becoming more conscious
17:44about being trusted and that authenticity.
17:47And so actually there is a shift away from the automated and sort of generic stuff,
17:53which has sort of been out there for a while,
17:56towards a slightly more personalised touch,
17:58recognising you need to be genuine and authentic.
18:00With the Prime Minister opting for Britain to be at the forefront
18:03of new technological advances,
18:05will local businesses be able to keep up?
18:08Naila Mahamud for KMTV in Rochester.
18:11And I'm still joined by the leader of Medway Council,
18:14that's Vince Maple for Medway and Cooperative,
18:17and the Channel Director of KMTV, Andy Richards.
18:20I mean, Andy, I'm going to come to you first.
18:23We hear a lot of negative press, really, about AI,
18:26especially in the media industry.
18:28But, I mean, the Prime Minister is saying he wants all of the UK
18:32to feel its benefits.
18:33Am I going to lose my job?
18:35You're not going to lose your job.
18:36Hopefully it's going to help you.
18:37No, other than clearly some really concerning stuff
18:41about, you know, wiping out humanity,
18:43let's just say that I am also concerned about these things.
18:45But in terms of our industry,
18:48I think there's some real benefits to find more journalists.
18:52That's what I want to see.
18:53I was very lucky enough to speak
18:55at the National Disability Journalism Forum a couple of weeks ago.
19:00And when you're looking for a great journalist,
19:04you're looking about what's in here.
19:06That curiosity, wanting to go and find out information,
19:10holding people like Vince to account.
19:12And sometimes, for some people who are trying to get into journalism,
19:15some of the technical aspects of journalism
19:18can make it more difficult for them to enter the workplace.
19:21They could have dexterous...
19:23They have problems with their dexterity,
19:25or there could be some other thing.
19:27But for those people, it's a really great way of entering,
19:31because they might be able to use AI to say,
19:34right, I filmed this sequence of images.
19:37Can you edit it together for me?
19:38But I want you to sequence it this way, this way, and this way, right?
19:41So it's using AI for tools in journalism
19:46to help you tell the story
19:48rather than finding the story in the first place.
19:50That's the most important point.
19:52And for you as an LDR,
19:53I would say AI is a brilliant tool
19:55to get into some council documents
19:58and rather than having to spend hours and hours and hours
20:01to see what Vince and his colleagues have been spending
20:03and various other things like that,
20:05it can help you track down that information a bit quicker.
20:08So I think there's a really important bit of work to do around AI
20:12in news and current affairs.
20:14But what I'm hoping is that it will help create more journalists,
20:17but that might be detriment to having newsroom jobs,
20:20which is a very different thing.
20:22We need more journalists, more people asking questions
20:24than people doing the technical roles within our newsroom.
20:27And Vince, if we think about kind of that phrase,
20:31all communities,
20:32I mean, Medway's hardly Canary Wharf,
20:34and we heard there were a lot of business owners
20:36who were a bit wary.
20:37They were a bit concerned about AI,
20:40about how they could implement it into their everyday lives.
20:44Well, I think it's one of those things,
20:46and I think Andy Burnham was right to reference it
20:48in his leader's speech.
20:50People are in very different places
20:51depending on what they do in their time,
20:54whether they're in business,
20:55whether they're in public service,
20:57whatever it might be.
20:58I've got a couple of examples
20:59where we use it in Medway Council at the moment.
21:01So actually our social workers
21:03use a programme called Magic Notes.
21:05Other programmes are available.
21:06And basically what that does
21:08is it takes detailed, accurate notes.
21:10And it's good for two things.
21:11It means that the social worker is a social worker
21:14and not a minute taker.
21:15But really importantly, actually for the residents,
21:17and I've heard this feedback directly,
21:19they feel that they're getting a better service
21:21from council social workers
21:23because they've got the eye contact,
21:24that ability to have that detailed conversation,
21:27sometimes difficult conversation.
21:28So that's the AI freeing up people
21:30to be able to do their job,
21:32not more professionally,
21:34but given that their time is precious
21:36and therefore using their time
21:37to be a social worker, not a minute taker,
21:39I think is a really good example
21:40of using that kind of technology
21:42in a kind of public service approach.
21:44But it'll be different for different businesses.
21:46If you are serving tea and coffee,
21:48that is different to building large things,
21:52whatever those things are.
21:53So different companies would, of course,
21:55take a different approach to it.
21:56But we've got to be at the front of this.
21:57And Andy's right that certainly
22:00over the last few weeks,
22:01that conversation around the kind of doomsday of AI,
22:05we need to have protections
22:06and precautions in place.
22:08So G20, which will be in Manchester,
22:10AI is going to be front and centre of that.
22:12And I look forward to seeing
22:13where our country is leading the way,
22:15but also where we need to work internationally
22:18to put those protections
22:19and safeguards in place.
22:21To be fair to the industry,
22:22some of the industry leaders,
22:24certainly OpenAI,
22:25their leaders have been clear to say
22:26we need to have those things in place as well.
22:29I mean, to have AI,
22:31we also need to have these data centres
22:33and across the country,
22:35famously, they require quite a lot of water.
22:38I mean, the water companies operating in Kent
22:40can't even get water to all the houses.
22:43That's right.
22:44And that's one of the challenges.
22:45So I know improvements are being made
22:47in that particular area.
22:48So I always want to see the technology working.
22:51Water is a really precious resource
22:53anywhere, anytime,
22:54but particularly here in Kent,
22:56we know that for too long,
22:59certainly South East water
23:00have had problems
23:01with getting water to people's homes.
23:03So they need to get that right
23:04before we can talk about the impact
23:06of that really big and important infrastructure.
23:08And of course, we've got to play our part.
23:10Not all parts of the country
23:11will need to have data centres
23:13and things of that nature
23:14to be part of that AI revolution.
23:16But we need to recognise
23:18it's not a kind of one-stop positivity.
23:20There are challenges with it.
23:22And I think the environmental impacts
23:23are one of the biggest considerations.
23:28And I mean, Andy, you yourself,
23:30you live in a rural area in Kent
23:32where we've seen lots of water difficulties.
23:34How would you feel
23:35if you lived next to a data centre
23:36taking all your water?
23:37Well, I had five notifications yesterday
23:39telling me there was issues in my area.
23:41So it's still going on.
23:43And I'm fed up of going to my tap
23:45and just checking.
23:46Oh, no, it's still up.
23:48Right.
23:48And I have someone
23:49with a disability in my household.
23:50So it is really scary at the moment.
23:53I think we've got to adapt
23:55to what industry needs
23:57and what the economy needs, frankly.
23:59And I think as the South East,
24:01we need to come together
24:03in a really difficult time
24:04for us as a region as well.
24:06We can tell, particularly...
24:08How long did it take us to mention LGR?
24:10We can tell in the future
24:11that things are going to be different
24:13in the way that we operate.
24:14And as a region,
24:16we need to be ready to be competitive
24:18with other places in the country.
24:19And as a taxpayer,
24:20I would like to see
24:23our leaders in the county
24:24doing the best they can
24:25to make sure that we do have
24:27that infrastructure in place
24:28whilst also keeping the waterboards
24:31nice and held to account
24:33and maybe having a look
24:34at those bonuses
24:35that are paid out regularly.
24:36And obviously, Vince,
24:38you're a big figure
24:39in the Lib Party,
24:40nationally and within the county.
24:41Will you be spending
24:43your time lobbying the PM
24:44to make sure these new AI jobs
24:46and opportunities
24:47are seen in Kent
24:47as well as London?
24:49Well, absolutely.
24:50And myself and certainly
24:51our three Medway MPs,
24:52we've been working collaboratively
24:53when government's talking
24:55about AI zones,
24:56so we'll continue that conversation.
24:58And of course,
24:58it's important to recognise
24:59that balance,
25:00as Andy said.
25:01We've got some specific challenges
25:03around our water supply
25:04at the moment
25:05and we've got to be
25:06ahead of the game
25:07to make sure that
25:08that's not having
25:08such a negative impact
25:09that we almost fall behind.
25:11Look, we're struggling already
25:12because, as we did hear this week
25:14on a couple of occasions,
25:16some new powers and resources
25:18are going to mayoralities
25:19and combined authorities.
25:20That means that 1.9 million people
25:22are missing out
25:22and I will always put the argument
25:24to both Angela Rayner,
25:26Jim McMahon and Andy Burnham.
25:27Did you do that this week?
25:29Did you get a chance
25:29to speak to Angela Rayner
25:30about LGR?
25:31I certainly spoke to both
25:32Angela Rayner and Jim McMahon
25:33about that at different points.
25:35And so from my perspective,
25:36we've got to keep
25:37that conversation going.
25:38We're in the middle
25:38of that rapid review
25:40for LGR
25:40and I think we'll hear more
25:41later in October on that.
25:43And then, of course,
25:44we'll always have to come back
25:45on KMTV
25:46to talk about that
25:47when we know more.
25:48Absolutely.
25:48And obviously,
25:49we'll be hearing it
25:50from you as well.
25:52Andy, we've not got
25:52much time left,
25:53but I'll just throw to you.
25:55AI transparency,
25:56I mean, companies taking it up.
25:58Is it important
25:58that companies are transparent
26:00and open about their AI use?
26:02Yeah, absolutely.
26:03And I think that as journalists,
26:04particularly,
26:05we need to do that.
26:06This is why I think
26:08journalism training,
26:09et cetera,
26:09is becoming even more important
26:11for trusted information
26:13and that it's, you know,
26:14made by a journalist,
26:15our content.
26:16There are some efficiencies
26:17that we can make,
26:18but we need to be
26:18absolutely transparent.
26:20Like most of the things
26:21that you'll see on KMTV,
26:22the actual content
26:24that we create,
26:25the videoing of things,
26:27all of that is absolutely
26:28100% authentic.
26:30But if we do start
26:30to use AI more,
26:31we should be telling
26:32our viewers that we are.
26:33Thank you so much
26:34both for joining me.
26:36That's all we've got time
26:36for on this episode
26:37of the Kent Politics Show.
26:39But stick around,
26:39we've got Kent tonight
26:40coming up.