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Catch up with all the latest news from across the county with Chloe Brewster.
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00:22Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
00:25I'm Chloe Brewster and here are your top stories on Wednesday the 28th of October.
00:31Kent Budget Special.
00:33As the Chancellor announces spending and taxation plans,
00:36we speak to Kent politicians and local leaders for their reaction.
00:40I feel I get a good vibe, a good impression that this is the direction we need to be going
00:44in.
00:44Kent businesses give their thoughts at a live viewing party.
00:48They've increased minimum wage, 3.9%.
00:51Small businesses cannot afford them or have them to find funding
00:55to be able to keep the staff they have.
00:59And finally, homemade Halloween.
01:01Gillian and a couple spend two months hand-making decorations.
01:05Making stuff is so much cheaper than buying it from Costco.
01:08Yeah, definitely save a lot of money there.
01:22First tonight, a budget for the working people.
01:25That was what the Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Healy's opening line was for his first ever budget,
01:30before announcing a raft of policies across industry, utilities and day-to-day spending.
01:35As the first budget is set under the King of the North, is it still one fit for Kent?
01:40Has or has our Garden of England been left out of Britain's plans?
01:43Our local democracy reporter Megan Shaw joins us live from outside Westminster.
01:49Meg, you've been outside College Green all day following these plans as they roll in.
01:53What were the key takeaways here?
01:57Good evening, Chloe.
01:58As you said, yes, I've been on College Green all day hearing the updates as they roll in.
02:04It's been a very mild, very temperate day today in Westminster.
02:07It was certainly much more chilly last year.
02:10But I suppose the main question here is, has this year's budget had a warm reception?
02:15And that's something we'll definitely endeavour to try and answer throughout tonight's show,
02:18as we hear from politicians and the public alike.
02:22As the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr John Healy, delivered his first budget today.
02:29That's the third fiscal plan from Labour since they took over as the leader of the government in 2024.
02:36And it's a budget by what he called, it was marked by what he called breathing space.
02:41And I wish I counted exactly how many times he mentioned that phrase, because it was a lot.
02:46And what Mr Healy really meant by that was he felt his budget was one that would ease the pressures
02:52of the cost of living for the everyday person across the country and, of course, across in Kent as well.
02:58And some of the key takeaways included cutting tariffs from over 100 items of food
03:04and a £100 energy payment for millions across the county.
03:09And by following some of the key fiscal rules that were set by the previous leader of the Labour Party,
03:15Sikir Starmer in 2024, and one of those included not raising taxes on the working person.
03:22But not everyone has had such a warm response to the budget.
03:26The leader of the opposition, that's Kemi Badenoch, of the Conservatives,
03:30was incredibly scathing about Mr Healy's budget.
03:33She said it was not good enough, it was not strong enough and not bold enough.
03:37And that kind of mild sentiment is something that we've seen echoed through some of the Kent politicians
03:42that we've spoken to, that you'll hear from throughout the show.
03:46But first, before we get into that political debate, let's hear from residents across Kent.
03:52What, £600 million has been allocated towards the use of AI in the UK.
03:56Do you see this as a positive or a negative?
03:59Yeah, I use chat GPT quite a lot of the time, but I don't know what they're going to do
04:07with this £600 million.
04:08£1 billion has been allocated to fund social housing. Do you think the government can stick to this?
04:13The main practice have decided that this would be a target for them,
04:18rather than something that they can realistically meet.
04:20But who's to say? I mean, a billion, given the size of the British economy,
04:26a billion doesn't sound to be too much, to my mind.
04:29So what would you like the budget to be spent on?
04:32Homelessness, I think a lot of.
04:35Yeah, because there's a lot of people that you see on the streets.
04:38I know some of them do have places to go to, I know that.
04:41But the genuine ones are the ones that get forgotten.
04:51So that's some resident reaction there.
04:53But from the public, let's go straight to some of the politicians.
04:57One of which we spoke to earlier today was Helen Whateley.
05:00Not only is she an MP here in Kent, she's also the Shadow Secretary for Work and Pensions.
05:05And she was both scathing, not just about, I suppose, the lack of strength,
05:10as she would say in Mr Healey's budget,
05:12but also the lack of acknowledgement of the welfare bill that a lot of politicians have been bringing up.
05:19So let's hear what she had to say.
05:21My initial reaction was, was that it?
05:24When he sat down, I was like, hold on, when are we actually going to get the real budget?
05:28It was amazingly empty.
05:30I know that it's a fact that we have a Prime Minister who makes a big deal,
05:34that he's a man from Manchester, he's a King of the North, as we say,
05:38and he thinks nothing of Kent and the south-east of England.
05:42I know that many Labour MPs just think it's kind of reliefly and lovely
05:46and that we can just be a cash cow for the rest of the country.
05:49So I was not surprised that when the Chancellor was, like, scattering a billion, million here,
05:56ten million there, whatever, around the country, there was nothing for Kent.
05:59I'm afraid that's just part of the course with this government.
06:03And from watching from here in the newsroom, Meg, it seemed like there were a lot of announcements for up
06:08north.
06:09There's not much for Kent there.
06:11Is that kind of the response you've been getting?
06:15Yes, well, Chloe, when things were rolling in throughout the day, I was listening out,
06:20and a lot of those places that were receiving funding for further productivity or further growth were very familiar to
06:26me.
06:26I mean, I'm originally from the north, but when I was listening out, I didn't hear any at all from
06:31the south-east,
06:32let alone Kent, I was hearing, 50 million for the Leeds College of Building,
06:3720 million for a creative hub in Liverpool, 3 million for a tech company in Sheffield,
06:4210 million for an indoor market in Bury, and another 10 million for another market hall in Stafford,
06:48as well as millions earmarks for projects across Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
06:54Of course, John Healy used to be in charge of defence under Sir Keir Starmer,
06:59and his budget was marked by growth, by productivity, by trying to boost jobs and get the country moving.
07:07But since Andy Burnham has become the Prime Minister here at KMTV,
07:12we've definitely been challenging our Labour politicians here in the county
07:15to ask that important question over and over again,
07:19and that's will the King of the North leave Kent behind?
07:22And it's something that is definitely on residents' mind,
07:25given that Andy Burnham was originally the mayor for Manchester,
07:29he's an MP in Makerfield, he speaks about devolution and bringing power to the north as well.
07:34But we didn't hear nothing earmarked for growth or further productivity here in the county,
07:40and that is despite being home to Europe's busiest port in Dover,
07:44despite being home to a project to connect Essex with Kent under the Thames,
07:49that's the Lower Thames Crossing,
07:50and despite key energy projects, innovative ones in KMTV and in Dungeness as well.
07:57We know that as well the Prime Minister is big on devolution,
08:01and that he backs transferring power out of Westminster
08:04and into the hands of those that run devolved counties.
08:08Here in Kent that is something, I mean, as a local democracy reporter, I focus on a lot,
08:13we know local government reorganisation, was paused, we know that a mayor is still murky,
08:19we don't know quite yet in Kent what the future is going to be,
08:23but Mr Healy announced, I suppose, greater powers for those places that have a mayor,
08:30been able to kind of take more profit from those business rates and really thrive.
08:36So we actually asked the leader of Medway Council, Vince Maple,
08:40if he felt that Kent was locked out of these opportunities because we don't yet have a mayor.
08:46So I am working on the basis that we'll have a mayor,
08:48and if we do have that opportunity to bring those additional resources which currently go to central government
08:54and distribute it however they see fit, I think having a mayor for our region
08:58who would have the kind of ear of the whole community working collaboratively
09:02with all the existing councils and the new councils as we move forward
09:05with other partners across Kent and Medway,
09:08I think that's someone who would be kind of at the heart of driving forward growth
09:12for our community, more money into people's pockets,
09:15and ultimately a positive outcome for the 1.9 million residents who live here.
09:23So there's politics here in the county, but we can't talk about Kent
09:26without talking about pubs and the hospitality that we have here in the county.
09:31So what did publicans think of the budget?
09:34Well, let's hear.
09:36Hospitality doesn't make sense in the moment.
09:39You know, the other highlights from the budget are that, you know,
09:42international minimum wage is going up again,
09:45and whilst as a decent human being I support minimum wage,
09:50it keeps going up, you know, over the last few years.
09:54I think it's over 20% that's increased,
09:56so another 3.9% is just another cost that is very difficult to burden
10:02when the business is under pressure on the revenue front
10:08because the public have less money in their pockets.
10:101.3 million of our lowest paid workers.
10:13I'm increasing both the national minimum wage
10:15and the national living wage by 3.9%.
10:19Well, there you have it.
10:21This year's autumn budget has just been announced
10:23and many business owners are not happy.
10:26While they understand the need for minimum and living wage increases,
10:30owners across Kent are concerned about keeping their businesses afloat.
10:34Despite the business rates threshold rising to £18,000,
10:39meaning an extra 70,000 businesses will be exempt.
10:43I want to pay my carers more,
10:45so the rise of the national minimum wage is great,
10:48but there was nothing for small providers' relief.
10:52Like, for us as care providers, we run on a very, very low margin,
10:56but there was no budget for social care at all.
10:58I don't know.
10:59I don't have words for it, like, you know,
11:01like how to describe my dissatisfaction with this budget.
11:05Do you almost, as a small business centre, feel dismissed or forgotten?
11:09Yeah, completely, completely dismissed, completely forgotten.
11:13We saw the national minimum wage be increased
11:16and it's just putting up the cost of employing people
11:19and if the government was serious about supporting young people back into work,
11:22it would create more incentives for businesses
11:24to actually go out there and employ young people.
11:27Building up to it, it was all about small businesses
11:30and so the word was used a lot,
11:32but I couldn't see any policy or measures
11:35that actually specifically supported small business owners.
11:39For businesses across Kent,
11:41this year's autumn budget has left many feeling unsupported
11:44as they question how they'll keep going this time.
11:48Maisie Walker for KMTV in Ebb Street.
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15:11Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live here on KMTV.
15:15Now, a large section of the M2 around Medway has been closed both ways since last night,
15:20after a pedestrian in his 50s was struck by several vehicles.
15:23Police are asking for witnesses and any dashcam recordings from the accident.
15:28I spoke to trainee journalist Danielle McPherson about this earlier.
15:32So, thank you for joining us.
15:34Can you tell us a little bit about what has actually been happening on the M2 today?
15:38Well, Chloe, that's what me and quite a lot of other commuters were questioning this morning on our drives to
15:44work.
15:45So, last night there was an accident and there was no further coverage really given,
15:51other than the fact that the M2 would be shut down.
15:54This morning it was revealed that an accident had occurred of a pedestrian man in his 50s,
16:00had been hit by a red man, HGV truck and other vehicles.
16:05And when emergency services arrived, they had found he had succumbed to his injuries.
16:10And have we had a statement from Kent Police about what happened yet?
16:13Yes, we have.
16:16Kent Police were called in around 9.10 last night and responded with emergency services.
16:21And they have now appealed to the public for any witnesses and any dashcam footage from around the time of
16:28the incident.
16:29It's of course a very sad story.
16:31Obviously, someone's lost their lives.
16:34As well, travellers today have had a struggle because the M2 has obviously had a lot of traffic, as you
16:39know.
16:39When will we see the road reopen?
16:42So, we have been told that the kind of earliest the road will be opening back up to and from
16:49Medway
16:49will be early tomorrow morning around midnight.
16:53But obviously that could potentially change.
16:57But until then, drivers will need to be aware of the fact that there will be obviously heavy delays
17:03and it may be possible to look into alternative routes that they could get home quickly and safely.
17:09Thank you so much.
17:10Thank you for having me.
17:11A police dog has caught three suspected copper thieves red-handed in Queenborough.
17:16Kent Police was called on the evening of Tuesday the 27th of October to report of people breaking into a
17:22building in North Road.
17:23Due to the size of the site, a dog unit, drone and police helicopter were also deployed.
17:28Following a search of the premises, PD Rex picked up a scent and three men were located.
17:34The men, aged 22, 25 and 30, all from Sittingbourne, were arrested on suspicion of burglary and remain in custody.
17:43A Sittingbourne family have spoken of their shock after two destructive car crashes outside their front door in two years.
17:50Emma, who lives on Staplehurst Road, had her Vauxhall Corsa written off after a car crashed into her driveway.
17:57It comes just 19 months after three cars were written off in another similar collision outside the family's home,
18:03in which Emma's daughter was injured.
18:05Emma, who has lived in the same house for 24 years, says she cannot believe it has happened again
18:10and is now constantly worried they'll get yet another knock on the door.
18:13She hopes something can be done and is raising concerns about road safety.
18:20Canterbury City Council is having to hand back £10,000 after it was found to have wrongly dished out fines.
18:27In what has been called an embarrassing legal error, Canterbury City Council handed dozens of people fines
18:32relating to public space protection order rules.
18:35Fines were given for offences like graffiti, urinating in a public place and dog fouling over a four-year period.
18:41However, due to a technicality, these fines will now have to be refunded.
18:46Council leader Councillor Alan Baldock said he was really annoyed about the mix-up,
18:50but praised the legal team for spotting the error and acting on it.
18:53Now don't forget you can keep up to date with all of your latest stories across Kent
18:57by logging onto our website kmtv.co.uk.
19:00There you'll find all of our reports, including this one.
19:12The red carpet has been rolled out in Gravesend with models taken to the catwalk to show off the latest
19:18fashion
19:19as a way of celebrating Black History Month this October.
19:22As you can see, the fashion show is still going on.
19:25Behind me, they're now walking down in pairs with the aim to just showcase African culture, African history,
19:32namely Nigerian culture and art and history and patterns to celebrate Black History Month.
19:39And for one artist, the aim of the event was to show the culture behind the country
19:44in a way that he believed would also educate others.
19:47People are scared of what they don't know. So we have to enlighten, educate.
19:51For me as an artist, my job is not just to create beautiful artwork, it's to educate people.
19:56I am an educator.
19:58We can't just tell the story of Black History Month without experiencing or giving people the ideal experience
20:04and having people have a taste of what it really feels.
20:07The materials, colours, even the style of the outfits highlight a different part of Nigerian culture,
20:14with some of the outfits representing authority and other outfits representing the different cities within the country.
20:20And for some of the models, this was their first time walking down the red carpet.
20:24And it was their way of showing pride in their country.
20:27I love this one. This is really good. Because it's like my culture, I'm expressing myself, where I'm from.
20:34So it really, it feels really great, honestly. Even to be a representative of my culture, it feels amazing to
20:40me.
20:40I feel like I'm the chosen one at this point.
20:42I felt quite connected to what my ancestors were doing. I felt really proud of myself as well.
20:49It really felt nice embracing my culture. Our culture has gone through so much.
20:52I don't think we should have a dedicated month just to appreciate people's culture.
20:56That should be something we should do on the daily, every second of the day.
20:59I would love to celebrate my culture and I would like to show how important it is to my family
21:05and me.
21:06Some people might be naive and they might not know what the culture is.
21:10They might think it's like what it was back then. But like now, when you learn about it, you realise
21:15how beautiful it is.
21:16I feel very proud.
21:17Abuluri says each year he'll focus on a different African country for Black History Month, sharing the fashion, the food
21:24and the culture.
21:25But for this year, all eyes are on Nigeria.
21:28Nayla Mahamid for KMTV in Gravesend.
21:32Well, Countrybury City Council is having to hand back £10,000 after it was found to have wrongly dished out
21:38fines.
21:39It has been called an embarrassing legal error.
21:42Countrybury City Council handed dozens of people fines relating to public space protection order rules.
21:47Fines were given for offences like graffiti, urinating in a public place and dogfouling over a four-year period.
21:53However, due to a technicality, these fines will have to be refunded.
21:57Council leader Councillor Alan Bulldog said he was really annoyed about the mix-up, but praised the legal team for
22:03spotting the error and acting on it.
22:07Let's take a quick look at the weather.
22:16Temperatures are looking at between 9 degrees and 13 degrees across the county.
22:21We have clouds sticking around until the morning.
22:24The temperatures are staying around 11 to 13 degrees as well.
22:29Sun's coming out into the afternoon with clouds around the north.
22:32But luckily, the coast is seeing a little bit of sun with the wind speeds calming down towards the weekend.
22:37We're not getting promised any good weather, unfortunately, with clouds creeping up there on the weekend.
22:55And finally, from haunted figures to smoking gravestones, a couple from Gillingham have dedicated months to hand-making all of
23:03their outdoor Halloween decorations.
23:05After finding shop-bought options too expensive, Nico Slatter and Ashley Fevier took matters into their own hands,
23:13crafting a spooky graveyard scene inspired by their favourite horror films.
23:17Our reporter Sophie Denny went down to see for herself.
23:21Forget shop-bought skeletons.
23:23Halloween lovers Nico Slatter and Ashley Fevier have spent nearly two months hand-making all of these decorations.
23:32So I kind of painted it.
23:35I painted all the teeth and like added the details on.
23:39So basically Nico makes the thing and then brings it to me and then I add the details onto it.
23:47It all started when they saw decorations they liked online but found the price tag just as scary as the
23:53items themselves.
23:55So last year on Facebook we saw something similar to our animatronic that we have over there.
23:59And I really wanted one but it was too expensive so I figured why not give a go at making
24:04it.
24:05And that's pretty much how it sort of came about, sort of grew from there.
24:08Neither of them has a background in crafting but they say that shouldn't hold people back from giving it a
24:14go.
24:14The thing is with Halloween stuff, the messier it looks the better really.
24:19It doesn't have to be perfect but you just need some paint really.
24:23The gravestones are made out of this polystyrene and then engraved using this scary looking tool here.
24:29Now I am useless at arts and crafts but I'm going to give it a go to see if even
24:34I would be able to make my own Halloween decorations.
24:39So it's not exactly a masterpiece, not quite as good as what Niko and Ashley have managed to produce.
24:46But I do have to say it wasn't as difficult as I initially thought it was going to be.
24:50According to research from marketing agency Savvy, the UK is expected to spend more than £700 million on Halloween this
25:00year.
25:00Niko and Ashley spent around £500 on materials for their decorations.
25:06But they're planning to now reuse them in future years, cutting costs later down the line.
25:13What we've done is designed everything to survive the British weather.
25:16Lately it's been absolutely horrible, you know, the last week and this stuff's just held up perfectly.
25:20So it can go in the loft and come out next year.
25:23But also making stuff is so much cheaper than buying it from Costco.
25:27Yeah, definitely save a lot of money there.
25:28But it's just that we're lucky enough to have the time and the spare money to be able to do
25:32this stuff.
25:33As Halloween approaches, the pair say they're excited to see what trick-or-treaters make of their garden.
25:40And they've already got plans for some more spooktacular crafting next year.
25:46Sophie Denny for KMTV in Gillingham.
25:50That's all the time we have in this part of the show, but we have plenty more coming up after
25:53the break.
25:54And while you're watching the ads, why not follow us on our social media?
25:58We're on Facebook, Instagram and on TikTok.
26:00And we post regular updates of what we've been getting up to, including breaking news from our reporters on the
26:05ground.
26:05We'll also be looking at a behind the scenes look at what the team get up to there.
26:09We can also catch up on reports you might have missed and get involved with stories and let us know
26:14what is impacting you.
26:15So make sure you follow us on KMTV Kent now.
26:23Now, as I say, it's time to take that short break, but don't go anywhere as we have plenty more
26:27news just for you.
26:28We'll be joined by Sophie Denny in Westminster covering today's budget announcements and the impact this will have across Kent
26:34locally.
26:34She'll be speaking to reform leader Nigel Farage about what he thought of the plans for welfare and also much
26:41more.
26:41So don't go anywhere.
26:51See you next time.
27:04Bye bye.
27:05Bye bye.
27:07Bye bye.
27:07Bye bye.
27:11Bye bye.
27:19You
27:48You
28:17You
28:50You
29:15You
29:51You
30:12You
30:12You
30:16Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live on KMTV. I'm Chloe Brewster and here are your top stories on
30:21Wednesday 28th October.
30:24The Kent Budget Special. As the Chancellor announces spending and taxation plans, we speak to Kent politicians for their reaction.
30:34Kent businesses give their thoughts at a live viewing party.
30:40And finally, homemade Halloween. Gillingham couples spend two months hand-making Halloween decorations.
30:48And back to our top story tonight. It's Budget Day and Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healy took to the
30:54floor this afternoon to deliver his fiscal plans from the nation.
30:57But how could they impact you here in Kent? From reduced-priced gherkins to cheaper electricity bills nationwide.
31:04Well, Sophie Denny joins us live from Westminster to break down the key takeaways that you need to know.
31:10Sophie, what are those key takeaways?
31:14Yes, so today we heard John Healy say that this was a budget for the working people alongside businesses big
31:22and small.
31:23And his key takeaway there was that it was for giving people breathing space.
31:30But what does this breathing space actually mean in our day-to-day lives?
31:34So, the main highlight of the budget today was that for households living in council tax brackets from A to
31:41D,
31:41they're going to be given a £100 direct energy payment this winter.
31:47Now, around 75% of households in Kent are in those brackets, so it could have a significant impact across
31:54the county.
31:54And it will cover around two-thirds of the average monthly energy bill.
31:59They're also scrapping the fee you pay to be connected to gas networks.
32:03Now, that's called a standing charge.
32:05And they say it will save people around £45 each year for about 60% of households.
32:12But others will bear the brunt because if you live in a home with potentially less insulation,
32:17you'll be using more gas and you could end up paying more than you are currently paying.
32:23Now, they're also suspending tariffs on food, which they say will save about 40p a year, sorry, a week.
32:31But the Conservatives have said that this is insulting to working families.
32:35Now, we've been speaking to Michael Bax from Kent Community Energy about how this affects people in Kent.
32:41What's the difference?
32:42Broadly, it's a small reduction in people's electricity costs, which is better than nothing.
32:53Kent has a number of areas of energy poverty around the North Coast in Margate and Cliftonville in particular.
33:02And then also in Dover and Folkestone, there are some levels of energy poverty that are up there with areas
33:12that you would consider.
33:15Yeah, you would understand if you if they were viewed as deprived.
33:18We don't view Kent as a poor place, but there are many people suffering.
33:23So anything does help.
33:25But I would say they're really temporary fixes.
33:30They're not structural fixes.
33:32Well, Sophie, historically, we've seen Labour governments prioritise welfare.
33:36Did we see much of that today?
33:39Yeah, so you're right, Chloe.
33:41Normally, we hear Labour talk about welfare.
33:43You might remember Rachel Reeves last year.
33:45Her big focus was getting children out of poverty.
33:48And there are about 62,000 children in Kent living in poverty.
33:53That's as of 2025.
33:55But we didn't get much mention of that today.
33:57So we asked Labour MP Lauren Sullivan if she thinks her party has gone far enough.
34:03Those costs of living measures for our families and helping families do well, including the £100 back if you live
34:10in a council tax from A to D.
34:13That's 80% of my constituents.
34:15That's, you know, of the properties.
34:17That's brilliant.
34:18You know, it helps just this little bit over the winter.
34:22So I think there were measures in that.
34:24We've all, you know, the measures from last year about that 500,000 children being lifted up poverty.
34:29That's brilliant.
34:30But we've got to go further and we've got to keep going.
34:33Which I think that I feel I get a good vibe, a good impression that this is the direction we
34:37need to be going in.
34:38Kind, caring, considerate, but also responsible.
34:44Now, after the budget was announced in the House of Commons, I went to a reform party press conference to
34:51get their reaction.
34:52They called it a do nothing budget and said that they would have made cuts to welfare.
34:57So your party runs Kent County Council.
35:01Yes.
35:01Which is facing huge pressures to do with areas like social care, social housing, which the Chancellor touched on in
35:08the budget today.
35:09You're saying that we need to cut welfare spending, but won't that directly harm parties and your direct councillors?
35:16That all depends what welfare spending you cut.
35:17You know, there are many, many ways in which the welfare budget is distributed.
35:20And, you know, our feeling, and as I say, this won't be popular with everybody, our feeling is there's quite
35:25a large now diagnosis of what qualifies the physical and mental disability.
35:30And that's where the cuts have to begin to fall.
35:32Plus, you know, there are one in six people living in the country, and I guess the ratios in Kent
35:37will be similar, who are receiving, for example, universal credit, who weren't born here and haven't paid into the system.
35:43We think that's wrong and it has to end.
35:44So, look, I completely understand, you know, that local authorities have massive, massive spending issues and massive, massive problems.
35:53And Kent has some of the most diverse problems for all sorts of reasons.
36:00Now, one element of welfare that Andy Burnham is really spearheading at the moment is homelessness.
36:07And they announced on Monday that they've doubled funding to get all rough sleepers off the streets by Christmas and
36:14confirmed an additional £430 million to do so.
36:18Now, the South East has the second highest number of rough sleepers in England at around 797 people.
36:24And according to charity Porchlight, around 216 of these people are living in Kent and Medway.
36:30That's only those who have recorded officially, so the number could be higher than that.
36:34We spoke to Sarah Mills from the charity earlier, and she welcomed the funding but said a more holistic approach
36:41is needed.
36:42That amount of money won't be coming down to us locally, so, you know, we do know it's very much
36:47a trickle-down effect.
36:50But I think it is great to see that political will and some, you know, some increase in investment.
36:59For us as a charity, we're always looking at our kinds of our own fundraising and raising funds locally.
37:05And that is just as important as ever to support the work we're doing immediately.
37:09But I think homelessness taking such a national profile and national agenda has got to be a good thing in
37:16terms of how we support people longer term.
37:20Now, in terms of other support, the government is trying to get people on the property ladder.
37:26So, they've made changes to lifetime ISAs.
37:29Now, this is to help first-time buyers.
37:31So, what a lifetime ISA is that you can put £4,000 into it and the government will put in
37:36an additional £1,000 to try and help you get on that property ladder.
37:40Now, previously, you would get penalised on all of this money if you used it to buy a home worth
37:46more than £450,000.
37:47Now, in areas like Tunbridge, the average house price is higher than that.
37:53So, they've now decided to change this.
37:55And John Healy today said that if you did buy a house worth over £450,000,
38:02none of the money that you'd put into that ISA would be touched.
38:05So, effectively, you would not be penalised on any of the savings that you'd put in there.
38:10And this is part of their wider scheme to help first-time buyers get on the property ladder.
38:16So, those are some of the key highlights for how the budget is affecting your pockets,
38:21what the decision that they've made here in Westminster today affect you back home in Kent.
38:27But what about the impact on Kent's businesses?
38:31Well, our reporter Maisie Walker has been finding out.
38:34Small business owners from across Kent gathered in Ebsleet to watch this year's autumn budget,
38:40with many concerned about rising costs.
38:42And for 2.3 million of our lowest paid workers,
38:46I'm increasing both the national minimum wage and the national living wage by 3.9%.
38:52Well, there you have it.
38:54This year's autumn budget has just been announced and many business owners are not happy.
38:59While they understand the need for minimum and living wage increases,
39:03owners are concerned about keeping their businesses afloat,
39:06despite the business rates threshold rising to £18,000,
39:10meaning an extra 70,000 businesses will be exempt.
39:14I want to pay my carers more, so the rise of the national minimum wage is great,
39:19but there was nothing for small providers' relief.
39:23Like, for us as care providers, we run on a very, very low margin,
39:26but there was no budget for social care at all.
39:29I don't know, I don't have words for it, like, you know, like,
39:32how to describe my dissatisfaction with this budget.
39:36Do you almost, as a small business owner, feel dismissed or forgotten about?
39:40Yeah, completely, completely dismissed, completely forgotten.
39:44They've increased minimum wage, 3.9%.
39:47Small businesses cannot afford them or having to find funding
39:51to be able to keep the staff they have in the business or grow.
39:57There's no growth there.
39:58Building up to it, it was all about small businesses,
40:01and so the word was used a lot, but I couldn't see any policy or measures
40:06that actually specifically supported small business owners.
40:10Well, there was absolutely nothing in there for small businesses to recruit
40:13more people.
40:14We saw the national minimum wage be increased,
40:18and it's just putting up the cost of employing people,
40:20and if the government was serious about supporting young people
40:23back into work, it would create more incentives for businesses
40:26to actually go out there and employ young people.
40:28For businesses across Kent, this year's autumn budget
40:32has left many feeling unsupported,
40:34as they question how they'll keep going this time.
40:38Maisie Walker for KNTV in Ebb Street.
40:43So, we've been hearing a lot about breathing space today,
40:47and we've heard from business leaders, charity, and members of the public
40:52about how this could actually be impacting them,
40:55and we'll be digesting how these decisions made in Westminster
40:58are impacting people's pockets in Kent for weeks to come, really.
41:03We'll be speaking about it more on the politics show,
41:06having debates with politicians from all sides to see what they want from the budget
41:12and what they might do differently and how importantly it's impacting you in Kent.
41:18So, plenty more budget analysis to come.
41:21Great. Well, thank you so much for joining us, Sophie.
41:25Now, coming up after the break, we'll be looking at the devastating accident on the M2
41:30that occurred last night, leaving a man in his 50s dead
41:33and a large section of the motorway closed.
41:35Also, we'll be taking a look at Canterbury City Council
41:38and why they're having to pay back £10,000 in wrongly handed out protection fines.
41:44And we'll also be taking a quick look at the weather.
41:46All that and more after this short break.
45:09Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live on KMTV.
45:12Now, a man has died after being hit on the M2 near Medway services.
45:17A large section of the motorway has been closed both ways since last night.
45:21The man who was in his 50s and said to have been travelling on foot
45:24was struck by several vehicles on the road.
45:27I spoke to trainee journalist Danielle McPherson about this earlier.
45:32So, thank you for joining us.
45:34Can you tell us a little bit about what has actually been happening on the M2 today?
45:38Well, Chloe, that's what me and quite a lot of other commuters were questioning this morning
45:42on our drives to work.
45:44So, last night there was an accident and there was no further coverage really given
45:51other than the fact that the M2 would be shut down.
45:53This morning it was revealed that an accident had occurred of a pedestrian man in his 50s
46:00had been hit by a red man, HGV truck and other vehicles.
46:05And when emergency services arrived, they had found he had succumbed to his injuries.
46:09And have we had a statement from Kent Police about what happened yet?
46:13Yes, we have.
46:16Kent Police were called in around 9-10 last night and responded with emergency services.
46:21And they have now appealed to the public for any witnesses
46:25and any dash cam footage from around the time of the incident.
46:29It's of course a very sad story.
46:31Obviously someone's lost their lives.
46:33As well, travellers today have had a struggle
46:36because the M2 has obviously had a lot of traffic, as you know.
46:39When will we see the road reopen?
46:42So, we have been told that the kind of earliest the road will be opening back up to and from
46:48Medway
46:49will be early tomorrow morning around midnight.
46:53But obviously that could potentially change.
46:57But until then, drivers will need to be aware of the fact that there will be obviously heavy delays
47:03and it may be possible to look into alternative routes that they could get home quickly and safely.
47:09Thank you so much.
47:10Thank you for having me.
47:11A police dog has caught three suspected copper thieves red-handed in Queenborough.
47:16Kent Police was called on the evening of Tuesday 27th October to report of people breaking into a building in
47:23North Road.
47:23Due to the size of the site, a dog unit, drone and police helicopter were also deployed.
47:28Following a search of the premises, PD Rex picked up a scent and three men were located.
47:34The men, aged 22, 25 and 30, all from Sittingbourne, were arrested on suspicion of burglary and remain in custody.
47:43A sitting-born family have spoken of their shock after two destructive car crashes outside their front door in two
47:50years.
47:51Emma, who lives on Staplehurst Road, had her Vauxhall Corsa written off after a car crashed into her driveway.
47:56It comes just 19 months after three cars were written off in another similar collision outside the family's home,
48:03in which Emma's daughter was injured.
48:05Emma, who has lived in the same house for 24 years, says she cannot believe it has happened again
48:10and is now constantly worried they'll get yet another knock on the door.
48:14She hopes something can be done and is raising concerns about road safety.
48:20Canterbury City Council is having to hand back £10,000 after it was found to have wrongly dished out fines.
48:27In what has been called an embarrassing legal error, Canterbury City Council handed dozens of people fines
48:32relating to public space protection order rules.
48:35Fines were given for offences like graffiti, urinating in a public place and dogfouling over a four-year period.
48:42However, due to a technicality, these fines will now have to be refunded.
48:46Council leader Councillor Alan Baldock said he was really annoyed about the mix-up,
48:50but praised the legal team for spotting the error and acting on it.
48:55Four cats have been dumped outside a Canterbury RSPCA branch, which Stafford originally thought was an Amazon delivery.
49:02The mum cat and her three kittens were left trapped inside a taped-up box with barely any air holes
49:08and no food or water.
49:10They were dumped on October 16th and were only taken in when staff noticed while checking for deliveries.
49:15CCTV footage showed a car turning up at the site in Island Road at 12.50am and two individuals dumping
49:21the box before driving off.
49:23The cats are now settling into a cattery after being rescued and will be rehomed in due course.
49:31Now, don't forget you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent by logging on to
49:35our website, kmtv.co.uk.
49:37They will find all of our reports, including this one.
49:49The red carpet has been rolled out in Gravesend with models taken to the catwalk to show off the latest
49:55fashion as a way of celebrating Black History Month this October.
49:59As you can see, the fashion show is still going on.
50:02Behind me, they're now walking down in pairs with the aim to just showcase African culture, African history, namely Nigerian
50:10culture and art and history and patterns to celebrate Black History Month.
50:16And for one artist, the aim of the event was to show the culture behind the country in a way
50:22that he believed would also educate others.
50:24People are scared of what they don't know. So we have to enlighten, educate. For me as an artist, my
50:30job is not just to create beautiful artwork. It's to educate people. I am an educator.
50:35We can't just tell the story of Black History Month without experiencing or giving people the ideal experience and having
50:42people have a taste of what it really feels.
50:44The materials, colours, even the style of the outfits highlight a different part of Nigerian culture, with some of the
50:51outfits representing authority and other outfits representing the different cities within the country.
50:57And for some of the models, this was their first time walking down the red carpet and it was their
51:02way of showing pride in their country.
51:04I love this one. This is really good because it's like my culture. I'm expressing myself, where I'm from. So
51:11it feels really great, honestly.
51:14Even to be a representative of my culture, it feels amazing to me. I feel like I'm the chosen one
51:19at this point.
51:20I felt quite connected to what my ancestors were doing. I felt really proud of myself as well. I really
51:26felt nice embracing my culture. Our culture has gone through so much.
51:29I don't think we should have a dedicated month just to appreciate people's culture. That should be something we do
51:34on the daily, every second of the day.
51:37I would love to celebrate my culture and I would like to show how important it is to my family
51:42and me. Some people might be naive and they might not know what the culture is.
51:47They might think it's like what it was back then. But like now, when you learn about it, you realise
51:52how beautiful it is. I feel very proud.
51:54Abuluri says each year he'll focus on a different African country for Black History Month, sharing the fashion, the food
52:01and the culture.
52:02But for this year, all eyes are on Nigeria. Nayla Mahamid for KMTV in Gravesend.
52:08Well, it looked like a pretty clear evening for Sophie and Meg at Downing Street there. But will that clear
52:15weather continue into the weekend? Let's see. And here's your weather forecast.
52:24This evening we'll see temperatures ranging between 9 to 13 degrees across the county with a cloudy night ahead.
52:31Winds are coming down into the morning with temperatures sticking towards 10 to 13 degrees there with clouds again remaining.
52:39The sun's coming out tomorrow afternoon with clouds sticking around the north. Into the weekend those clouds are still there
52:49with temperatures ranging between 13 and 16 degrees.
53:05And finally, from haunted figures to smoking gravestones you can see behind me there, a couple from Gillingham have dedicated
53:12months to hand making all of their outdoor Halloween decorations.
53:16After finding shop-bought options too expensive, Nico Slatter and Ashley Fevier took matters into their own hands, crafting a
53:26spooky graveyard scene inspired by their favourite horror films.
53:30Our reporter Sophie Denny went down to see the decorations for herself.
53:34Forget shop-bought skeletons, Halloween lovers Nico Slatter and Ashley Fevier have spent nearly two months hand making all of
53:45these decorations.
53:47So I kind of painted it. I painted all the teeth and like added the details on. So basically Nico
53:55makes the thing and then brings it to me and then I add the details onto it.
54:01It all started when they saw decorations they liked online but found the price tag just as scary as the
54:07items themselves.
54:09So last year on Facebook we saw something similar to our animatronic that we have over there and I really
54:14wanted one but it was too expensive so I figured why not give a go at making it?
54:19And that's pretty much how it sort of came about, sort of grew from there.
54:22Neither of them has a background in crafting but they say that shouldn't hold people back from giving it a
54:28go.
54:28The thing is with Halloween stuff, the messier it looks the better really. It doesn't have to be perfect but
54:35yeah you just need some paint really.
54:37The gravestones are made out of this polystyrene and then engraved using this scary looking tool here.
54:43Now I am useless at arts and crafts but I'm going to give it a go to see if even
54:48I would be able to make my own Halloween decorations.
54:53So it's not exactly a masterpiece, not quite as good as what Nico and Ashley have managed to produce but
55:00I do have to say it wasn't as difficult as I initially thought it was going to be.
55:04According to research from marketing agency Savvy, the UK is expected to spend more than £700 million on Halloween this
55:14year.
55:15Nico and Ashley spent around £500 on materials for their decorations but they're planning to now reuse them in future
55:23years, cutting costs later down the line.
55:26What we've done is designed everything to survive the British weather. Like lately it's been absolutely horrible, you know that
55:32last week and this stuff's just held up perfectly so it can go in the loft and come out next
55:36year.
55:37But also making stuff is so much cheaper than buying it from like Costco. Yeah definitely save a lot of
55:42money there.
55:43But it's just that we're lucky enough to have like the time and the spare money to be able to
55:46do this stuff.
55:47As Halloween approaches the pair say they're excited to see what trick or treaters make of their garden and they've
55:55already got plans for some more spooktacular crafting next year.
56:01Sophie Denny for KMTV in Gillingham.
56:03Well that's all the time we have in the show but while you're watching the ads after this you should
56:09follow us on social media.
56:11We're on Facebook, Instagram and on TikTok and we post regular updates about what we've been getting up to including
56:17breaking news as well as behind the scenes looks at what the team get up to.
56:22You can also catch up on reports you might have missed and get involved with stories and tell us about
56:27what is impacting you.
56:29Follow us on KMTV Kent now.
56:34You've been watching Kent tonight live on KMTV. There's more news made just for Kent throughout the evening.
56:39Thank you so much for watching today and I'll see you very soon. Goodbye.