Off the Record

Despite throwing the kitchen sink at it, the Conservatives contrived to lose the Rochester and Strood by-election but did manage to push Ukip hard and contained the majority to a modest 3,000.

But we hear that Medway Conservatives were not overly impressed with the contribution to the fight made by some of their county councillors over the border.

While activists, MPs and ministers piled in to help the cause, we hear there was less enthusiasm shown by County Hall Conservatives. Why? We have no idea but it has left a bit of bad feeling between the two.

Off The Record loves a U-turn and KCC’s decision to oppose expansion at Gatwick airport is certainly that. Only two years ago, a report on its policy “Bold Steps for Aviation” stated: “Capacity growth at Gatwick represents a more acceptable long-term solution than expansion at Heathrow, due to the significantly lower number of people that would be overflown by arriving and departing aircraft.”

Then came a hint that the council was wavering. A fresh document was published in August, which removed any explicit reference to Gatwick expansion, saying only that Heathrow and Gatwick airports “have both put forward credible options for expansion.”

In November a report on KCC’s view states: “The noise impacts on West Kent from Gatwick’s current single runway configuration are already unacceptable and a potential doubling of these impacts with a second runway would be intolerable.”

The difficulties facing Kent crime commissioner Ann Barnes appear to becoming worse by the week. Whether or not she will face any charges concerning her car accident remains to be seen.

But the episode has again underlined why the government’s initiative has been so poorly received by the general public.

No matter what the outcome is, she could conceivably remain in post until 2016 when her term of office ends. The government should have introduced the power of recall for commissioners but it didn’t.