Off the Record

Political Editor Paul Francis

woeful shortcomings.

Consensus? We will probably be kept waiting a while.

MEANWHILE, Off The Record noted that Kent’s first Green county councillor Martin Whybrow appeared to have buckled to pressure to ensure sartorial standards are kept up at County Hall.

Having tweeted his avowal not to wear a tie after being advised that it was what members should really do, he turned up in a rather smart suit...and tie.

Asked by Off The Record to account for his about-turn, he emphasised it was a one-off and he had only done so because he had an important meeting –

‘Imagine a BBC newsreader from the 1950s dressed in a black tie and white gloves and you will get the picture’

with the council leader, no less.

NEW highways cabinet member Cllr David Brazier surely must be one of the council’s best spoken members. His clear enunciation and languid old-school tones really do make him stand out from his colleagues.

Imagine a BBC newsreader from the 1950s dressed in a black tie and white gloves and you will get the picture.

KENT crime commissioner Ann Barnes has been on the back foot a little since the debacle of the appointment then swift resignation of youth tsar Paris Brown.

Her PR advisers came up with a neat idea to announce that special constables would qualify for a rebate on their council tax.

The only problem? The announcement was made only for it to slide down the news agenda by a critical report by MPs...taking to task the “fiasco” of the appointment of Paris Brown to the job of Kent youth tsar.