Off the Record

There was some good news for Kent’s youth service last week when county councillors unanimously approved a £400,000 cash injection to pay for more frontline youth workers.

This came about after a Labour amendment tabled at last week’s budget-setting meeting.

As to the money, the party said it should come from the £6m spent by the authority on hiring rooms and buildings for conferences and meetings from what are described “external providers.”

So, credit to Labour and credit to the Conservatives. Well, up to a point, so far as the latter is concerned. A press release was issued about the extra cash which hailed the investment as evidence of KCC’S commitment to early intervention strategies. As to Labour’s part in this, there was no reference at all - other than a sentence that said the authority “welcomed the amendment” leaving some with the impression that the funding boost was all down to the Conservatives.

■ Boris Johnson may have swerved a potentially awkward interview with the combative BBC interrogator-in-chief Andrew Neil. But Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom Tugendhat had no qualms about subjecting himself to Neil’s forensic examination about his proposals for a new treason law. His unruffled performance was followed up by an equally assured appearance on BBC’S Question Time. All the more surprising that he was overlooked for a role in the reshuffle.

■ Kent County Council is to replace its three “gas guzzling” Volvos - used to ferry the chairman and other senior county councillors about on civic business - with an electric or hybrid model. According to council deputy leader Peter Oakford, this will make a ‘significant contribution’ to meeting the council’s target for reducing its carbon emissions. But will there be enough charging points to keep it on the road?

Not according to opposition Liberal Democrat county councillors who tabled a motion to spend £250,000 installing new charging points in some of the county’s more isolated villages. The idea was voted down by the Conservatives, who said it was a bit odd to propose funding it by cutting the budget set aside for tackling climate change.