The bits the candidates might wish to hide…

As an NHS campaigner and follower of local politics, I’m sharing my perspective on some of the local candidates standing for office in Thanet this Thursday (May 6th).

Because I have worked hard to try to prevent the closure of the stroke unit and A&E at our local hospital, I have come into contact with local politicians. I think it’s only right that these facts about local candidates should be out there for all to see.

Ash Ashbee (Conservative)

Cllr Ash Ashbee publicly voiced her firm support for the Kent stroke plans that will result in QEQM permanently losing its acute stroke unit. Locals are not behind the plan because it will mean that anyone suffering a stroke in this area will have to travel 40 miles by ambulance to Ashford in the event of a stroke. Cllr Ashbee made her opinion clear at a public meeting in 2019 during the TDC elections. The meeting was held at the Turner Contemporary in Margate, and was part of the POW (Power of Women) festival held every year in Thanet. Ashbee was one of the panellists along with representatives from Labour, Greens, Lib Dems, TIC and The Women’s Equality Party (WEP).

Paul Messenger (Independent, previously Conservative)

Not only did Messenger deride campaigners and locals who protested against the stroke hospital cuts, he also used his vote, granted to him by local voters, to vote in favour of the stroke cuts at KCC. When this happened, Paul Messenger was still a Conservative councillor. After his explicitly racist social media history came to light he was expelled and is now an independent candidate. Full details here.


Karen Constantine (Labour)

Cllr Constantine was forced as a candidate on the local party despite repeated objections – read the full story here. She also took extraordinary steps to evade action that would have substantially delayed and even could have halted the QEQM stroke cut plans. She did this whilst claiming to be a champion of our hospital – read full story here.

Bertie Braidwood (Thanet Independents/TIC)

Not mentioned in Braidwood’s election literature is the fact that he has shared racist material in the past on social media, including support for the BNP and the English Defence League. See images below.

Grahame Birchall (Independent)

Grahame Birchall spoke out in favour of the stroke cuts back in 2018 on social media. He felt that the plans to remove QEQM’s stroke unit and relocate it at Ashford was sensible and safe. He even confessed to having worked on the documents that made up the case for the closures. This is confirmed by his LinkedIn page that shows he worked for the Bedfordshire NHS Trust and authored a paper there. The ‘Care Closer to Home’ line of thinking is behind A&E closures up and down the country. Bedfordshire’s A&E and maternity services have been under threat since 2018.

Trevor Shonk (Conservative, formerly UKIP)

Trevor Shonk (ex of UKIP and Thanet Independents) is well known for claiming that immigrants are to blame for making the UK racist.

Here is a full run down of all candidates published in the Isle of Thanet News:

Kent County Council candidates

Thanet Council and Ramsgate Town Council by-election candidates

I will be voting for Mark Hopkinson (Labour) for Ramsgate’s KCC councillor on Thursday. I am not currently a big supporter of the Labour party, but I know Mark and feel confident that he will do what’s right for Ramsgate and stand up to those who wish to cut our public services. What I will do with my other votes I do not know – so many of the candidates don’t offer what I’m looking for. This is a major set of elections, comprising by-elections plus county seats and town council seats. Many are expecting an upset for the main parties. I won’t make any predictions… see you on the other side.

By Carly Jeffrey