I hate to say it but , despite her history of shameful political skullduggery, I totally agree with Ramsgate Kent County Councillor, Karen Constantine, who described Thanet Parkway Station as an expensive and dangerous white elephant. I also with agree with her colleague Margate KCC councillor, Barry Lewis, who is also an outspoken critic of the station too, recently describing it as a muggers paradise.
I was fortunate enough to stumble across the pair at yesterday’s opening of the station, but as my video and photos show Councillor Constantine, wasn’t too pleased about this particular railway station “brief encounter”.
But whilst Thanet’s two KCC Labour councillors have taken a brave stand against all the pro-Parkway prattling, its interesting to note that one of the stations biggest pro-prattlers is none other than the Labour Leader of Thanet District Council, “Raging” Rick Everitt.
It was the ragester who in 2015 was instrumental in reversing the long held policy of TDC’s Labour councillors to oppose the building of Parkway station for well-founded and extremely serious environmental issues.
It was ragester who on becoming leader of the council for the
first time in October 2019 took personal charge of pushing the Parkway projected as hard he could to the extent that some people, including myself, began to believe that his fondness for Parkway was something more than that of adult trainspotter, and possibly more to do with living close to the station site and the significant beneficial impact this might have on the price of the ragester’s residence.
Be that as it may. The raging one for once in a jacket and smart shirt rather than barefooted and in his pjs when I last met him, said of Parkway yesterday:-
The new station represents a substantial investment in the district’s future by regional and national funding bodies and it is important that we take advantage of such opportunities when they arise. The improved accessibility to highspeed rail services has the potential to boost the local economy. It is anticipated that this will make Thanet a more attractive location for business, opening the way for new jobs and further investment. Thanet’s leisure and tourism industries are also expected to benefit.
I won't delve into the rights and wrongs of the ragesters ridiculous ramblings suffice it to say that most people I have spoken to see these oft-rehashed arguments for what they are – utter bollox.
What is interesting though is that there is a massive divergence of opinion with the Thanet Labour Party. A divergence which mirrors the almighty row that's brewing between the Labour Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and the Leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer about the expansion of London’s ultra-low emissions zones to combat air pollution. A policy I fully support.
One thing which seldom results from differences within a political party, is a friendly chat to sort things out like gown ups. Whether Tory, Labour, Green, SNP, UKIP differences inevitably lead to civil war and lots of blood on the carpet. So whilst Khan and Starmer slug it out in London, who will prevail in Labour’s civil war in Thanet?
Will it be Karen Constantine, Barry Lewis who fall foul of the ragestar’s army and are deposed from their KCC positions, or might it be that a rebellion by his group of TDC Labour councillors lays low Parkway prattler Everitt for his increasingly anti-enviromental stance.
Before anyone asks, just because I supported her Parkway views, does not mean that I am hoping to marry Councillor Constantine or, for that matter, Councillor Lewis.
Here's my video of the Parkway opening.
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