Reform have been given a chance to prove themselves by halting Tory cuts

STOOD to represent East Thanet in Parliament because I believe our corner of Kent has been badly let down - not just by failed Conservative leadership in Westminster, but also by the Conservatives running Kent County Council.

- Polly Billington

We have all seen how hard Conservative austerity has impacted our communities over the past decade. Thanet, already dealing with higher levels of deprivation and crime than most of the county, has been hit especially hard.

Since being elected, I have campaigned tirelessly against cuts proposed by the previous Tory council - cuts that could now be reversed by an incoming Reform council.

Take Pie Factory Music, based out of the Ramsgate Youth Centre, who have continued to provide essential support for young people in one of the most deprived parts of Kent despite already shouldering deep funding cuts. Kent County Council announced last year that they were planning to close and flog off the Ramsgate Youth Centre to developers, rejecting Pie Factory Music's fair offer to buy the space - even after our Labour district council in Thanet listed it as an Asset of Community Value. This eviction would be a devastating blow to youth services.