Catch up on all the latest news across your county with Gabriel Morris
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00:00Good evening and welcome to Kentonite Live here on KMTV.
00:27I'm Gabriel Morris and here are your top stories on Wednesday the 8th of May.
00:32Seeing red. Dover MP defects to the Labour Party saying the Conservatives are broken.
00:38And I'll be live from Dover to give you all the latest updates.
00:41Mexico for MS for folks and women trying to raise funds to be treated abroad.
00:46My husband laughs because he said, so you want this treatment so you can do more cleaning
00:51and go to the gym. I said yes, yes please. Just means everything.
00:57Leaping for a good cause. A charity volleyball match takes place in Maidstow for hospice.
01:03It's quite close to home, so it's nice being able to help raise that money and provide
01:08some entertainment while we're doing it and obviously get to play some great volleyball.
01:21And a very good evening to you. The MP for Dover has quit the Conservative Party today,
01:26joining Labour, saying the government is failing to keep borders safe and secure.
01:31Natalie Elphick says the Prime Minister has broken promises and has abandoned pledges
01:35and says the modern Labour Party looks to the future.
01:38Well, local Conservatives have described Miss Elphick's defection as disloyal,
01:43with others saying it's like being stabbed in the back.
01:46Well, our reporter Sophia Aitken joins me now from the MP's constituency of Dover.
01:51Well, Sophia, this came as quite a shock at PMQs this lunchtime.
01:57Yeah, Gabriel, it's fair to say this did come as a shock. I'm sure we've all seen the video by now
02:02of Natalie Elphick at the very start of PMQs, crossing the floor to not only join the Labour Party
02:07but to sit directly behind the Labour leader, Sakia Starmer.
02:11And at the same time, she posted a statement to explain her reasons for defecting to the Labour Party.
02:17She says that since she was elected in Dover back in 2019, many things have changed.
02:22She said that Rishi Sunak has broken promises and abandoned key pledges.
02:26She says that the main reason for defecting to the Labour Party is mostly down to housing
02:31and border security.
02:33She believes the modern Labour Party looks to the future.
02:35For some, this is a statement they never thought that they would hear Natalie Elphick saying.
02:40And we've been hearing some local reaction from MPs and councillors today.
02:44Helen Whateley, the MP for Mid Kent and Faversham, has said that she's very disappointed to hear this
02:48and also very surprised.
02:50We've heard the MP for North Thanet, the MP Sir Roger Gale, who has been in that seat for decades,
02:56saying that he thinks her change is disloyal.
03:00The Mayor of Deal says he thinks he feels he has been stabbed in the back by this decision.
03:04So yeah, many people having their say on this today.
03:08But we've also been hearing from Kent's other Labour MP, and for a while she was Kent's only
03:13Labour MP, Rosie Duffield.
03:15She's been taking to X, seeming rather pleased to have some company.
03:19But of course, this is going to be a huge blow to the Prime Minister.
03:22It's his second MP to have defected to the Labour Party in recent weeks.
03:26And of course, this was his first PMQs since the local elections, where we saw the party
03:31losing hundreds of seats.
03:33Well, here I am in Dover today, in Natalie's constituency, asking constituents how they
03:38feel about her crossing the floor.
03:42One man you'll hear from says he feels the Tories are leaving a sinking ship.
03:45Another said he doesn't feel any of the parties are up for the job.
03:48Here's a look at the report.
03:50I warmly welcome the new Labour MP for Dover to these benches.
03:56For a moment, the Dover MP defected to Labour, just as Prime Minister's questions began.
04:02The Tory MP for Dover, on the front line of the small boats crisis,
04:07says the Prime Minister cannot be trusted with our borders and joins Labour.
04:13What is the point of this failed government staggering on?
04:20Well, Mr Speaker, can I actually join him in welcoming his newest MP for Blackpool?
04:25And in the Prime Minister's response, nothing on Natalie Elphick leaving his party.
04:30It's another blow for the Conservatives following huge losses in last week's local election.
04:36Congratulating all new and paying tribute to all former councillors,
04:40PCCs and mayors across the country.
04:43And in Dover, the defection has been the talk of the town.
04:47The Conservative party are finished, unfortunately.
04:50She wasn't any good, but I don't hold up much hope for Mike Tapphiver.
04:56Labour aren't very good, haven't been since the Blair years.
05:01Going into the general election, do you know who you would be voting?
05:03Labour, Labour for definite.
05:06I think from my personal point of view, I just want to change.
05:09I think it's wrong.
05:11She probably knows because of the situation,
05:15what happened with the 800 workers that were sacked, that this seat could possibly go to Labour.
05:21So she's probably jumping ship before it sinks.
05:24That's the way I look at it.
05:27The town has been at the centre of many national stories.
05:30Here's Natalie Elphick being heckled two years ago following mass P&O sackings.
05:36And of course, Dover is one of the locations where asylum seekers head to.
05:40I mean, it's obvious, isn't it, that the Conservative party are not handling it very well.
05:45It doesn't matter what side of the situation you sit on.
05:47Everybody knows that now.
05:48So from that perspective, I can fully understand why she has made this move.
05:54Since I became prime minister, small boat crossings are down by a third.
05:58That's because we've doubled MCA funding.
06:00Back in the Commons this lunch,
06:01a more defensive prime minister referred to his pledge to stop the boats.
06:06And Mr Speaker, when it comes to border control,
06:09there is a crucial difference between us.
06:12We want secure borders. He's happy with open borders.
06:17The shock announcement now sees Kent with two Labour MPs.
06:20And a year ago, Dover District Council flipped to Labour.
06:24Well, I know her better as an opposition MP than I do as a current Labour MP.
06:29I'll be perfectly honest.
06:30I mean, I think the issue is not going to be perfectly honest.
06:32We welcome her. She's joined the Labour Party.
06:35And she's actually said that she believes quite rightly that
06:39we're the party that can take the country forward.
06:41You know, I know and I have a lot of friends that will distrust her going forward.
06:45But I'm not aware that she's seeking to stand anywhere else.
06:49As PMQs finished, Nathalie Elphick walked out alongside her new Labour leader.
06:54But she's fought to stand down as an MP whenever the general election is called.
07:07Well, some surprise and mixed reaction there, as we heard.
07:10We heard from Kay Marsh from Sandfire, the asylum seeker charity,
07:14who had a lot to say, saying she isn't necessarily surprised
07:17that the MP has left the Conservative Party.
07:20Nathalie Elphick, in her constituency,
07:22was on the front line of the small boats crisis.
07:25So this has come as a shock to many.
07:27And weeks after the Prime Minister has passed the Rwanda bill,
07:31she defects to Labour.
07:32So it's definitely raising some eyebrows, this decision.
07:35Interestingly, we've previously seen Nathalie Elphick being
07:38critical of Labour's proposals to tackling channel crossings.
07:42In April last year, she wrote an article saying Labour shouldn't be trusted on immigration
07:46as they want open borders, she says.
07:48But now she believes Labour looks to the future and she's joining them.
07:53But amongst all this as well is the announcement today,
07:56with the announcement today comes the news
07:58Miss Elphick won't be standing in the general election.
08:00We know Labour's selected candidate is Mike Tapp.
08:04So some are asking questions in the lead up as we approach the general election.
08:07In the next few months, what is Mrs Elphick going to be doing
08:11now that she's part of the Labour Party?
08:12Is she going to be vocal in supporting their policies
08:15or is she going to be remaining quiet in the back benches?
08:18So many questions to be asked with this news today.
08:22What does this mean for Kent's political map?
08:24Are we going to be seeing anybody else defecting?
08:27And what does this mean months before a general election for the bigger picture?
08:35Well, Sophia, big news today and big shocks as well.
08:38Thank you for bringing us that update.
08:41Well, in other news, the parents of a midway man who died following a severe asthma attack
08:46are raising awareness of the condition.
08:49Dad of two, Gary Bush, was 35 putting his daughters to bed at their home in Snodland.
08:54Before he suffered an attack, he was rushed to hospital,
08:57treated in intensive care, but suddenly didn't make it.
09:00Now a trust has been set up in his honour of Gary with £15,000 already donated.
09:06But he was kind, very, very caring.
09:13He was a compassionate type of guy.
09:16He was very, very caring to us.
09:21My mum and dad, wasn't he, would do anything for him.
09:25To be quite honest, we never actually heard of MASH.
09:29And if I'd have known it had been there, I would have took Gary there a long time before.
09:36It helps people with asthma.
09:40If it can help people, that's what we want it to do.
09:46Sheerness and Minster residents have been left furious as they say a beachfront
09:50near where they live has been overrun with caravans.
09:54Currently, there are no charges for people to park at the Shingle Beach,
09:57but vehicles are not allowed to stay overnight.
10:00As well, council says it has received complaints from residents about
10:03anti-social behaviour on the beach,
10:05and introduction of parking fees to dissuade overnight use is being investigated.
10:10Sylvia Aitken has more.
10:12Shingle Beach on the Isle of Sheppey is a scenic route and popular holiday spot for campers.
10:18But recently, reports of anti-social behaviour have been raised,
10:23with some arguing those parking their vans here should have to pay a fee.
10:28Another resident has lived on the island for 35 years
10:31and says visitors are actually boosting the local economy and aren't doing any harm.
10:36People seem to think that we're getting away with something,
10:39you know, we're not paying this, we're not paying that.
10:41Therefore, we're living free and they don't like it.
10:43Why are we paying for our rent or our rates or whatever?
10:46Well, I've got a house, I pay rates, I live on the island, I've been on the island 35 years.
10:51There's a few people along here in the same situation.
10:55The majority of people that come up here are visiting.
10:58A bid to bring in charges so that people can stay overnight
11:02was put forward by Swale councillors in March in a budget meeting,
11:06which has been met by mixed reviews.
11:08But a council spokesperson said the introduction of parking fees
11:12to dissuade overnight use is being investigated.
11:15The council said it wants locals and visitors to be able to use the location,
11:20but those parking for long periods of time can make this difficult.
11:24It says it's working with the local community
11:26to find a way to allow people to best utilise the space.
11:31Well, we're going to take a quick break now, but coming up,
11:33we'll be finding out about a mum who's raising money for MS treatment
11:37with our health expert, Dr Julianne Sphinx,
11:40giving us some expert insight into the autoimmune disorder.
11:44We'll also have much more, including some sport coverage of a footyball match in Maidstone.
11:49All that and more coming up after this very short break.
15:08Hello, and welcome back to Kent and I, live here on CAME TV.
15:12Well, in 2012, Lindsay Diller was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, or MS,
15:16a condition that affects the sense of touch, balance and energy.
15:21Now 12 years on and a mum of two, she is attempting to raise £50,000
15:25for stem cell treatment in Mexico due to high price of the specialist clinics here in the UK.
15:31Now, she says thanks to efforts from friends and family,
15:34It's like starting the day on 50% battery, even though you've been on charge all night.
15:39MS, or multiple sclerosis, has many symptoms and can affect your balance,
15:44mobility, vision and even your energy.
15:46For Lindsay, this is her reality.
15:49Her condition means she has to use a walking stick, as well as special items of furniture,
15:53like a stairlift or swivel chair, to be able to perform normal household tasks.
15:58This makes it far harder for her and her husband to look after her two children,
16:03one of whom has Down syndrome.
16:05So she's aiming to raise
16:13£50,000 to pay for life-altering hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Mexico,
16:19one of only two clinics in the UK to offer this service.
16:23Many might just resign themselves to their disability,
16:26but Lindsay understands she needs to fight and do things for her and her family,
16:30even outside of her comfort zone, like being interviewed.
16:34It's massive, and to my family it would mean everything.
16:37I can get up, show up for my family, maybe I'll be able to return to work,
16:40do more volunteering, cleaning, I don't know,
16:44I can do a lot of things for my family.
16:47It's a big deal.
16:48Maybe I'll be able to return to work, do more volunteering, clean it.
16:53My husband laughs because he said,
16:55so you want this treatment so you can do more cleaning and go to the gym?
16:58I said, yes, yes, please.
17:01Just means everything.
17:03They are currently £10,000 towards their goal.
17:07According to Lindsay, finding treatment in the UK might have a cost upwards of £80,000 to £100,000.
17:13So she needs to travel to Mexico for the treatment.
17:16But why is it so expensive here?
17:18I spoke to charity East Kent MS Group to find out.
17:22Well, I think there's a lot of the treatment in the UK
17:26has not really passed any particular regime.
17:30You know, people like NICE and that have to agree to it,
17:34and there are tests to be done and everything else.
17:38I mean, there are one or two things, I think, in the pipeline,
17:40but they are taking forever to do.
17:44So that's probably why it's expensive.
17:46And also, of course, we're only looking at about 130,000 MS sufferers in the UK,
17:51which is a tiny drop in the ocean of the population.
17:55So where do you put your money, really? That's the trouble.
17:58Another difficult side of having MS is acceptance.
18:01Accepting that you need help can be extremely difficult.
18:04But Lindsay says her friends and family have been so supportive in her time of need.
18:09There is currently no cure for MS,
18:11but that doesn't stop Lindsay and others from hoping for a better future
18:14for those with the condition.
18:16Finn McDermid for KMTV.
18:20Well, joining us now to discuss this further is Dr Julian Spinks, KMTV's health expert.
18:25Thank you, as always, for joining us this evening.
18:27Now, we saw in Finn's report there a woman suffering with MS.
18:30Is that a significant problem for us in the county and actually across the UK?
18:35Although the numbers aren't enormous,
18:37there's quite a lot of disability associated with it.
18:40About 130,000 people are suffering from it in the UK,
18:43about 7,000 new cases per year.
18:46So significant numbers.
18:48And because it can impact on people's lives, there's two main types.
18:52There's a relapsing remitting one where people have symptoms,
18:55then they disappear, then they come back.
18:56Then there's a more serious progressive version where people get steadily worse
19:00and they can gradually lose use of limbs,
19:03have difficulty with balancing, have visual problems and so on.
19:06And so it's a very nasty disease.
19:09Now, we saw in Finn's report there that the woman he was speaking to
19:13was struggling to get treatment, actually to afford treatment.
19:17Is that a problem generally with the NHS, with MS to access that treatment?
19:23There's actually quite a lot of treatment available on the NHS.
19:27And really, if it's something that's got good proof for it,
19:30they can work out how best to use it, you can generally get it.
19:34The problem is when you get new treatments,
19:36in this case, it is a relatively new treatment.
19:39There's research going on in the UK to see how best to use it.
19:42There's early suggestions that it does help,
19:44particularly for that relapsing remitting version,
19:47doesn't help with the other type.
19:49But we're somewhere away from knowing exactly how best to apply it.
19:52And of course, it will be expensive because it involves giving people chemotherapy
19:56to knock out their current bone marrow, then replacing it.
20:00And it also carries significant risk.
20:01So there's lots of things to take into account
20:03before you start giving it to people on a more wider basis.
20:07Well, Julian, thank you for joining us this evening
20:09to talk a little bit more in detail about that.
20:13Now, don't forget, you can keep up to date
20:15with all your latest stories across Kent
20:17by logging on to our website, kmtv.co.uk.
20:21There you'll find all our reports, including this one
20:23about how some shops across Kent are celebrating final.
20:36Final Records, the sound of music in Kent for decades,
20:40has made a major comeback.
20:42Falling out of fashion following the rise of the CD,
20:46records are firmly back on the charts,
20:48in no small part thanks to Record Store Day,
20:52where artists have been providing limited edition records
20:55to independent music shops for over a decade.
20:58The Entertainment Retailers Association say Record Store Day
21:01is responsible for 10% of all advertisement revenue
21:05of all annual sales of physical music products
21:08that are sold on the high street.
21:11There are some absolutely fantastic independent record shops
21:14all across Kent, and I think what record shops are
21:17is they're more than just record shops in this day and age.
21:19They're cultural hubs and spaces
21:21that bring like-minded music fans together.
21:23I think in a world which has become very digital,
21:27people really do enjoy having something physical.
21:29It's the nostalgia of final records.
21:32It's the physicality.
21:34It's not just the music itself,
21:35but it's the artwork, it's the liner notes,
21:38it's the posters, the inserts.
21:40It's a whole ritual and experience
21:41of putting it on the turntable
21:43and turning it over halfway through.
21:45Gatefield Sounds in Worcester has been taking part
21:47in Record Store Day since it first started in 2007.
21:52It is a boost for us in our business,
21:54and we're very fortunate as a record store
21:57to have an event like this.
21:58Many businesses don't have an event
22:02on the scale that Record Store Day is.
22:05We have people in our queue every year
22:07who meet up just at this time every year,
22:10and they've been doing this for years
22:12and have formed quite a bond
22:13and look forward to seeing these friends
22:15that they've met during their experience
22:18of just queuing up through the night
22:21to get their records.
22:22Look, it may be a tiny bit quiet
22:24where I'm stood right now outside Gatefield Sounds
22:27on a Thursday afternoon,
22:28but come Saturday morning,
22:30this street will be packed.
22:31People queuing all the way down there
22:33to try and get their hands on exclusives
22:36and rarities from their favourite artists.
22:38Nearly £10 million of estimated sales value
22:41going into this weekend.
22:43Stores across Kent won't be expecting
22:45a needle drop in record sales any time soon.
22:49All of our leaders are sat skiving vinyl
22:51or spin for KMTV in Whitstable.
22:54A terrible payoff there from Ollie,
22:56but I have to say that nothing beats
22:58the feeling of having a vinyl record.
23:01Well, with that in mind,
23:02it's now time to take a quick look
23:03at the weather for the coming days.
23:11Well, heading into this evening,
23:13clear skies for most of us in the county,
23:15rather cloudy down in Dover,
23:16highs of 11.
23:18Warming up tomorrow,
23:19highs of 16 in the morning,
23:20lows of 13, some clouds,
23:23in some places.
23:25It's getting rather hot in the afternoon,
23:2721 in Tunbridge, Wales,
23:30lows of 16 in Dover.
23:32And this is what your weekend looks like.
23:34Remaining warm,
23:35heating up to 23 degrees by Sunday.
23:47And finally,
23:48Maidstones and Victor Volleyball men's team
23:50have had the chance to take on
23:52a team three leagues above them
23:54in the name of charity.
23:56Super League side Essex Rebels
23:58paid a visit to the county town
23:59to help Invicta raise money
24:01for the Heart of Kent Hospice Alls
24:03whilst having some good fun
24:04between two sides
24:05who would usually not get a chance
24:07to play one another.
24:09I'm here at the Maidstone Grammar School for Girls
24:12where an epic showdown
24:13between Kent Invicta
24:14and the Essex Rebels Volleyball team
24:15is taking place.
24:16However, it's all in the name of charity
24:18for the Heart for Kent Hospice Foundation.
24:20Let's take a look.
24:21As the crowd were flooding in,
24:23the players began taking their places
24:25on the court.
24:26Kent in the pink and Essex in the black,
24:28the Invicta side were the underdogs
24:30playing three divisions lower
24:31than their Super League opponents.
24:51Despite losing all three sets,
24:53Kent were pleased
24:54with how the whole day had gone.
24:55Absolutely fantastic.
24:56I think they played,
24:57they really stepped up.
24:58We haven't come across opposition
24:59that strong before,
25:01so they knew that they were up
25:02against something that was going to be new
25:03and going to be a bit more
25:04threatening than previously.
25:06It was a fantastic experience.
25:08It's not every day
25:10that a Division Three team
25:11gets to play against a Super League team,
25:13especially one that finished top three.
25:14Really, really fun, you know,
25:16fantastic team we're playing against.
25:18It's a really good feeling
25:19Fantastic team we're playing against.
25:21Overall, just a great experience.
25:22Money raised from the day
25:23is going to the Heart of Kent hospice
25:25as the charity is preparing to host
25:27a Shaundersuit art show
25:28in Maidstone this summer.
25:29It's great, especially because
25:31Heart of Kent is quite a nice charity,
25:34helping out with terminally ill patients
25:35and whatnot.
25:36It's quite close to home,
25:37so it's nice being able
25:39to help raise that money
25:40and provide some entertainment
25:41while we're doing it
25:42and obviously get to play
25:42some great volleyball.
25:43Back on the court,
25:44I spoke to some of the opposition
25:45who played the top level of the sport
25:47about how they found the day.
25:48You know, it was a great time.
25:49Everyone looked excited to be here
25:51and even the fans really loved to see
25:54the excitement coming from them.
25:55It was awesome.
25:56You know, it's always nice to win a match
25:59and today's a charity event,
26:00so I think the charities are the winners.
26:02We were just able to provide
26:04a bit of entertainment for the crowd
26:05to come along and enjoy themselves.
26:07And although Kent and Victor
26:09could not grab the win,
26:10they did win in the end
26:10by doing this for charity.
26:12And as you can see,
26:12they had a massive turnout
26:13with loads of supporters.
26:19And that's all we've got time
26:20for this evening on Kent Tonight
26:22live here on KMTV.
26:23Now, there's more news
26:25made just for Kent
26:26throughout the evening.
26:27And don't forget,
26:27you can always keep up to date
26:28with the latest news across your county
26:30by logging on to kmtv.co.uk.
26:34You can keep us on our social timelines
26:36as well by following us
26:37on Facebook and on X.
26:39And if you think you've got a story
26:40that you think we should be covering,
26:41then do get in touch.
26:43Goodnight.
26:48Goodnight.