Steven Keevil

Has there been an abundance of Hot Takes?

Something for everyone

I hope other companies are paying attention to the M&S situation. They bring a vexatious complaint with no substance at all, you issue a cowardly apology and completely sell out your employee, they reject your apology and call for a boycott anyway. You can't reason with unreasonable people.

And then after the interview had finished they happened to mention, one more thing...

“There was three of us in this marriage, but I was two of them” What Steven asked Hilary Cooke, CEO of Medway Pride

Ahead of Medway Pride I sat down with Hilary Cooke for Local Authority: Independent news for Medway
We talked about her time as a ship builder, what brought her to Medway and how they came to set up Medway Pride.

www.localauthority.news/p/there-was-...

Fame please
I had never heard of it. And sounds great

I really wish we had this in England. So many indies have been (sometimes quietly) expelled from parties for being bonkers. Voters are rarely told about it, especially with a much-diminished local press

Just finished and very enjoyed Juno Dawsons trilogy, anything Douglas Admasesque, or Doctor Who Target Books :-)
My favourite book as an adult is David Mitchells Cloud Atlas

There's currently 20% off 'I Am The Law' in the 2000 AD webshop, if you want to read about how a comic book explains how we ended up with genocide in the name of 'security' and pensioners opposing that genocide getting arrested...
shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/XB...

Red routes suddenly start catching people in some places Plus Budgens refused licence in Chatham, news in brief, and more.

🚗 One Medway red route has gone from catching no drivers to issuing hundreds of fines every month, while some are still fining no one
🚫 Budgens refused licence for Chatham regeneration site over alcohol fears
🗞️ News in brief, and more

Hi Melissa if this is still available
Any recommendations for a post Terry Pratchett world?

Why do you think voters have turned to Reform UK in Kent? I think they've turned to Reform UK in Kent because they can see what a change we've made at the county council level already. People are fed up, they feel that the social contract is broken. They feel that if you're one of the alarm clock classes, you get up in the morning, go to work and pay your taxes. There's an increasing feeling of why on earth should I do that when I can have a much easier life, so-and-so down the road, who claims benefits and has a very nice lifestyle. The scales have been tipped in this country. Nigel Farage spoke about it yesterday. I feel we are teetering on the brink of something quite unpleasant happening. Nobody wants that. I don't want to use the phrase ‘civil war’ because it's a frightening phrase, but if you look at the signposts that normally lead up to some big civil disturbance happening, we are quite far down the road already. People are seething, they’re seething. The levels of immigration, of course, here in Kent. We've got small boats landing on our shores every day that’s sucking up huge amounts of resources that could otherwise be going to something else. We're dealing with the problem of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. We've got enough problems of our own to deal with, we cannot keep looking after the rest of the world. I think people aren't daft. They know what's happening. They feel it, even if they can't always articulate it.

Kent leader: "We are teetering on the brink of something quite unpleasant happening. Nobody wants that. I don't want to use the phrase ‘civil war’ because it's a frightening phrase...We are quite far down the road already."

Not exactly calming tensions there.
www.kentcurrent.news/p/i-think-th...

“My baptism to life was seeing mankind at its worst” What Steven asked Douglas Hamandishe, Gillingham North Labour councillor and former Deputy Mayor

I sat down with Councillor Douglas K Hamandishe for @localauthority.news
And we discussed being a refugee from the civil war in Rhodesia, how being an engineer led to him being a mental health nurse, and AI.

www.localauthority.news/p/my-baptism...

“I think there's a lot gone wrong with politics, not just in Kent” What we asked Linden Kemkaran, the new Reform leader of Kent County Council

In which I sat down with the Reform leader of KCC, Linden Kemkaran and talked to her about leaving the BBC, being the daughter of an immigrant and ‘leading Kent to be the capital of common sense.’

www.kentcurrent.news/p/i-think-th...

- Thomas McMullan is launching his new book at Store 104
- Rainham Platform 3 Club is hosting a gig from members of Space
- Moira Mehaffey reviews Lyrici Arts production of Soul Food

Rochester Bridge Trust supports community projects Plus Austen's turns 10, Rochester author launches new book, Space visit Platform 3, our weekly events guide, and more.

In this weeks Local Authority: Independent news for Medway culture edition
- I spoke with the The Rochester Bridge Trust about the grants they are providing
- Austen's of Rochester are celebrating turning 10

www.localauthority.news/p/rochester-...

Iain Dale on Margaret Thatcher Plus a Kent chicken hotel, a pilgrimage along the River Medway, upcoming Kent events, and more

In this weeks culture edition of @kentcurrent.news
- I spoke with @iaindale.bsky.social about Margaret Thatcher
- Midkent College alumni Katriona Shovlin answers What is a Chicken Hotel?
- Zofia Page tells me about Friends of the River Medway pilgrimage
www.kentcurrent.news/p/iain-dale-...

Comic Books
Angel Catbird vol 1 by Margaret Atwood
All-Star Batman and Robin by Frank Miller
Avengers Prime by Brian Michael Bendis
Animal Man by Grant Morrison
Neurocomic by Matteo Farinella

#BooksBooksBooks

Non-Fiction
Who is Government by Martin Lewis
Racism: The Story of an Idea by Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey
Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal by Robin Ince
Minority Rule by Ash Sarkar

What are your book recommendations?
#BooksVirtueSignalling
Books I'm recommending have read this year;

Fiction
Private Rites by Julia Armfield
Feline Fatale by Sean Cameron Author
The Great When by Alan Moore
If Nick Drake Came to My House by Mackenzie Crook
Barrowbeck by Andrew Michael Hurley

While progressives often get accused of undermining the Democratic Party, the evidence shows that it’s the moderate wing that most often violates the “Vote Blue No Matter Who” principle.

https://trib.al/W6lqYEu

“Let's look for a brighter future” What Steven asked Ajaib Hussain, Chair of Medway Inter Faith Action.

For @localauthority.news Independent news for Medway
I sat down with Ajaib Hussain to talk about Medway Inter Faith Action (MIFA) and being a muslim in Medway.

www.localauthority.news/p/lets-look-...

“Culture's never an accident” What we asked Ed Perry and Rosie Brown, the brother and sister co-CEO's of COOK.

It was a pleasure to catch up with Ed & Rosie the Co-Ceo's of frozen food company COOK for @kentcurrent.news

www.kentcurrent.news/p/cultures-n...

- I speak with Maria C McCarthy about her upcoming book launch for 'Learning to Be Irish'.
- Wendy Daws tells us about the Kent Association for the Blind Art Groups Exhibition at Rochester Cathedral
- Stephen Morris tells us about the new Penrose Web Album

Campaign to support unpaid carers in Medway Plus Learning to be Irish, new Mess Room exhibition at Rochester Cathedral, the Penrose Web, events this week, and more

In this weeks Local Authority: Independent news for Medway culture edition
- I speak to Mike Evans about Medway Foodbank and Carers First Medway campaign about poverty amongst Unpaid Carers.
- We also hear from Councillor Teresa Murray and Lauren Edwards MP

www.localauthority.news/p/campaign-t...

Culture wars and cost-cutting set tone at KCC Plus what else has happened at KCC this week, the padel fightback begins, news in brief, and more

🗣️ Culture wars and cost-cutting set the tone at yesterday's KCC meeting.
➡️ What else has the council been up to this week?
🎾 The fightback against padel begins
🗞️ News in brief, and more

“I've been able to do a lot more than I thought” What Steven asked Ionut Bertea, Liz Howe and Paddy Tutt, artists at the Hazelnut Press

This weeks @localauthority.news interview was with The Hazelnut Press artists Ionut Bertea, Liz Howe and Paddy Tutt. As part of Medway Open Studios & Arts Festival

www.localauthority.news/p/ive-been-a...

- Stephen Morris is celebrating 10 years since the publication of Do It Yourself: History of Music in Medway
- I review a fish finger sandwich at the Royal Crown

New Buddhist centre opens in Rochester Plus Medway Walk for Peace, Medway podcast marks book anniversary, we review the Royal Crown, news in brief, and more

In this weeks culture edition of Local Authority: Independent news for Medway
- A new Buddhism centre opens in Medway.
- I speak to the chair of Medway Inter Faith Action about the Walk for Peace

www.localauthority.news/p/new-buddhi...