Mark Reckless MP Helps Out Local Students

Mark Reckless MP was very pleased to help out students at the University of Kent's Centre for Journalism.

Mark joined fellow Kent MP Tracey Crouch during the student's most recent news day where teams are tasked with producing 15 minute news broadcasts as part of their course.

Student Laura Hartmann welcomed Mark's help:

"For us as students, it was great getting a sitting MP into our tv studio as a live guest - especially as it was the first ever TV news day for us second years."

Mark responded by saying:

It's great to be asked and to be able to assist local students when I can. I really enjoyed the experience and would like to wish everyone involved the very best with their studies."

Mark Reckless MP Helps Out Local Students

Green Light For Damhead Creek 2

Mark Reckless MP has welcomed the announcement by the Department of Energy and Climate Change that consent has been granted for the construction of a 1000MW gas-fired power station at Damhead Creek on the Hoo Peninsula.

Speaking shortly after the announcement by the DECC, Mark Reckless said:

"There has been a growing need to improve the the South East's energy security for some time.

This new station will be one of the most efficient power plants in the world, and will produce relatively low CO2 emissions. It will also be built carbon capture ready meaning it can be retrofitted at a later stage once this experimental technology has become commercially viable.

Given the rural nature of the Hoo Peninsula, particularly the Marshes Special Protection Area, it is reassuring to hear that Natural England have confirmed that the proposed development will not adversely affect the local environment.

I especially welcome the commitment from Scottish Power to provide employment for local residents, particularly in light of the pending closure of Kingsnorth due to EU regulations.

After years of dithering under the last government, we are now taking the steps needed to secure our country's future energy supply whilst providing new jobs locally."

Green Light For Damhead Creek 2

MP Mark Reckless Wants Kingsnorth Plant Reassurance

From the BBC;

A Kent MP has asked the government for reassurance about the future of a controversial coal-fired power station.

Mark Reckless, the Conservative MP for Rochester and Strood, was speaking in Parliament about the Kingsnorth plant.

The power station near Strood is one of the sites in the running to house a carbon and capture storage facility.

Mr Reckless asked the energy minister Gregory Barker if the government would give “proper and full consideration” to the proposals.

The site has been a high-profile target for environmental protests by groups that argue a new plant would increase carbon emissions and climate change.

The energy firm E.On announced last October it was putting on hold the plans, claiming electricity demand had fallen during the global recession.

Mr Barker said the government was committed to carbon and capture storage technology and Kingsnorth was one of the schemes under consideration.

Photo courtesy of David Bowen

MP Mark Reckless Wants Kingsnorth Plant Reassurance

More Questions Re: Climate Camp Policing

Today's Guardian suggests that Kent Police attempted to put pressure on Medway Council to facilitate increased surveillance of climate camp protesters, despite Medway Council's concern that this would "alienate the community".

An FOI request has shown that Sergeant Keith Waymont wrote to us at the Council to complain that council officers were not being sufficiently co-operative with police plans for surveillance. The Guardian reports that he wrote:

"When I put this [Medway Council's alleged non co-operation with surveilance] to my bosses, they were less than impressed, given the importance of this operation as the new power station build is likely to create a considerable number of jobs for Medway."

In my role as a Member of Kent Police Authority I have today written to our Chief Executive to ask that Sergeant Waymont identify the 'bosses' with whom he says that he raised the issue, so that the matter can be investigated.

On the face of it, the letter is utterly unacceptable. By pressurising Medway Council to set aside our concerns about planned police surveillance because "the new power station build is likely to create a considerable number of jobs for Medway", it implies that the climate camp policing was intended to face down the protestors and help E.On build a new power station.

To the best of my knowledge, this is not true. In some aspects of the operation the police went out of their way to try to demonstrate neutrality, e.g. by not using E.On faciliities to command the operation. However, the unveiling of this letter - thanks to FOI - can only add to concerns regarding the policing of the protest.

I consider that our duty as the Kent Police Authority is not solely to support Kent Police, but to hold them to account on behalf of the public. If we are to do this properly, it implies that on occasion we may have to make measured criticism of the Force.

We have, with the Force, arranged two independent reports into the climate camp policing. I and the Chair and Chief Executive of the Police Authority met with the Climate Camp legal team to seek to understand and take account of their concerns. Rather than just allow the police to deal with climate camp complaints individually, we as an Authority are seeking to determine the overall lessons to be learned from these complaints.

This work has been painstaking and has taken longer than we initially hoped. Our conclusions will feed into HM Inspectorate of Constabulary's national review of the policing of protest. I hope that we will also before too long be able to publish them for the benefit of the Kent public and those who sought to protest peacefully in our county.

In the meantime I would like to put on record my condemnation of the letter as quoted in the Guardian today and congratulate the paper on its investigative reporting.

More Questions Re: Climate Camp Policing

Kingsnorth Climate Camp

Mark would like to thank local residents, particularly those on the Hoo Peninsula, for their patience and understanding while we 'hosted' the Climate Camp. It was not our choice to have the Camp here, but it was right to allow peope to protest peacefully while ensuring the power stayed on and inconvenience was minimised.

Two serious complaints have been made against officers from other forces who were here to help with the policing. Mark, as Kent Police Authoritys lead member for legal services, will help ensure that these issues are dealth with properly. Conservatives will always support the police, but never support unacceptable behaviour by particular officers.

Kingsnorth Climate Camp