It is with great sadness that we share the news our friend Diana Smith passed away on Saturday 11 July.

Diana served the residents of Watling as a Liberal Democrats councillor for the Watling Street ward between 1998 and 2000, and again for Watling between 2007 and 2015. During her time at Medway Council she dedicated herself to public service, sitting on committees including Planning, Health, and Children & Young People, and serving as our opposition spokesperson for five years.

Even after leaving office, her commitment to the community never wavered — she stood for the Liberal Democrats again in 2023, in the newly formed All Saints ward. Her husband, former mayor George Smith, was the first Liberal in 64 years to serve as mayor, and fiercely defended Rochester City Council as good representation for local voices.

"Diana was first and foremost a people person who was well known in her community and will be missed by many people beyond friends and family. She had strong values and worked across party lines to deliver for the residents of Watling. She was widely recognised for her work on children's services, a field she had a lot of experience in prior to entering politics." — John Castle, Chair of Medway Liberal Democrats, reflecting on her character and legacy.

"I remember Diana shared that she was leading her local FOCUS group, passionately listening to residents' views on the proposed merger of Medway Maritime and Darent Valley hospitals — a merger that was eventually struck off. Her passion for engaging with local residents is the kind of local champion Medway Liberal Democrats continue to be today." — Nicholas Chan, Election Officer of Medway Liberal Democrats

Our thoughts are with Diana's family and friends at this sad time.



- Notes -
During Diana's first term in the Watling Street ward, elections took place in 1997 for the newly formed Medway Council, which initially operated as a shadow authority until formally taking over from the two outgoing councils on 1 April 1998.

The Medway Liberal Democrats are delighted that MPs are supporting Early Day Motion 240 in Parliament.

Earlier, we wrote to all three MPs representing Medway residents, urging them to sign Early Day Motion 240 and help block the Equality and Human Rights Commission's (EHRC) controversial new draft Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations.

Thank you to Tris Osborne agreeing with the Liberal Democrats position on the EHRC and for voting for our motion in parliament. 
We call on other Medway MPs to join him and the Lib Dem MPs in parliament, as we continue to fight to protect the dignity and freedoms of all Trans people.

- Notes to editors -
EDM 240 calls for the draft Code of Practice for Services, public functions and associations, laid before the House on 21 May, to be disapproved — i.e. it seeks to block the EHRC's Code.

What matters to you, matters to me

Like you, we care about Medway and want the best for our communities. That’s why I’m asking for your views today. Please take a minute to fill in and return our quick survey, to help me demand better for our area.

Click the the orange buttons below, and tell us what matters to you most.

- Nicholas Chan & John Castle

"Medway residents will be angry if the next Labour leader continues the same mistakes of the last Conservative Government, and keeps making another round of empty promises on water.

Clean water regulation must involve the local community. Water companies' ownership structures must be reformed to ensure they act in the public interest, with local environmental experts required on their boards", 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
says Ron Gillett - Cuxton, Halling & Riverside.
 

Medway Liberal Democrats are serious in ending the sewage scandal. We care about our river, from when it flows pass us here in Cuxton and then until it empties into the Thames Estuary at Grain. We've tested water quality along it, scooping out rubbish build-up around St Mary Island’s docks and writing to Southern Water for a water resilience plan.

We’re bold on tackling one of the worst environmental crises in our history.’

Medway Liberal Democrats are happy to announce Ronald Arcon Gillett as our candidate for the Cuxton, Halling and Riverside By-Election. Ron is a local champion who lives locally in the ward.

Ron champions the Medway Liberal Democrats’ efforts to clean up River Medway. Across Medway, at St Mary's Island, he supports John Castle’s & Nicholas Chan’s efforts in cleaning up the dockside - where rubbish gathers regularly. Ron calls for better regulations and to put water companies into community hands and ownership. 

Across Medway, Ron is passionate to revitalise our high street businesses with a Business Rate reform. "The Government should replace unfair business rates with a Commercial Landowner Levy to shift the tax burden from struggling tenants to commercial landowners, to stop penalising productive business investment and use land and buildings more efficiently, " says Ron Gillett. This will end the stealth tax on our high streets, which affects youth employment and business investments.

Together, we Demand Better for Medway residents.



Published and promoted by Lynn Ibeji on behalf of Ronald Arcon Gillett (Liberal Democrats), 29 Dunlin Dr, Chatham ME4 3JA.