At a meeting today (22/01/2026) a group of Labour MPs from Kent; Sojan Joseph (Ashford), Tony Vaughan (Folkestone and Hythe), Mike Tapp (Dover and Deal) Jim Dickson (Dartford), and Lauren Sullivan (Gravesham), Naushabah Khan (Gillingham and Rainham),

met with the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones to discuss a range of local issues facing the county.
Despite receiving £274,036,000 to fix potholes, £78.2 million for local buses, and record investment for local authorities, local transport links have remained poor for residents across the county and KCC received an ‘amber’ rating from the Local Highways Authorities regarding the state of its roads. Adult social care services have also been an ongoing concern for many residents – an issue which was raised by the MPs.

Sojan Joseph MP for Ashford said:

“The meeting today with my Kent Labour colleagues and the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones was very positive.

“We have some incredibly difficult challenges to face here in Kent. We have to fix our adult social care services, potholes need to be filled, roads need to be better maintained, and local bus services need to improve.

“The Reform-led Administration at Kent County Council is not delivering anything other than chaos and fiscal irresponsibility for my constituents. I am pleased the Labour Government in Westminster are engaging with us, investing and driving to deliver necessary change in Kent.”

Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister said:

“I’ve been meeting with Kent Labour MPs to talk about the issues that matter most to the communities they serve. It’s clear that Reform-led Kent County Council is failing Kent residents.

From crumbling roads and unreliable transport links to local jobs and water quality, I’ll be working with colleagues across Government to push for both the investment and change residents across Kent need.”

ENDS