A new local movement, forming now
Stand up for Medway.
In May 2027 every seat on Medway Council is up for election. Medway needs people who can actually run the place, and who will defend it when reorganisation comes back. We are looking for candidates who live in the communities they want to serve.
Think Local. Vote Local. Medway First.
Why we’re here
On 6 May 2027 we elect every Member of Medway Council. In September 2026 the Government paused its plan to abolish this Council and merge Medway with Dartford and Gravesham, and confirmed that next May’s elections go ahead on the boundaries we have today. Paused is not cancelled. Ministers have said plainly that they still intend to reorganise local government.
So the Councillors elected next May will do two jobs. They will run Medway Council for a full term. And they will be the people in the room when reorganisation comes back to the table, arguing about what happens to Medway and on whose terms.
That is a serious job, and Medway’s record does not inspire confidence. This Council owes over £700 million, and it has been given Government permission to borrow to pay its everyday bills. Whoever wins in 2027 inherits that, and then has to argue Medway’s corner from a position of weakness unless somebody gets a grip on it first. Medway does not need another party machine, and it does not need a national bandwagon passing through. It needs a competent local team that knows this place and answers to the people who live here.
What we stand for
Two things drive everything we do: pride in our place, and care with your money. We are local people standing up for Medway, with no party in London telling us how to vote.
These six pillars are our manifesto for 2027, and we want your help to finish them. Click any pillar to read the detail, rate our commitments and add your own ideas.
Careful with your money
No more Pentagons. No more Innovation Parks. We will stop the waste, spend carefully, and publish where every pound goes so that you can check it yourself.
Pride in our place
The basics, done properly. Clean streets, bins emptied when they should be, potholes actually filled, and high streets you are glad to walk down.
Homes built the right way
The right homes in the right places, with the GP surgeries, school places and roads to match. When the Government sets housing targets, the Government helps pay for the services those homes need.
Getting around Medway
Buses that go where people actually need, and link up with the trains. Road restrictions that actually make us safer, we keep. The ones that are really just cameras raising money, we scrap.
Medway’s voice
Medway’s voice needs to be heard where decisions about Medway are actually made, and that is increasingly not in Medway. We will speak to Government with one voice, above all on money.
A council that listens
We will ask you properly, and often. You will help decide how some of the money is spent, and you will see what is planned, what is underway and what is finished.
Our mission
Medway First is building something to last, defending Medway wherever the decisions about our future are made. We have three aims.
1. Win for Medway in 2027
Stand candidates in every part of Medway, so that Medway Council is run by people who live here, and so that Medway has the numbers to defend its corner when reorganisation returns.
2. Defend Medway as devolution comes to Kent
When the Government creates a Mayor for Kent, the big parties will move to divide the spoils between them. Medway First will be there to make sure Medway is never carved up, and has a strong voice at that top table rather than an afterthought.
3. Defend Medway in the House of Commons
In time, we will stand for Medway’s seats, so that Medway is spoken for in Westminster too, by people who answer to Medway, not to head office.
Our candidate pledge
Every Medway First candidate lives in the community they want to represent.
Local people, with local roots, who will still be your neighbours long after polling day. It is a higher standard than the law requires, and it is the whole point of who we are.
Who we’re looking for
You do not need to be a politician. You need to care about Medway and be willing to put your name forward for your community. Our candidates come from every walk of life: private and public sector, white-collar and blue-collar, tradespeople, stay-at-home parents and retirees.
- You live in Medway, ideally in (or right next to) the ward you would stand in.
- You have local roots and a clean record, and you’re happy to be vetted.
- You’ll sign up to a short candidates’ code and work as part of a team.
- You want to serve your community, not climb a party ladder.
In return: a credible local banner, shared branding and campaign support, and a real chance to win a seat and help decide Medway’s future at the moment it is being settled.
Put your name forward
Tell us a little about you and we will be in touch. No commitment yet. This is the first conversation.