Our readers from across the county give their weekly take on the biggest issues impacting Kent and beyond.

Some letters refer to past correspondence, which can be found by clicking here. Join the debate by emailing letters@thekmgroup.co.uk

Build theme park on border check land

I read with interest the article on the potential sale of the Sevington Inland Border Facility off the M20, which has cost the UK taxpayer £154m .

I would like to propose an alternative use of this underused lump of tarmac to something that could represent a significant tourist attraction.

I give you: BrexitLand - the theme park Britain didn’t know it needed, but absolutely deserves.

The flagship attraction? The Boris Bus Bonanza. Visitors are herded onto a replica red bus, emblazoned with that iconic “£350 million a week for the NHS” slogan. The ride promptly crashes through a paper façade of facts before plunging into a chasm labelled “Oops sorry, hold on while we take back control.”

Next stop: the Farage Funhouse. A hall of mirrors, misleading posters and false promises where every reflection shows the same grinning face promising to return all migrants using his own specially commissioned fleet of hot air balloons. Visitors exit via a revolving door straight into a Wetherspoons pub, staffed entirely by immigrants from non-EU countries.

Thrill-seekers won’t want to miss the UK Economy Drop Tower, sponsored by the IMF and the OBR. Strap in for a vertical freefall to match the pound’s value post-2016 and the loss to GDP. Screams of “sovereignty” echo as the bottom falls out literally.

And of course, no day at BrexitLand would be complete without Le Queue Fantastique, an immersive experience recreating the joy of being stuck in a tailback to Dover for 14 hours.

Guests will be serenaded by Jacob Rees-Mogg explaining, in Latin, why it’s all actually going splendidly.

Food Hall: Everything will be oven-ready but more expensive and likely to leave a sour taste.

What’s a few million square feet of unused concrete in the pursuit of national amusement? Let’s turn regret into opportunity.

Michael Daly

The return of Project Fear

At the time of the Brexit referendum, the political and bureaucratic elites did everything they could to frighten people into voting to stay in the EU.

‘Project Fear’ said that the economy would collapse, that ordinary people would endure unimaginable privations and even that a war might result from the UK daring to break with Brussels.

Of course, none of these warnings were true, and came into the same category as the threat by the fat boy in Dickens’s Pickwick Papers, when he says, “I wants to make your flesh creep”.

The intention was to scare the British people into supporting membership of an organisation which benefited only the selfish elites. In fact the electorate recognised this alarmist nonsense for what it was, and defied the so-called great and the good.

Now, as the main parties run scared of Reform, we see the beginnings of a rerun of this failed strategy, with those such as the Prime Minister claiming that Reform’s policies are unworkable, and dangerous, while all left liberals are preparing to use lies, and nonsensical statements, to sabotage the party.

Accusations of everything from intending to privatise the NHS, hyperinflation and overt racism will be made. The BBC, currently obsessed with demonising Israel over the war in Gaza, will assuredly take part in the campaign to do the same to Reform.

The British people must ignore these self-interested wailings of a failed establishment facing defeat, and turn to those who recognise that this country is in dire straits, and only a truly radical change of direction can save us from disaster.

Colin Bullen

Let down over train services

So, it now looks as though we have two rail companies planning to provide passenger services to the continent in addition to Eurostar.

Where does Ashford International fit in their plans? Effectively, nowhere, and that includes Eurostar. At best, there is vague mention of future possibilities.

Ashford International was the first international railway station outside of London. It was built on the back of investment, huge investment, anticipating planned growth - immense growth, and the attractiveness to tourism of the southern half of Kent and adjoining coastal counties. Planned growth was indefinitely delayed or cancelled, which negatively affected commercial merits but, with political commitment, Ashford International was built.

Eurostar services were provided for a few years and then it stopped.

This sorry saga is the result of political failure. Since the UK government’s 2015 sale of its total share in Eurostar there is no conduit for forceful intervention in support of Ashford International’s future: the consequence of short-term greed, misplaced trust in business promises, and a sheer lack of will.

Government neglect over pre-Covid technical problems - and Covid itself - and seemingly blind acceptance of Eurostar’s positioning thereafter, have eliminated the Eurostar service, harming business growth.

Where is the visionary investment which motivated the Eurostar project in the beginning? At all government levels, central, county and local, there has been abject failure. Central government intervention alone has sufficient weight to steer failure into successful outcomes.

The current government is intent on nationalising rail companies and the rail infrastructure. The HS1 line should be included, facilitating a government contractual requirement for international trains to stop at Ashford.

Secondly, subsidies could be offered for international trains to stop in Ashford. Without radical government intervention, the original investment will have been a monumental waste of public money.

Dave Burrill

Will Reform improve our bus service?

With all the uproar about flags and efficiencies, you might have thought that nothing much has changed in the world of public transport.

But you would be wrong.

Elsewhere, great strides are being made to upgrade bus services and to modernise the fleet, with new electric buses in many areas.

After years of neglect many regions are realising the value of bus services in the life of their communities. Everywhere that is except Kent.

Kent is the dobbin of the bus world, with declining services, older vehicles, and a can't do, won't do attitude to improving bus services.

In parts of northern England, whole bus depots have been modernised and converted to clean, green, electric buses.

In East Kent, the five electric buses promised two years ago are still not operating on the 'fast bus service'. If Reform's efficiency Doges want to start somewhere, they might look at that project, in terms of cost, delivery and utility.

I really would like to see Kent feature in some new leap forward in bus passenger comfort and satisfaction but I fear I will be waiting a long time, as many do fruitlessly when waiting for a bus.

I have my doubts about the new order from Reform, as they have often expressed pro car slogans but in reality many of their voters rely on the bus, to shop, socialise and to attend medical appointments, so it will be interesting to see how different they are to the previous administration in terms of advancing public transport.

If they want suggestions on how to make things better, which I am sure they won't, I will be more than happy to steer them in the direction of progress.

Richard Styles

Roads reflect the state of our country

You published my letter bemoaning the state of my road and the poor response of the council in addressing the issues.

I have now to admit that my whining and whinging was somewhat premature as this very week the contractors moved in to shut the road off for two days to make repairs.

However, my apology is not entirely fulsome. The 50-plus repairs have resulted in an ugly patchwork quilt of a road but at least much of it is now even... except those verges that have only been partially repaired or left with valleys along the side.

For reasons difficult to fathom, some potholes by the verge have been overlooked or the partial filling-in of some verges.

I guess I should be grateful for the work undertaken, but it does say something not just about the state of our highways, but the state of our country as a whole.

Robert Hayward

Risk of flying the flag

The only flag that should be flown from public buildings in the UK is the Union Jack.

The only exceptions should be that of St George in England, and the corresponding flags for the 'nations' of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. That's because they represent - or should do - all the peoples of those countries.

To fly any other flag - especially that of a foreign state or one of a sectarian nature - would be very divisive and is likely to cause resentment.

On private property, folks should be free to fly whatever flag they want - Ukrainian, Palestinian, Israeli, EU, pink, etc - but do so on the understanding that this will be unpopular in some quarters and might result in the inevitable brick through the window.

John Helm

Defence should be our urgent priority

Having served in the Royal Navy from the late 50s to mid 70s, I witnessed the hollowing out of our armed services first hand.

This has come about as successive governments have not appreciated the necessity of defence in favour of health, welfare, immigration and projects such as the proposed £15 billion for the infrastructure in the north, midlands and Bristol. I ask, have we got our priorities wrong?

But, and on saying that, former heads of the armed forces have wasted billions of pounds upon failed procurement schemes because of lack of thought and readiness. We have an overemphasis on nuclear armament which, in my mind, is stripping conventional weaponry finances.

Britain has over 200 nuclear warheads, I ask, just how many times do we need to blow up the world.

I remember when we had naval bases all over the world with shipbuilding and repair services. Now we have none. We have not got one Naval Hospital to treat our wounded, which we scrapped to save money.

We have seen in Russia and Ukraine many young adults disappearing to other countries to escape conscription as they prefer not to become ‘cannon fodder’ and who can blame them.

But the defence of the Nation is critical for the existence of our way of life as we know it and young people have to appreciate that.

Countries like Russia, North Korea and Iran recognise weakness and it will only be a matter of time before we succumb.

It’s time for our government to think seriously about the defence of our nation. Not in five years time but now.

Sid Anning

Assisted dying offers dignity

I’m writing in strong support of the Bill to legalise assisted dying for those with a terminal diagnosis.

Like thousands across Kent, my experiences, both as a medical professional and in my personal life have illustrated to me that the most dangerous choice of all is to continue the status quo.

Whilst completing my medical qualifications, my mum died from bowel cancer. She asked me to help her die, suffering unnecessarily. I, of course, had to deny my mum her final request.

It was from this experience and countless others that I realised that the current system punishes compassion and forces people to ignore others’ suffering.

I remember and pay tribute to the terminally ill friends and relatives I’ve lost, who with sound minds realised that they had no control over the nature or time of their death. They suffered unnecessarily at the end, some surrounded by loved ones, some unfortunately not.

If the Bill had been in place, they would have had the option to end their lives in a dignified manner.

What Kim Leadbeater has proposed is the right law for England and Wales, offering genuine choice at the end of life for those in the last six months of terminal illness, whilst simultaneously enshrining robust safeguards and protections for all at the end of life, where there currently are none.

Jo Campbell