Kmflett's Blog

The Ambridge Socialist

26^th July

Village Fete: attempt to impose a Church tithe for entry

The village fete, normally held on the village green has been moved to Jubilee fields primarily it appears so that Alan the vicar and accomplices can control entry and charge a fiver a head on the gate (advance tickets cheaper).

At least some of the money raised will go to repair the Church which it will be recalled has recently had bits falling off it. For Church goers and perhaps for some others this may be ok (if they can afford it). For others who follow different religions or none it is unacceptable. If a charge is made once costs are covered any surplus should go to charity- how about Medical Aid for Palestinians?

Bert

Bert has been extra grumpy this week which given he is 90 seems ok. He sort of started helping out in the village shop. He is also the only member of the Clive Horrabin fan club (aside from Clive that is)

Knacker. Closing time

Fallon and Sgt Knacker Burns have attended an awards ceremony relating it appears to his secret squirrel activities. This led to Fallon having an honest conversation with Knacker, not something he is too familiar with. Hence a parting of ways is on the cards…. Speculation is of course rife

Tracey’s Birthday

It didn’t go as planned but in a market society that’s business as usual

Rex returns to land

Rex is leaving his boat on the Am and moving in with Alice. If Knacker Burns does return to Ambridge perhaps he can rent the boat from Rex…

As stories about Nigel Farage, George Cottrell and Reform continue to appear the counter is twofold.

Firstly that the ‘Establishment’ is out to get Reform. This could of course be countered by Reform actually answering the issues raised rather than just blustering about them.

The second response, which can be found on social media is that no one is interested in the stories.

The Times published the results of a YouGov poll on this on 13th July. Only 9% or respondents were unaware of the stories. Meanwhile 73% thought Farage was sleazy.

Another finding (above) was that 60% did not think Farage had behaved correctly on donations. Noteworthy 50% of Reform supporters did not back him.

The Farage bluster will continue but its cutting through

The lead splash in the Sunday Times 26th July 2026.

Quite what has caused Rupert Murdoch to turn against Farage remains unclear but his media has the journalistic resources to uncover things the Reform boss wants hidden. At the same time and very unusually the BBC news site has been leading with a story that one of Tice’s companies is being investigated by the National Crime Agency. He is threatening legal action (we shall see).

Of course the line is that its the ‘Establishment’ attacking Reform. But a party whose leader gets a £5m donation from a Thai based crypto billionaire looks very ‘Establishment’ albeit the dishonourable part of it as it were (a Victorian distinction).

Do these stories have ‘cut through’ with a wider public? Its likely otherwise Farage and Tice would ignore them.

Andy Burnham and John Healey rated pub snacks in the Hare in Harlow.

There was not consensus….

I’ve glanced at some of the opening games of The Hundred Mk2. Mk2 because it is now franchise owned and rebadged. Some players will get £450K for the competition (the men that it is of course, women are paid less….).

I’ll comment on the actual cricket, such as it is, later but I’ve been interested in the commentary.

When The Hundred started commentary was in hyperbole overdrive, perhaps because Sky and the BBC had paid to cover it and you don’t diss your own product. That has changed, perhaps because of the franchising.

Mike Atherton’s piece in The Times (he commentates for Sky) is typical. I’m not so sure though its a case of caveat emptor.

The franchise owners are very wealthy people. They may be involved in The Hundred at least in part as a status thing. Plus of course they are involved in global cricket franchises and in that respect England and Wales is an important part of the jigsaw.

Back to the commentary. The Test Match Special radio coverage was in early versions a tough listen. No criticism was allowed except in an occasional between innings comment slot. Now there is discussion about how full grounds are (quite full but not sold out) and whether the cricket being played is in fact any good (occasionally)

For those many who don’t like The Hundred now is the time to pay a little attention, because in the brave new franchise world it is uncertain times…

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is in the process of drawing up lists of approved Tory candidates for the next election and in the process carrying out a purge. One victim so far appears to be Grant Shapps.

One criteria for not coming back is below

If someone still believes in Net Zero targets that make energy more expensive and are destroying industry, they are not coming back,’.

Meanwhile there are record temperatures across Europe, wild fires and droughts.

If politics is the art of the possible one wonders where Badenoch fits in

Source, The Guardian

Starmer’s Cabinet stands out when it comes to private (public) secondary schooling, which suggests that material being determining consciousness is mediated by what happens between leaving school and becoming a member of the Cabinet.

Below are the results of two local election results in Grays, Essex. The poll was held on 23rd July 2026.

Local election results don’t generally mean a great deal. Turn-out is poor (figures below) so who those didn’t vote might support in a General Election can only be pondered.

Even so since 2024 Reform have been consistently winning Council seats and indeed control Essex County Council.

Whether Labour’s victory in these seats is a result of Farage’s dodgy millions or a Burnham bounce awaits more results in the weeks to come. Even so its not without interest. Certainly these are results that won’t be bigged up in the Daily Express and on GBNews

Grays Town (Thurrock) Council By-Election Result: 🌹 LAB: 37.0% (+5.3) ➡️ RFM: 27.0% (-7.8) 🙋 Ind: 13.0% (New) 🌳 CON: 12.3% (+1.3) 🌍 GRN: 8.8% (-7.3) 🔶 LDM: 1.9% (-4.5) Labour GAIN from Reform UK. Changes w/ 2026.

Grays Riverside (Thurrock) Council By-Election Result: 🌹 LAB: 30.2% (+3.8) ➡️ RFM: 28.1% (-5.1) 🌍 GRN: 27.5% (-1.9) 🌳 CON: 14.1% (+3.1) Labour GAIN from Reform UK. Changes w/ 2026.

Grays Riverside and Grays Town ward by-election results

24 July 2026

The results of the by-elections held in Grays Town Ward and Grays Riverside Ward have now been declared: 

• Amin Hoque (Labour) – has been elected as councillor for Grays Town Ward
• Jo Potter (Labour) – has been elected as councillor for Grays Riverside Ward 

Votes were as follows: 

Grays Town Ward

• Amin Hoque (Labour) – 673
• John Charles Pearson (Reform UK) – 491
• Neil Speight (Independent) – 235
• Joglur Rahman (Conservative) – 224
• Rhea Sylvia Nathan (Green Party) – 160
• Simon Lancaster (Liberal Democrats) – 34

1,823 votes were cast, this represents a turnout of 23.78 per cent 

Grays Riverside Ward

• Jo Potter (Labour) – 389
• Jason Mitchell (Reform UK) – 362
• Pauline Weir (Green Party) – 354
• Srikanth Panjala (Conservative) – 182 

1,294 votes were cast, which is a turnout of 18.99 per cent

Burnham visits an Essex pub & drinks a pint of mild

You couldn’t really miss the symbolism except of course the media did.

To mark the announcement of a 20% reduction in business rates for pubs Andy Burnham and John Healey visited a pub for a photo opportunity.

The pub was the Hare in Harlow, Essex. Essex of course is Farage territory although Harlow has had Labour MPs and Labour’s Chris Vince is the current one.

The Hare is not owned by a global big beer company but by the independent Hertford brewer McMullens.

We can’t be 100% sure what Burnham was drinking but from pictures it looked like a pint of McMullens AK. AK is a cask light (as opposed to dark) mild one of the few regularly brewed in the South.

So Indy pub, Indy beer, pint of mild, Essex. A lot of worthwhile boxes ticked there..