“Comrade Paterson Melts Down”
There’s a certain magic in asking a straightforward question in the Council chamber – especially when it comes from Reform UK’s Councillor David Finch. All it takes is a few inconvenient facts and a challenge to the local status quo, and boom – you’re suddenly triggering full-blown meltdowns.
Welcome to Episode 2 of Living in Their Heads (Rent Free).
📍 The Setup
Cllr Finch asked a basic, practical question. Here it is again for the record:
“Over the past year, we’ve seen a surge in camera enforcement across Medway… [details of enforcement numbers] … Can the Council confirm whether it plans to expand these schemes into congestion or ULEZ-style charges, or limit how often residents can drive, and will this be consulted on?”
Now, for most residents – that’s a fair concern. When 5 roads get slapped with £805,000 worth of red route schemes and only 35 fines come from it in 6 months, people want to know what’s really going on.
But instead of an answer, we got… performance theatre.
🎭 Enter Comrade Paterson
Cllr Alex Paterson – Labour’s Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Highways and Enforcement – decided he wouldn’t answer the question. Oh no. Instead, he delivered an ideological rant that barely touched the issue at all.
He denounced Reform UK entirely, veered into war memorial rhetoric, quoted Tony Benn and Michael Rosen, and implied that asking questions about traffic enforcement was somehow linked to fascism. Yes. Really.
You might be wondering – how on earth does someone make that leap?
Well, it helps if you’re Alex Paterson. A man with form.
🧠 A Little Background: PR for Comrade Corbyn
You see, Cllr Paterson isn’t just any Labour councillor. He’s the former head of media for Jeremy Corbyn.
Yes – the same Jeremy Corbyn whose leadership left Labour in political ruins, led to its worst defeat since 1935, and who himself was suspended from the party.
How did that gig work out for Alex?
- Labour’s red wall collapsed 🧱
- Antisemitism scandals exploded 💥
- Working class voters fled in droves 🚶♂️🚶♀️
Yet here he is, in Medway, still clinging to ideological ghosts and throwing around Cold War rhetoric as if a question about red routes is a direct assault on Western democracy.
You really couldn’t make it up.
🔊 Dog Whistles and Distractions
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t a policy response. It was a deflection, designed to:
✅ Avoid explaining why £805k produced 35 fines.
✅ Avoid addressing future plans for things like congestion charging.
✅ Paint political opponents as extremists – because it’s easier than debating the facts.
What Reform UK stands for is clear: freedom, accountability, and protecting local residents from stealth taxes and creeping control.
What Labour offered here was noise, slander, and nothing for residents.
🧾 Final Scorecard:
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Answering the question? | ❌ Not even close |
| Political theatre? | 🎭 10/10 |
| PR throwback to the Corbyn era? | ☭ Nostalgic nonsense |
| Living in their heads? | 💯 Absolutely rent free |
💬 Closing Thought
While Reform UK councillors are asking the questions that matter to you, Labour’s Alex Paterson is fighting imaginary wars from 1936, quoting poetry, and trying to silence scrutiny with smears.
If that’s all it takes to shake them – we’ll keep asking.
Stay tuned. Episode 3 coming soon.