This week on the Kent Politics Podcast our reporters discuss the violent demonstrations across the country and why they didn’t materialise in Kent.

We’re also joined by the newly-elected Labour MP for Chatham and Aylesford, Tristan Osborne, who tells us about his first few weeks in parliament and the challenges the party has faced so far.

He tells us how the government aims to deal with the unrest which has seen shops vandalised and looted, as well as the police and ethnic minorities targeted with violence.

He also outlines how social media has played a role in the whipping up and dissemination of misinformation surrounding the events in Southport and how the government might take action.

And he describes what the transition has been like from a schoolteacher to member of parliament following his election win on July 4.

Our reporters also discuss the specific demonstrations in Dover, Chatham and Canterbury and why they think they weren’t as significant as those seen previously.

They talk about Medway’s projected problems with its budget which is currently expected to overspend by £16 million and what the council intends to do about it.

They also look to Kent County Council and explore how budget cuts are forcing the closure of two children’s centres, one in Thanet and another in Sheerness, and what this means for residents reliant on them.

The Kent Politics Podcast, which brings together reporters Simon Finlay, Robert Boddy, Dan Esson and Paul Francis each week, was launched in January.

You can listen to it at IM Listening, or you can download it from Apple Podcasts, Spotify and TuneIn – just search for Kent Politics Podcast.

Readers can also keep up-to-date with the latest political news on our dedicated Kent Politics page.

New podcast episodes are available each Friday.