Thousands flock to royal town to celebrate Queen’s Platinum Jubilee ON PARADE The sea cadets, air training corps and other armed services marking the Jubilee outside the war memorial
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Wednesday June 8 | 2022
MP admits that he voted against PM in confidence vote Exclusive by Richard Williams GREG Clark has broken his silence over Covid rule breaking in Downing Street and has told the Times he voted against the PM in this week’s vote of no confidence. The Tunbridge Wells MP has remained tight-lipped over the scandals that had engulfed the PM earlier this year when Mr Johnson was fined by the Met Police for breaching his own Covid rules. Mr Clark insisted he wanted to wait for the publication of the full Sue Gray report into parties at Downing Street, before commenting on the scandal.
Report
By Victoria Roberts AN ESTIMATED 10,000 people descended on Royal Tunbridge Wells during last week’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations as the town marked 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II. The extended Jubilee holiday saw 70 street parties – one for every year Her Majesty has been on the throne – take place across the borough, while a parade and service outside the town hall was attended by thousands of royal well-wishers. The celebrations in Royal Tunbridge Wells started on Friday (June 3) with a Military Parade at the Tunbridge Wells War Memorial, outside the town hall,
The report was published last week but Mr Clark was unavailable to comment at the time. However, writing exclusively for the Times this week the MP says he was ‘dismayed’ to hear about the rule breaking at Number 10. He said: “The Metropolitan place across the borough and wider Police found that the Prime area for the extended bank holiday Minister broke the rules on one celebrations. occasion where a surprise Villages, parish and town councils as birthday party was organised for well as residents organised a range of him. I have always said that it is events in their local areas, from fetes, a big step to remove a Prime flower shows and ‘family fun sports Minister and I do not believe days’ to tea dances and community that it would be proportionate to picnics to celebrate the Jubilee. do so for this breach alone. Towns such as Southborough, “However, I was dismayed by Paddock Wood and Cranbrook held the findings of the Sue Gray their own celebratory parades and report of a wider culture in events, while Beacons were lit across Downing Street and in particular the borough of Tunbridge Wells to mark shocked by the disrespect the special occasion. shown to staff by some people
forces (CCFs) of The Skinners’ School which was attended by the Mayor and and Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar Vice Lord Lieutenant of Kent. School. The town centre It was followed saw bunting ‘The extended Jubilee by a procession of adorning many of holiday saw 70 street thousands who the shops and businesses. parties take place – one for filed through Road, Thousands of every year Her Majesty has Monson Calverley Road onlookers cheered been on the throne’ and Bayhall Road as members of the before ending up Tunbridge Wells at the Big Jubilee Lunch at Dunorlan Sea Cadets, TS Brilliant and the 129 Park. There they were entertained with (Tunbridge Wells) Squadron Air an afternoon of music and fun where Training Corps were joined by their the main stage hosted a mix of Bhangra marching bands, along with brass, country and classical music. representatives of 579 Field Squadron, Elsewhere, roads were closed and 101 Engineer Regiment, the Army Cadet Full story and pictures pages 4,5,6 & 7 bunting strung up as street parties took Force as well as the combined cadet
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