Tweet X/Twitter: @timg33

 Click to see Tim Garbutt on Twitter/X: @timg33

Tweet This

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Policy #5: Development not Over-Development

As MP I will halt the development boom of Concrete Kent in Thanet. We are overbuilding far beyond South East targets as mere property speculation for the construction industry. I will insist construction is refocused on renovating both public housing and empty properties: over 3,000 empty properties in Thanet - for years - before one brick is laid on new build. The idea of a 4th Town at Westwood Cross should also be ripped up as property and Planning overkill given vacant properties, an ageing population and a failed economy. And on prime farmland when Climate Change is a major issue and Food Security in preserving our farmland to reduce food imports. And of course major derelict brownfield sites such as Manston airport, Richboro: derelict longer than in operation, and many more. Councils are notorious for being focused on property and construction where the main parties get their kickbacks for handing out Planning permissions. Far greater scrutiny of the Planning system is required. A...
Read more

After the Guns Fall Silent: What the Thai–Khmer Ceasefire Means for Isaan and the Borderlands

  After the Guns Fall Silent: What the Thai–Khmer Ceasefire Means for Isaan and the Borderlands The July 28 ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia marked a fragile pause in a conflict that displaced over 300,000 civilians and left dozens dead. Brokered under pressure from Malaysia, China, and the U.S. , the agreement includes a freeze on troop movements, a ban on attacks against civilians, and the deployment of ASEAN observers .  But for communities along the border—especially in Thailand’s Isaan region —the real question is: what now? The future all the more uncertain with PM Paetongtarn forced out of power by the Constitutional Court from the leaked Hun Sen phone call.  The PM role is vacant and presumably her Soft Power role with the former an interim PM role just for the next 4 months, possibly a Pheu Thai-Move Forward coalition then Charter reform and elections. So stasis for Thailand until early 2026 at best on major issues on Land Bridge, Digital Wallet etc and f...
Read more

Ten Big Reforms for Isaan, Thailand and Cambodia: A Borderless Future of Justice and Infrastructure

  Ten Big Reforms for Isaan, Thailand and Cambodia: A Borderless Future of Justice and Infrastructure 1. Rail Equity Corridor Launch a 600 km Isaan Rail Equity Plan  North-South connecting Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen, Yasothon, and Surin to Khon Kaen and Bangkok. Simultaneously fund a Surin–Siem Reap spur to rupture the rail desert and enable Khmer-Isaan cultural mobility. 2. Cross-Border Health Pact Establish a Thai–Cambodian Border Health Compact : shared clinics, mobile units, and Khmer-language services in Surin, Sisaket, and Battambang. Fund joint disease surveillance and maternal care. 3. Khmer Language Rights Charter Recognise Northern Khmer as a protected regional language. Fund bilingual education, media, and signage in Surin, Sisaket, and Buriram. In all sincerity, partner with Cambodian cultural ministries for curriculum co-design and temples website. 4. Ban on Land Grabs and Elite Logging Criminalise elite land seizures in Isaan and Cambodian border zones. Launch a j...
Read more