What we're trying to achieve

On Thursday evening I drove from Bexhill-on-Sea (home of the Weetabix Big Ben!) to Oakwood House in Maidstone, to attend the annual Kent Media Dinner.

Every year, the Leader and Cabinet throw a black tie dinner for contacts from television, radio and the press. It's a great opportunity for us to build relationships and discuss ideas and campaigns for the coming year.

This year was no exception, and I enjoyed some really productive conversations. What did I learn? That just because we as politicians think a story is important to us, that doesn't make it even relevant to readers or listeners. That we sometimes spend a little too much time immersed in policy papers at County Hall, when we need to get out and see our own services at work.

And I learned something else. That some of the simplest anecdotes that we take for granted are actually really interesting for other people.

Maybe if politicians and the media could start to understand each other a little better, the public might better understand what we're trying to achieve.