Harold Wilson was wrong when he said a week is a long time in politics. If he had come to Medway he would know it was a %@*! long time.

At the heart of the shenanigans over the past few days has been Cllr Craig Mackinlay. He is looking increasingly isolated over his role as agent to David Craggs, the councillor who was elected for River ward only to resign less than a fortnight later.

By coincidence the former Medway Cabinet member, Chris Buckwell will act as agent for everyone (including Mr Mackinlay) for the May 5 local elections. Everyone, that is, within the Rochester and Strood Constituency Conservative Association.

A lot of mud has been thrown and background briefings given about the debacle.

The facts are that it cost taxpayers £11,500 to stage the election.

Labour fell 73 votes short of the Tory candidate who resigned 13 days later.

Mr Craggs was a headmaster, a Special Constable, a one-time Territorial Army member and therefore, on the face of it, ideal to be a councillor.

The by-election attracted 1,382 voters, and cost around £8.32 for each voter who bothered to turn out.

He might have seemed ideal. But he is a Special in the Kent Constabulary. That is Home Office-funded and therefore excludes local politicians from being Specials.

After all, councillors can be appointed to sit on the Kent Police Authority. It directs and deals with issues such as discipline.

Imagine what would happen if a councillor was the subject of a disciplinary hearing because he wore the police uniform.

The police regulations are not clear. What is clear is that the chief constable has to know of any conflict of interests.

In this case, Ian Learmonth faced the problem in his first days as head of the force. He ruled against a Special being a councillor. It was up to Mr Craggs to decide which he wanted to be. He chose the force he has served for 17 years, and ended his brief political career.

What has followed has become increasingly acrimonious and masks many questions.

Cllr Mackinlay is an experienced political campaigner. He has been fighting elections for many years.

He was Mr Craggs' agent. That gave him responsibility for ensuring the candidate was suitable and could be elected. The ultimate responsibility for the candidates lies with their agents.

In the past few days he published a party political leaflet for River ward residents in which there was an aggressive attack on Mr Learmonth, and saying that the police should foot the bill for the election to find Mr Craggs replacement.

Unfortunately, he is hazy about precisely who advised the association or himself about the legal aspects. That doesn't help his case.

He has also stirred up a massive hornets' nest.

The Chairman of the police authority is reporting him to the Standards Committee.

The police force led by Mr Learmonth is doing the same.

Both accuse him of making false statements and bringing his office into disrepute.

This promises to run and run.

***

The Rochester and Strood Constituency Conservative Association issued a glossy all-colour newsletter for the Strood area. Somewhat inappropriately at the present time it's called In Touch.

There's a fine photograph of councillors Les Wicks and Jane Etheridge congratulating the latest member of the administration on his election.

The only problem is that the successful councillor was David Craggs.

He had already resigned, and told the media his brief political career was over by the time many people received the newsletter.

If you want the facts - read the Medway Messenger.

Never go out to lunch - it should be tattoo'd on the eyelids of every reporter. That's the hour when stories have a nasty habit of breaking.

Yesterday your scribe broke with tradition, and went to lunch only to learn on his return that Medway's newest councillor had resigned less than two weeks after being elected in a costly, sometimes acrimonious, by-election.

It could be he went too soon.

David Craggs - private school headmaster, special constable, Army Cadet officer and (for the briefest of periods) a politician and elected member for the River ward in Chatham - was told by Kent Police he couldn't be a councillor and a special constable. He chose the uniformed role he had held for 17 years.

That has sparked a major crisis in the council, and a row that could find the controlling Conservative party's biggest constituency taking their close friends, the police, to the High Court amid accusations of bullying.

It couldn't have happened at a worse moment.

The Chief Executive and Returning Officer, Neil Davies, was on holiday.

So, too, was the council's legal chief and monitoring officer, Deborah Upton.

It left the Children's director, Rose Collinson, in charge, and without much backup to advise her.

Half an hour after Cllr Craggs resigned, the council was announcing another by-election could be (though not necessarily will be) called within 35 days.

But was it bullying?

As in all walks of life, there are people with political interests in police, newspapers, the courts, sport .... everywhere.

Kent Police seem to have a rule that says you can't do both. As a member of the constabulary you chose - and it doesn't matter whether you are a backroom boy or a multi-pipped senior officer.

The irony is that the Conservative Party has announced they want local police chiefs to be elected - just as they are in the Good Ol' Yew Ess of Aye. It will make them more accountable. It will also make them political - whether or not chief constables and personnel chiefs are happy with it or not.

***

The cost of the debacle that has once again left River Ward without a councillor is likely to top £10,000.

There were printing costs, election announcements, hiring polling stations, the election count team, the council's staffing costs....

Then there was the outlay incurred by the politicians. They published newsletters, banged on doors, bought rosettes, wore out shoes.... and, don't forget, there were six parties involved.

There were election fees for each of the candidates - most of whom failed to get into treble figures.

Now it all has to happen again if two River ward residents say they are unhappy only being served by one councillors, the erstwhile UKIP founder and leadership contender, Craig Mackinlay.

It is conceivable Medway's Blue Boys could end up sueing Kent's Boys in Blue, while they, in turn, are pursued by Lib, Lab, and assorted others wanting their wasted outlay refunded.

Chris Buckwell, Membership Secretary for the local Tory association, ex council Cabinet member and now an immigration judge, was spitting blood, and calling down the heavens on the heads of the cops' personnel team. Among his more restrained observations was an accusation of bullying.

Certainly, they have successfully managed to convince a democratically elected councillor to chose between the voters and plodding the beat.

The question is: should the police interfere with democratic rights and decisions?

It will need a judge to sort that out.

***

Thank heavens for the planning committee.

They saw the sense of a planning application to provide a play area in one of Medway's more under-provided wards.

The advantages (apart from keeping the kids off the street) were that it was well away from any neighbours, it met the needs of the community, and it had the backing of police and council.

The trouble was councillors were advised to refuse it. Because it was too far away from any neighbours, and the council and the police were against it.

That's right - while the local bobbies and the youth team had found an ideal place for a kick around - and the money, the planners and the Maidstone plods had a different viewpoint.

As one councillor said last night: if the local kids were going to be anti-social there are plenty of other places to do it.

So it went through.

The neighbourhood will get a play area - because councillors used common sense. Unlike some..

The election of David Craggs as Medway's 34th Conservative councillor must be causing some angst in the ranks of the Labour party as they lose another seat.

Meanwhile the four independent councillors who formed their own group (sans the ultra-right wing former chairman of Audit) are whispered to be planning to put up candidates of their own next May.

That could cause fears in the ranks of the Liberal Democrats. They saw their competent deputy leader suddenly move into the ranks of the indies only weeks after standing as their candidate in the Gillingham and Rainham constituency where he polled 8484 votes.

There have been investigations taking place into what happened to cause his sudden departure. Andy Stamp himself has to date refused to explain his reasons for crossing the Chamber.

***

The achievements of Medway's sixth formers have been remarkable this year.

School after school reported their best-ever results - or pretty close to it.

Probably the most satisfied will be the staff.

None more so than at the Hundred of Hoo school.

Headteacher Kevin Mahon has been under great pressure. His school has been in special measures.

So for the 94 students to get record levels of passes is a tribute to all the work that has been put in - by the pupils and by their teachers.

***

This week's regeneration committee contemplated four major reports. This most important of these - and one that could influence whether millions of pounds of government cash reach the community - is the 15-year Local Transport Plan.

Bus travel is always a political football and never more so than in Medway where public transport is anathema to some councillors.

Yet there are major plans for the buses - providing they don't interfere with the beloved car.

They include several park and ride schemes (something has to be done to divert the traffic away from Medway's once and future city centre).

Sainsbury's are expected to fund one next to the tunnel entrance at the Medway City Estate.

The council has eyes on a plot of land at Wigmore for a second one.

There is no talk of one near Blue Bell Hill. Maidstone council has proposed a joint park and ride serving both Medway and Maidstone. It would pick up traffic arriving in the Towns from the M2. The trouble is Medway wants to snaffle some of the trade going to the county town, but isn't prepared to sacrifice any of the trade currently attracted to Chatham's fine shopping experience that is the High Street.

As though Maidstone could do such a thing.