Kent Morning Briefing
Tuesday, 29 September 2026
7 stories · 3-minute read
1011: Danes captured Canterbury after a siege, taking Archbishop Ælfheah prisoner — a pivotal moment in Kent’s history.
On this day in history
The day in Kent · British businesses are bracing for a prolonged downturn, with the CBI warning that private-sector activity is expected to keep falling through the end of 2026 — a direct threat to Kent firms already absorbing higher National Insurance costs. The industry body is pressing the Chancellor to draw a line under further cost increases before confidence erodes further.
The day ahead in Kent
Weather
Today: Cloudy morning, becoming mostly clear in the afternoon, clearing in the evening, high 24°C, low 16°C.
Tomorrow: Drizzly morning, becoming clear in the afternoon, high 23°C, low 18°C.
Travel
Roads (1 incident): A2 — A2 westbound Barham Exit slip road closure.
Rail: All Kent services running to schedule.
As of 03:30 from National Highways + National Rail.
Coastal tides
Dover: Low 08:25 (1.00m) · High 13:14 (6.97m) · Low 20:47 (0.92m)
Margate: High 02:10 (4.72m) · Low 08:19 (0.79m) · High 14:18 (4.88m) · Low 20:36 (0.59m)
Tides via tidetimes.co.uk.
5 things to know
- UK private-sector activity expected to fall through end of 2026, CBI warns
- CBI urges Chancellor to freeze business costs as NI bills bite employers
- New narcolepsy drug oveporexton cuts daytime sleepiness in phase 3 trials
- ONS to merge surveys and HMRC payroll records for sharper jobs data
- ONS finds PAYE data could shift employment rate estimates by 0.8 points
Top Kent Stories
- UK firms expect further fall in private-sector activity through end of 2026
Published 20:50 BST
Why it matters · Prolonged activity slump threatens Kent businesses and local employment prospects. - CBI calls on Chancellor to halt further rises in business costs
Published 18:50 BST
Why it matters · Freezing hiring costs would directly relieve pressure on Kent’s small employers. - New Drug Improves Wakefulness in Narcolepsy Trials, Study Finds
Published 20:51 BST
Why it matters · Narcolepsy drug breakthrough matters to Kent patients and NHS commissioners. - ONS sets out plan to combine surveys and tax records for sharper jobs data
Published 16:51 BST
Why it matters · Better labour data could sharpen policy decisions affecting Kent’s workforce.
Business & Economy
- UK firms expect further fall in private-sector activity through end of 2026
Published 20:50 BST
The CBI Growth Indicator puts the expected activity balance at -14 per cent for the three months to December 2026, extending a run of negative business sentiment that dates back to late 2024. A… - CBI calls on Chancellor to halt further rises in business costs
Published 18:50 BST
The Confederation of British Industry has urged the Government to commit to no further increases in the cost of hiring, investing and doing business, as employers continue to absorb higher National… - ONS sets out plan to combine surveys and tax records for sharper jobs data
Published 16:51 BST
The Office for National Statistics is merging household surveys, HMRC payroll records and linked employer-employee datasets to build a more joined-up picture of the UK labour market. The ONS has…
Kent Sport
- Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Russell wins for Mercedes
Published 13:54 BST
George Russell won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku City Circuit, ahead of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. - Silverstone (National) Race 2: Ashley Sutton takes the win
Published 12:30 BST
Ashley Sutton won Silverstone (National) Race 2 at Towcester,Northamptonshire, ahead of Adam Morgan and Charles Rainford. - Silverstone (National) Race 1: Aiden Moffat takes the win
Published 12:30 BST
Aiden Moffat won Silverstone (National) Race 1 at Towcester,Northamptonshire, ahead of Mikey Doble and Tom Chilton.
Financial markets
Bank of England (last 7 days):
- Minutes of the Market Participants Group meeting – 24 September 2026
- Foreign Currency Reserves 2026 – Market Notice 22 September 2026
Markets via Yahoo Finance; ONS + BoE via official feeds.
What’s on today
- 09:00 · NEW – Regulatory Committee — Dover
- 09:30 · Reconvened from 1 September 2026, Licensing Hearing Panel — Chatham
- 10:00 · Pension Fund Committee — Maidstone
- 14:00 · Standards Committee — Maidstone
- 19:00 · NEW – Extraordinary Meeting, Planning and Transportation Policy Working Group — Sittingbourne
- 19:00 · Improvement & Innovation Advisory Committee — Sevenoaks
Coming up tomorrow
- 14:00 · Kent Health and Wellbeing Board — Maidstone
- 15:00 · Licensing Sub Committee — Margate
- 17:30 · Planning Committee — Tunbridge Wells
- 18:00 · Council — Dover
- 18:30 · Council — Maidstone
- 19:00 · Council — Sittingbourne
“Kent is known as the Garden of England, a title reputedly bestowed by Henry VIII after he rode through the county’s orchards in full bloom.”
Kent fact of the day