Latest news with #LindenKemkaran
The Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Reform UK-led council claims it has saved millions in first 100 days
A Reform UK council claims to have found millions in savings since taking over, while opposition councillors say the administration has been 'clickbait and chaos'. On Saturday, it will be 100 days since Reform UK won 57 of the 81 available seats in Kent County Council (KCC) – overturning almost 30 years of Conservative control. Since the May 1 election, Reform has launched an Elon Musk-style Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) team, scrapped environmental initiatives, removed 'divisive' flags from council buildings and begun 'cutting waste' from council budgets. Critics say KCC is being run by Nigel Farage with 'Reform HQ', adding that the Reform administration has used the 'politics of division' and 'put people off' wanting to work for the council. Liberal Democrat group leader Antony Hook said Reform council leader Linden Kemkaran told him she was making changes to a council speech 'after Nigel's visit'. 'There is an issue about them taking instructions from above rather than running it according to their mandate,' said Mr Hook. Reform has differentiated the Reform Doge team, originally composed of party chairman Zia Yusuf, millionaire Aaron Banks and entrepreneur Nathanial Fried, with a Dolge (L for local) team which it created a new cabinet post for. On Thursday, Reform announced millions of pounds in cost-cutting savings for Kent during their first 100 days, which are disputed by opposition councillors. In a press release, it claimed the council would save £32 million over four years by scrapping the renewable energy programme on property modifications, and a further £7.5 million by ending the transition to electric models for its vehicle fleet. Mr Farage said: 'From rolling back the devastating net zero agenda on a local level to cutting wasteful spending, Reform councils are standing up for the priorities of local people, not the whims of bureaucrats or the entrenched elite.' Mr Farage has been very vocal about scrapping net zero targets and recently called it 'mindless' for the UK to pursue climate action. Mr Hook said: 'Money doesn't really matter that much if we're leaving our next generation or even our current generation with an environment that's going wrong. Acting leader of the KCC Green group Mark Hood also pointed out that environmental programmes tend to be cheaper in the long run, and said Reform is a 'short-term party' which is 'worried about the next election'. At the last full council meeting, councillors voted for a 5% cut to their allowances – which will raise more than £200,000. Reform also says it will save £14 million by staying in County Hall, rather than refurbishing and moving to Invicta House. However, the consensus among the opposition is that staying in County Hall, which also needs to be refurbished, will be much more expensive in the long run. 'The claim that they're saving £14 million, I think that's quite tendentious, because the strong advice from council officers during the previous council was that it would really not make financial sense to keep County Hall,' said Mr Hook. Mr Hood said: 'They've been seduced by the building, they love hosting people like Farage,' adding: 'They want to operate from surroundings that match their inflated egos'. The Reform press release also said it ended 'the divisive flying of political flags from council buildings' and now 'only patriotic flags' were flown from County Hall. 'The flags they've taken down are the Ukraine flag and the Pride flag, there is nothing unpatriotic about supporting Ukraine or about Pride,' said Mr Hook. This, along with misleading suggestions about transgender books in Kent libraries, were referred to as 'unedified gender baiting' by Labour MP Tristian Osbourne, talking to the BBC. During a full council meeting in July, Ms Kemkaran blamed 'hordes' of male migrants from 'unenlightened cultures' for violence against women in the UK. The KCC leader said: 'Until the Government finds its backbone and comes up with a plan to deter these hordes of men, from deeply misogynistic and dare I say unenlightened cultures, from invading our county women and girls in Kent will continue to be in grave danger of violence and sexual abuse.' Mr Hook has claimed that the rhetoric and hostile comments about refugees, transgender people and working from home will 'put people off' working for the council. He said: 'I can tell you that I have had people say to me that in a number of respects the Reform administration has made existing staff query whether they want to stay here and has made potential staff query whether they want to come here.' Mr Hood has said the first 100 days could best be summed up as 'chaos and clickbait' and that the party was more interested in media coverage and 'soundbites' than anything else. Reform claimed investment has increased by £67 million for renewing roads and fixing potholes but both Mr Hook and Mr Hood independently said the majority of this money was 'in the budget' from the Conservative administration. KCC was not expecting the Reform press release and has been asked whether it can corroborate these figures, but is yet to provide comment.
BBC News
03-08-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Kent County Council opens food voucher scheme for the summer
A council has opened a food voucher scheme to help families struggling to pay bills afford food this County Council (KCC) said that eligible residents for the summer food voucher support scheme would receive a one-off payment of £90 to use towards food shopping are open until 26 August, with the funds, which come from the Household Support Fund (HSF), served on a first come, first served council confirmed families who received free school meals were not eligible to apply for the scheme, as they were already supported through their child's school with funding from the HSF. The funding comes from the Department for Work and Pensions and is administered by the KCC's Financial Hardship such as Citizens Advice, NHS trusts and housing associations are referring people into the scheme, according to authority said that a winter support scheme would follow later in the will have the option to choose between energy or food vouchers, or a combination of leader Linden Kemkaran said: "This funding is for those in need and for those who are struggling with rising living costs."Applicants are reminded that this is taxpayers' money, so please spend it wisely on food and essential household items only."
BBC News
30-07-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Kent council pledges £67m to repair potholes and roads
The new administration at Kent County Council (KCC) has pledged to spend £67m on the county's money will be used to repair potholes, renew road surfaces and prevent future damage, a spokesperson May, Reform UK took control of KCC, wiping out the Conservative majority after nearly 30 Kemkaran, council leader, said: "Kent's residents have told us loud and clear that they are fed up with the poor state of our roads." She added: "Years of short-term, reactive funding from successive governments have left our road network in decline."A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesperson said: "We are delivering record investment to end the pothole plague, which is why Kent County Council will receive more than £50 million to fix its roads this year."The new investment, which the council said was already under way, includes:£25m for renewing and reconstructing roads£10m for preventative measures to stop potholes forming£11m for quick repairs £14m additional funding from DfT for a dedicated pothole and patching programme – a 65% increase on last year's investmentPeter Osborne, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "So far, we've repaired more than 12,000 potholes – and we're not stopping."Toby Howe, highways and transportation strategic resilience manager at KCC, told BBC Radio Kent earlier in July the authority had contractors ready to fix Kent's potholes, but not sufficient funding to do so.A report in March found that the backlog of repairs to "pothole-plagued" roads in the south-east of England was £2.5bn.
The Independent
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Reform council leader: Give police ‘proper backing' to shoot people
Reform UK council leader Linden Kemkaran says that police should be given the 'proper backing' to 'shoot people if necessary' when they pose a real and present danger to officers or the public. Ms Kemkaran, the leader of Kent County Council, argued that police officers who discharge firearms in genuine fear for lives should not be prosecuted or "dragged through the courts". Her comments came as Reform UK launched new tough-on-crime measures, outlined by party leader Nigel Farage. Mr Farage pledged that a Reform government would aim to halve crime within five years and 'take back control' of the streets, courts, and prisons. Mr Farage also proposed having "big strapping male" police officers on the beat and using overseas prison places, such as in El Salvador, to alleviate UK prison overcrowding.
The Independent
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Reform UK council leader says police should be able to ‘shoot people if necessary'
A Reform UK council leader has said police should be given the power to 'shoot people if necessary" as the party launches a crackdown on crime. Kent County Council leader Linden Kemkaran said police forces should have 'the proper backing' to shoot those who pose a risk to officers or members of the public. Speaking to Times Radio, she said: 'We must give our police force the proper backing to be able to do their job, to catch the criminals, to shoot people if necessary, if they feel that that person is going to present a real and present danger to either themselves and the police or to members of the public. 'You know, look at the police that have been dragged through the courts simply for doing their job. I think it's disgusting. 'I think what we need to do, if a police officer discharges their firearm because they genuinely think that either their life, their colleagues' life or members of the public lives are about to be put in danger, that police officer should not be dragged through the courts and be held up like a criminal when they're not.'
