5 days ago
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.
