The Byline Times gives a run-down of what Reform achieved in their first 100 days of running the Kent council.
In their words, it was “clickbait and chaos”.
- For the first 2 months they cancelled important meetings, postponed training sessions and delayed decisions.
- They promised voters that they’d save money – right before appointing a new cabinet member for their “Department of (Local) Government Efficiency” – another failed idea they unthinkingly copied and pasted from American politics – at an additional cost of at least £36,000.
- They voted against a motion that would cancel the “generous allowance” paid to deputy cabinet members.
- They cut net zero programmes – damaging for the environment, and likely to increase costs to the council in the long term.
- They reversed the decision to sell off the “money pit” that was the County Hall building, again costly to the tax payers.
- One of their councillors, Daniel Taylor, appeared in court, charged with several serious offences including one of threatening to murder his wife.
- They refused to support a motion that would increase the focus on violence against women and girls. Their council leader, Linden Kemkaran, claimed these crimes were mostly committed by non-British nationals, although I’m not sure why this means they shouldn’t be focussed on. In any case, local domestic charities said that it wasn’t true.
- Reform Councillor Bill Barrett was forcibly removed from his role as Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport.
- They claimed to be investing £60 million into highways – without noting that actually it was the previous (non-Reform) administration that agreed this.
- They announced a £16 million reduction in the council’s debt. This was also achieved prior to them being elected.
We were told that Reform UK would act in the interests of the residents of Kent but instead we have only seen chaotic management, bigotry and empty soundbites that help no-one.