UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Nigel Farage’s Reform UK suspended four Kent councillors after a leaked video showed backbiting, raising concerns about party discipline and council governance.
As reported by The Guardian, Reform UK took action against four Councillors following a video leak that highlighted internal divisions.
What did the leaked video reveal about Kent council’s infighting?
A leaked video shows councillors on Kent County Council. Councillors can be seen complaining about “backbiting” and claiming they were ignored by their leader, Linden Kemkaran. In the footage, Ms Kemkaran can be heard telling them to “f***ing suck it up” if they disagreed with her decisions.
The Reform Party sacked all four councillors. After the latest suspensions, Reform’s numbers have dropped from 57 to 50 councillors. Two other members remain suspended, while a third has joined Ukip.
Footage from late August revealed Reform councillors raising concerns over “backbiting” and a lack of support from their leader, Ms Kemkaran. She responded by warning they would be “screwed” and that the party would lose any hope of general election success if Kent’s budget was not brought under control.
What did Reform UK’s spokesperson say about the suspended councillors?
A Reform UK spokesperson confirmed on Monday that four councillors had been removed from one of the 10 councils where Nigel Farage’s party secured a majority in the local elections in May.
They said,
“Councillors Paul Thomas, Oliver Bradshaw, Bill Barrett and Maxine Fothergill have had the whip suspended pending investigation, following evidence that they brought the party into disrepute.”
An insider said the councillors were sacked “with no firm evidence,” with the Kent Reform group in “panic stations.” The council had been described by Ms Kemkaran as a “showcase” for the party’s election plans.
They said plans are underway for a vote of no confidence in Kemkaran, scheduled for early November, which could be triggered by the opposition or Reform UK councillors.
What did Anthony Hook say about Reform UK’s chaos in Kent?
Anthony Hook, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the council, said the ongoing “chaos” in the Reform group is affecting Kent constituents who rely on council services.
He said a council committee scheduled for Wednesday, which would have tackled school transport issues, has been called off due to the suspensions.
Mr Hook added,
“This potentially means a child or children delayed in getting school transport granted. We learned in the leaked video that they have no respect for each other, let alone respect for the public. Now they are turning on each other.”
How did Cllr Kemkaran warn councillors amid Reform UK chaos?
Cllr Kemkaran warned councillors voicing opposition that they would be “screwed” and that failing to balance Kent’s budget could cost the party a general election.
She said,
“Let’s not forget, we are the shop window in KCC. People are looking at us, they are judging us every single minute of every single day. Nigel knows that. He is super aware that we are the flagship council.”
Ms Kemkaran stated,
“We are going to live or die on that budget. If we don’t balance the books you can forget Reform winning the next election. It’s that crucial.”
She added,
“If we can avoid putting up council tax by the full 5% that is going to be the best thing that we can do to show that Reform can actually run something as big as Kent council.”
How did Lib Dems criticize Reform UK amid Kent council chaos?
A spokesman for the party stated,
“Reform’s meetings are starting to sound more like an episode of The Traitors than the running of a major council. All that’s missing is for Claudia Winkleman to appear and ask who they’re going to banish next.”
They added,
“Reform don’t know what they are doing. Residents are paying the price for their incompetence. Since taking control, they have broken their promise to lower council tax after they realised their plans don’t add up, and they can’t even hold meetings together without an argument breaking out.”
How many seats could Reform UK, Labour, and Conservatives win?
YouGov’s poll shows that Reform UK is projected to win 311 seats, just 15 short of a majority, making them the largest party in a hung parliament.
Labour is expected to win 144 seats, a significant drop from 2024, losing many seats to Reform UK and other parties.
Conservatives are projected to win only 45 seats, falling behind the Liberal Democrats, who could secure 78 seats.