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The first 100 days of the Reform UK administration at Kent County Council can be summarised as clickbait and chaos.
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.
The start of the Reform UK administration in May and June was marked by cancelled committee meetings and postponement to training sessions meaning vital decisions about Kent’s future were delayed.
The announcement of the ‘DOGE’ (Reform’s Department of Government Efficiency) cost cutting team on 2nd June was announced with great media fanfare. But then the Reform UK chairman and DOGE champion, Zia Yusef resigned from the party a few days later, as did the tech genius, Nathanial Fried, who was supposed to advise him [Yusuf returned to the fold after just a few days].
It’s all just theatre to keep Nigel Farage happy and unfortunately Kent residents are paying the price for it.
Reform UK told voters they were going to save money — then they appointed a new Cabinet member for KCC’s own DOLGE team (the additional L is for local) at a cost of £36,000 a year.
Then they refused to back an opposition motion cancelling the generous allowance paid to deputy cabinet members.
On 3rd July 2025, it was reported that newly elected Reform UK member, Daniel Taylor, had appeared at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court charged with three offences (all of which he denied) accused of serious violent offences including allegations of threatening to murder his wife.
At the subsequent Full Council Meeting on 10th July, Kent’s Reform UK leader, Linden Kemkaran, refused to support an opposition motion to strengthen the council’s resolve against violence against women and girls, on the grounds that she alleged these crimes are predominantly being committed by non-British nationals. These claims were subsequently refuted by leading domestic abuse charities working in Kent.
Then on the 7th July, KCC leader Linden Kemkaran issued an official statement to announce that Cllr Bill Barrett had made the decision to step down from his role as Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport. A few days later, Mr Barrett told the media he had been ambushed and sacked against his will, after a visit to KCC by Nigel Farage.
On 30th July, the new administration proudly announced £60 million of highways investment – but failed to mention these were agreed under the previous administration, or that there was no new money for fixing potholes.
The announcement of the £16 million reduction in KCC’s debt was also scheduled prior to the KCC elections this year and had nothing to do with Reform UK.
Cuts to Net Zero programmes and reversing the decision to sell off County Hall which is known as the “money pit” will cost Kent Council Taxpayers more money in the long term.
One hundred days in, and Reform UK has provided few ideas about where they are going to find £100 million of cuts required to balance the books— instead we just get more chaos and clickbait.
Councillor Mark Hood is Acting Leader of KCC’s Green group.
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While most the rest of the media seems to happy to give the handful of Reform MPs undue prominence, Byline Times is committed to tracking the activities of Nigel Farage’s party when actually in power.
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Josiah Mortimer also writes the On the Ground column, exclusive to the print edition of Byline Times.
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