Nigel Farage has defended Reform UK's "slow start" at Kent County Council, describing his party's approach as a "rethink" on local government rather than a continuation of previous practices. The Reform leader visited the council on Monday amid criticism over cancelled meetings and delayed decision-making.
Reform won a stunning 57 of the 81 seats available at Kent County Council in the May 1 local elections, leaving many new councillors "shocked" by their unexpected success. Since taking control, the opposition has criticised the administration for failing to hold most committee meetings and making no "key" decisions.
Farage defends new administration
Speaking to PA Media after meeting with council leader Linden Kemkaran, Farage said he was "very proud" of the election result and the "stunning number of seats" won. He acknowledged that many new councillors were surprised by their victory and needed time to establish themselves in their roles.
"We've established a cabinet, we've got a full council meeting on Thursday at which our first big savings will be announced," Farage explained. He rejected criticism about the pace of progress, insisting Reform was not simply continuing previous policies but implementing a fundamental rethink of how local government operates in Kent.
Nearly half of meetings cancelled
Kent County Council's website shows that almost 50 per cent of meetings scheduled for June and July were cancelled. Council leader Kemkaran defended this decision, explaining that the meetings had been arranged by the previous administration and were impossible to maintain with 57 new councillors needing appointments.
"Those meetings were set for May and June, clearly, 57 new councillors, to get appointed to cabinet, to deputy cabinet, to get to grips with their portfolio," Kemkaran said. She added that there was "no way on God's earth" the new administration could have stuck to the original schedule.
Opposition demands immediate action
Liberal Democrat opposition leader Antony Hook criticised the delays, stating that "real people are suffering while Reform councillors dither, delay and do anything except the job they were elected to do". He pointed out that two months after the election, most committees had not met once and no key decisions had been taken.
Hook demanded immediate action to improve services that people depend on, describing the problems facing the council as urgent. The Liberal Democrats have called for Reform councillors to focus on their elected responsibilities rather than causing further delays.
Government restructuring plans opposed
During his visit, Farage also criticised Government plans to restructure local government and urged his councillors to "fight tooth and nail" against the proposals. He suggested launching an education campaign to inform the public about the plans and even raised the possibility of holding a referendum if the county felt strongly enough.
Kent and Medway were not selected for the Government's Devolution Priority Programme, which would include a mayor. However, there are moves towards converting their two-tier systems of district and county councils into unitary authorities, which Kemkaran described as "a bit communistic".
Unitary authority concerns
Kemkaran expressed concerns that local government reorganisation would remove power from people to elect their district, county and town councillors. She argued that creating unitary authorities would pass power "up the chain" rather than keeping it at local level.
The Government has argued that unitary local government enhances accountability by making it easier for residents to understand who is responsible for public services and local decisions. However, Reform's leadership at Kent County Council remains firmly opposed to these structural changes.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
