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The Independent
09-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Reform-led council to announce ‘first big savings' after Farage visit
The largest Reform-led council is due to unveil its 'first big savings' from cost-cutting initiatives as opposition parties complain of 'poor governance' during their first two months in power. Earlier this week, Reform party leader Nigel Farage visited Kent County Council (KCC) headquarters in Maidstone and promised announcements at the full council meeting on Thursday. Last month, Reform UK launched a Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) initiative to cut council spending after taking 677 seats at the local elections on May 1. The party said it plans to use artificial intelligence, advanced data analysis tools and forensic auditing techniques to 'identify wasteful spending and recommend actionable solutions'. It follows the US Doge which was launched during Donald Trump's presidency to cut federal spending which billionaire Elon Musk spearheaded before his departure. On Monday, speaking to the PA news agency in Kent, Mr Farage said: 'We've established a cabinet, we've got a first big full council meeting this Thursday at which our first big savings will be announced.' However, KCC opposition leader Liberal Democrat Antony Hook said that 'no key decisions have been taken' by Reform and that most committees are yet to meet. The Conservatives have called for an information watchdog to regulate Reform's cost-cutting drive due to the data protection risks involved. Shadow communities secretary Kevin Hollinrake warned that handing the data to Reform is a 'cyber-security disaster waiting to happen' as he wrote to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) calling for an investigation. KCC's Reform leader Linden Kemkaran said that a 'legal framework' is being drawn up to ensure the Doge project works within data protection rules. 'The councillors have been elected to be here in Kent County Council, we have jurisdiction to do stuff, we can pull data, we can look at figures, we can go through everything – head office doesn't,' she said. She added: 'They're ready and waiting, they're just waiting for our call saying 'we're ready come in' but until that legal framework is drawn up to everyone's satisfaction we're just carrying on with our own internal work.' Despite the absence of the head-office Doge project, Ms Kemkaran maintained that she will be announcing savings on Thursday including a vote on a cut to councillors' allowances. By population, KCC is the largest local authority in England and Mr Farage's Reform party took 57 of the 81 seats in the elections on May 1. Prior to their victory the council had been controlled by the Conservatives for 28 years. Critics of the Reform-led authority have pointed to a lack of council meetings and conflicting announcements made via social media. Last week, Ms Kemkaran and a member of her cabinet announced on social media that transgender-related books were to be removed from libraries across the county after receiving a report from a member of the public. It was later revealed that no such books were in the children's section of Kent libraries, but instead one related book was on a welcome stand in Herne Bay. KCC then issued a statement that the announcements were not a change of policy, but rather reiterating an instruction to the 99 libraries under their control. Labour MP for Chatham and Aylesford Tristian Osbourne told the BBC the alleged removal of the books was 'unedifying gender-baiting of the LGBT community'. On Monday, Ms Kemkaran defended the announcements, saying: 'It was a completely valid point to make, it was a completely valid question to ask because I think we've seen a lack of child safeguarding,' Mr Hook said: 'The committee that would deal with library issues met on Tuesday. No mention of this issue but instead they hit up social media on Thursday. It's such poor governance.' The council meeting begins at Sessions House in Maidstone at 10am on Thursday.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Reform-led council to announce ‘first big savings' after Farage visit
The largest Reform-led council is due to unveil its 'first big savings' from cost-cutting initiatives as opposition parties complain of 'poor governance' during their first two months in power. Earlier this week, Reform party leader Nigel Farage visited Kent County Council (KCC) headquarters in Maidstone and promised announcements at the full council meeting on Thursday. Last month, Reform UK launched a Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) initiative to cut council spending after taking 677 seats at the local elections on May 1. The party said it plans to use artificial intelligence, advanced data analysis tools and forensic auditing techniques to 'identify wasteful spending and recommend actionable solutions'. It follows the US Doge which was launched during Donald Trump's presidency to cut federal spending which billionaire Elon Musk spearheaded before his departure. On Monday, speaking to the PA news agency in Kent, Mr Farage said: 'We've established a cabinet, we've got a first big full council meeting this Thursday at which our first big savings will be announced.' However, KCC opposition leader Liberal Democrat Antony Hook said that 'no key decisions have been taken' by Reform and that most committees are yet to meet. The Conservatives have called for an information watchdog to regulate Reform's cost-cutting drive due to the data protection risks involved. Shadow communities secretary Kevin Hollinrake warned that handing the data to Reform is a 'cyber-security disaster waiting to happen' as he wrote to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) calling for an investigation. KCC's Reform leader Linden Kemkaran said that a 'legal framework' is being drawn up to ensure the Doge project works within data protection rules. 'The councillors have been elected to be here in Kent County Council, we have jurisdiction to do stuff, we can pull data, we can look at figures, we can go through everything – head office doesn't,' she said. She added: 'They're ready and waiting, they're just waiting for our call saying 'we're ready come in' but until that legal framework is drawn up to everyone's satisfaction we're just carrying on with our own internal work.' Despite the absence of the head-office Doge project, Ms Kemkaran maintained that she will be announcing savings on Thursday including a vote on a cut to councillors' allowances. By population, KCC is the largest local authority in England and Mr Farage's Reform party took 57 of the 81 seats in the elections on May 1. Prior to their victory the council had been controlled by the Conservatives for 28 years. Critics of the Reform-led authority have pointed to a lack of council meetings and conflicting announcements made via social media. Last week, Ms Kemkaran and a member of her cabinet announced on social media that transgender-related books were to be removed from libraries across the county after receiving a report from a member of the public. It was later revealed that no such books were in the children's section of Kent libraries, but instead one related book was on a welcome stand in Herne Bay. KCC then issued a statement that the announcements were not a change of policy, but rather reiterating an instruction to the 99 libraries under their control. Labour MP for Chatham and Aylesford Tristian Osbourne told the BBC the alleged removal of the books was 'unedifying gender-baiting of the LGBT community'. On Monday, Ms Kemkaran defended the announcements, saying: 'It was a completely valid point to make, it was a completely valid question to ask because I think we've seen a lack of child safeguarding,' Mr Hook said: 'The committee that would deal with library issues met on Tuesday. No mention of this issue but instead they hit up social media on Thursday. It's such poor governance.' The council meeting begins at Sessions House in Maidstone at 10am on Thursday.
The Independent
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Reform councillors were ‘shocked' that they won their seats, says Farage
Nigel Farage puts a Reform-led council's 'slow start' down to his party being a 'rethink' on local government, in the wake of cancelled meetings. At the local elections on May 1, Reform won 57 of the 81 seats on offer at Kent County Council (KCC), which led to many 'shocked' new councillors. Since then, KCC opposition leader Antony Hook says 'most committees have not met once', adding that no 'key' decisions have been taken. On Monday, Mr Farage arrived at Kent County Council and was met by KCC leader Linden Kemkaran for an update on the authority's work. After the meeting, he told the PA news agency: 'I'm very proud of the election result, the stunning number of seats that we won – way more than we thought – and so there were an awful lot of shocked new councillors walking in here a few weeks ago. 'We've established a cabinet, we've got a full council meeting on Thursday at which our first big savings will be announced. 'This whole, 'oh, you're very slow at getting going' = we're not a continuum, we're not here to do exactly what was done before. We're a rethink on the way local government in Kent works, we're getting bedded in, we're making progress.' On Kent County Council's website, its meetings calendar shows that almost 50% of the meetings in June and July were cancelled. Ms Kemkaran pointed out that these were meetings set up by the previous administration and there was 'no way' the new Reform councillors could have stuck to the schedule. She said: '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. 'Clearly there was no way on God's earth, with the greatest will in the world, we were going to be able to get all the cabinets and the committee places sorted out.' She added that it would 'take time' for councillors to 'work out how to do their jobs' in the new administration. The leader of KCC's opposition, Mr Hook, said: 'The election was on May 1 – we are two months in, and most committees have not met once. 'No key decisions have been taken. Real people are suffering while Reform councillors dither, delay and do anything except the job they were elected to do. 'The problems are urgent and Liberal Democrats demand action to improve services people depend on.' During his visit, Mr Farage also criticised the UK Government plan to restructure local government and told his party councillors to 'fight tooth and nail' against the plans. 'If people out there in the street knew what was being proposed they would be against it, so we will launch a campaign on this, an education campaign,' said Mr Farage. He added: 'If the county feel as strongly as I do, well, we may well take that to a referendum.' Kent and Medway were not selected to be to be a part of the Government's Devolution Priority Programme, which would include a mayor. However, there are moves towards turning their two-tier systems of district and county council into divided unitary authorities, which KCC's Reform council leader called 'a bit communistic'. Ms Kemkaran told PA: 'I worry that local government reorganisation, carving us up into unitary authorities, it's a bit… it just strikes me as a little bit communistic. 'You know, you're taking the power away from people to elect their district councillors, their county councillors, their town councillors, and you're basically passing it up the chain.' The Government has argued that unitary local government can enhance accountability by making it easier for residents to understand who is responsible for public services and local decisions.
The Independent
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Reform backtrack on claim ‘trans-related' library book was in children's section
A Reform -led council has backtracked on its 'trans-related' library book ban, suggesting the move is 'not a change of policy' after conflicting social media posts from councillors. Earlier this week, Kent County Council (KCC) leader Linden Kemkaran said the books were to be removed with immediate effect after a fellow Reform Councillor said he had been informed of 'transgender ideologies' in the children 's section of a library. But KCC has since said that the book which triggered the ban was in fact on display at the front of a library in Herne Bay, rather than the children's section. The council's Liberal Democrat opposition leader, Antony Hook has said that Reform not following 'proper process' in the council and announcing things on social media has created uncertainty. Cllr Kemkaran added on X that 'telling children they're in the 'wrong body' is wrong and simply unacceptable' and said that 'trans-related' works would be removed from the children's sections of all 99 of the county's libraries. The book Reform were referring to was The Autistic Trans Guide to Life by Yenn Purkis and Dr Wenn Lawson, which is a book for autistic trans and/or non-binary adults marketed as providing 'tools and strategies they need to live as their best self'. There is no suggestion from the promotional material around the book that it contains any reference to telling children they are in the 'wrong bodies'. In his video posted to social media on Thursday, the Reform Cllr responsible for the ban Paul Webb claimed: 'I was recently contacted by a concerned member of the public who found trans-ideological material and books in the children's section of one of our libraries – I've looked into this, and it was the case. 'I have today issued an instruction for them all to be removed from the children's section of our libraries.' The council has since rowed back on his suggestion that the book was in the children's section and says that they have not, in fact, changed policy. A KCC spokesperson told PA Media: 'We have not changed policy. We have simply issued internal instructions to reaffirm existing expectations: that adult books are not to be placed in areas specifically aimed at children, such as children's sections or public welcome displays where children select books.' It is unclear how the council will classify transgender-related books, and whether there will be a tangible change as a result of this instruction. Cllr Webb, the Cabinet Member for Community & Regulatory Services said: 'We rightly place child protection and safeguarding at the very top of our list of priorities, as should all adults, especially those that hold public office.' Cllr Kemkaran heralded her colleagues' actions as showing 'courage and common sense in Kent' on X. Cllr Hook told the BBC: 'It is bizarre that the leader of the council is making announcements on social media, rather than to the council.' The copy of The Autistic Trans Guide to Life has been moved from a display at the front of the library 'to a section that is unlikely to be visited by children', the KCC spokesperson said.
The Herald Scotland
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Reform council claim ‘trans-related' library book ban ‘not a change of policy'
But KCC has since said that the book which triggered the ban was in fact on display at the front of a library in Herne Bay, rather than the children's section. The council's Liberal Democrat opposition leader, Antony Hook has said that Reform not following 'proper process' in the council and announcing things on social media has created uncertainty. Linden Kemkaran, leader of the Reform UK Kent County Council group, at County Hall (Gareth Fuller/PA) Cllr Kemkaran added on X that 'telling children they're in the 'wrong body' is wrong and simply unacceptable' and said that 'trans-related' works would be removed from the children's sections of all 99 of the county's libraries. The book Reform were referring to was The Autistic Trans Guide to Life by Yenn Purkis and Dr Wenn Lawson, which is a book for autistic trans and/or non-binary adults marketed as providing 'tools and strategies they need to live as their best self'. There is no suggestion from the promotional material around the book that it contains any reference to telling children they are in the 'wrong bodies'. In his video posted to social media on Thursday, the Reform Cllr responsible for the ban Paul Webb claimed: 'I was recently contacted by a concerned member of the public who found trans-ideological material and books in the children's section of one of our libraries – I've looked into this, and it was the case, 'I have today issued an instruction for them all to be removed from the children's section of our libraries.' The council has since rowed back on his suggestion that the book was in the children's section and says that they have not, in fact, changed policy. A KCC spokesperson told PA Media: 'We have not changed policy. We have simply issued internal instructions to reaffirm existing expectations: that adult books are not to be placed in areas specifically aimed at children, such as children's sections or public welcome displays where children select books.' It is unclear how the council will classify transgender-related books, and whether there will be a tangible change as a result of this instruction. Cllr Webb, the Cabinet Member for Community & Regulatory Services said: 'We rightly place child protection and safeguarding at the very top of our list of priorities, as should all adults, especially those that hold public office.' Cllr Kemkaran heralded her colleagues' actions as showing 'courage and common sense in Kent' on X. Cllr Hook told the BBC: 'It is bizarre that the leader of the council is making announcements on social media, rather than to the council.' The copy of The Autistic Trans Guide to Life has been moved from a display at the front of the library 'to a section that is unlikely to be visited by children', the KCC spokesperson said.
