Bombshell Labour plan to ‘take over Reform UK council’ | Politics | News
Reform UK has accused the Labour government of plotting to take over Kent County Council, its “flagship” local authority. Reform figures have claimed a co-ordinated campaign by the Government is under way to undermine confidence in the authority, paving the way for Whitehall to step in and seize control of its operations. Kent County Council, which Nigel Farage’s party won at the 2025 local elections, has come under sustained fire from Labour frontbenchers in recent months.
During one recent Commons appearance, the Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, accused the Reform-led administration of presiding over “chaos” and claimed the council had become a symbol of poor governance, while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously told MPs he sympathised with residents whose lives were being “disrupted by staggering incompetence”.
The council has attracted fresh criticism over its spending after defending plans to spend nearly £100,000 a year to fund political assistants, despite having campaigned on cutting waste and saving money. The motion, which was proposed by council leader Linden Kemkaran and passed 65-26, allows assistants to support party groups and liaise with the press, though opposition councillors accused the move of being hypocritical and politically motivated.
Only Reform and the Liberal Democrats qualify for the roles under council rules, and critics warned that taxpayer funds are being used for party purposes rather than public services.
A leaked forecast has also revealed a £60million budget gap for 2026-27, even with a full 5% council tax increase, rising from a £20.1million shortfall under the previous Tory administration.
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice has hit back at the Government, claiming the attacks are politically motivated and designed to justify central government intervention, The Telegraph reported.
He said: “We have strong reason to believe what they’re trying to do is sow a loss of confidence in one of our councils and they’ve targeted Kent.”
The Lincolnshire MP added that his party suspects the Government is going to send in commissioners, either over the Christmas period or just into the New Year.
Reform will be “ready to thwart” what he called a “coup” in the courts, Mr Tice said.
Linden Kemkaran also said that the council has been subject to a “prolonged, vicious and unsubstantiated campaign of attacks”.
A Labour spokesperson has strongly rejected the accusations, branding Reform’s claims as “utter nonsense”.
The spokesperson told The Telegraph: “These claims are utter nonsense. Labour didn’t suspend nine Reform councillors in Kent for incompetence and disloyalty – Reform did.
“Labour didn’t tell Kent’s Reform councillors to ‘suck it up’ if they didn’t like the council leader’s decisions – Reform’s own council leader did.”
The Prime Minister’s party then alleged that Mr Farage’s outfit has failed to find savings it promised, and are now considering increasing council tax.
The spokesperson added that Reform needs to “grow up” and start running Kent council “competently”.
