“This isn't Reform. It's paralysis.”
The Lib Dems have accused Reform UK of causing ‘paralysis’ at Kent Council, after the party cancelled multiple scrutiny meetings this month.
The Reform-run council held its first full county council meeting on 22 May, when it elected its new leader and appointed a cabinet. Since then, Reform has cancelled or postponed several scheduled committee meetings.
Nigel Farage’s party took 57 out of 81 Kent County Council seats at the local elections on 1 May.
Folkestone and Hythe Lib Dems said in a statement that Reform has also yet to confirm which, if any, scrutiny committees will be formed.
The statement said: “For the first three weeks of June, there were FIVE committee meetings timetabled. FOUR have been cancelled.”
Reform has cancelled committee meetings on topics including health, planning, and governance so far.
Commenting on the situation, a local Lib Dem councillor, Tim Prater, said: “I thought this administration claimed they wanted to get to work from day one.
“Funny way to show it: no meetings, no scrutiny, no decisions, no direction. This isn’t Reform. It’s paralysis.”
The right-wing party will send its so-called ‘Elon Musk-style Department of Government Efficiency (Doge)’ to Kent County Council today.
Council officers will be asked to provide financial records, procurement data, audit reports, and details on internal investigations.
In a letter, Reform warned: “Should you resist this request, we are ready to pass a council motion to compel the same.”
In response, Green group leader Rich Lehmann said: “Farage and co are clearly so desperate to emulate the Trump government that they haven’t paused to take note of the fact that he’s the least popular president in living memory.”
He added: “This move, along with the cancellation of key committee meetings, feels like a blatant attempt to subvert the checks and balances which ensure all of the council’s activities are transparent and above board.”
So much for “Reform will fix it”.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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