Not going well for Reform in Kent County Council...
Reform’s Kent County Council is once more in turmoil, after it emerged that an emergency motion put forward by the local authority on declaring an ‘illegal migration’ emergency has been pulled over fears it could break electoral rules.
Kent County Council was supposed to be Reform’s flagship council where it was going to showcase to us all how Reform would deliver for people and yet it’s been far from plain sailing. Reform’s group on the council has been hit with infighting, suspensions and scandal and has also raised council tax despite Reform vowing to cut taxes.
Now it’s emerged that the group’s Illegal Migration Emergency motion has been pulled after a senior council officer ruled it risked breaching electoral rules.
Searchlight Magazine reports: “KCC’s democratic services manager Joel Cook advised members that the motion, along with two others tabled by the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party, should be deferred until after the Cliftonville by-election on April 9.
“The move followed a formal complaint to the Electoral Commission by the Conservative group, which argued the motion was designed to influence the outcome of that poll.”
The motion was put forward by Cllr David Wimble, Reform’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Special Projects, who Searchlight says made sweeping claims about the cost and scale of asylum seeker arrivals.
“Closer examination reveals a document built on legal mis-readings, selectively presented statistics, and figures that opposition councillors and ministers have flatly dismissed as “scaremongering”, it adds.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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