Reform UK has suspended another member of Kent County Council, Isabella Kemp, reducing its councillor count to 48 out of the 57 elected in May. Kemp, who also served as a data protection officer at the party's headquarters, announced she is taking Reform UK to an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal and has contacted Acas and the charity Protect.
The suspension follows the leak of an internal meeting recording in which council leader Linden Kemkaran told dissenting colleagues they had to “fucking suck it up”. Four Reform councillors were suspended after the leak, and one of them, along with another previously suspended councillor, has formed an “Independent Reformers” group on the council.
At Thursday's full council meeting, Kemkaran faced questions about the impact of Kemp's suspension, who had chaired the adult social care and public health cabinet committee. Liberal Democrat councillors urged Kemkaran to restore Kemp as chair. The turmoil also affected a committee hearing appeals for school transport, which was cancelled after its chair was suspended.
Kemkaran defended her actions, comparing the councillor dropouts to recruits quitting military training. She answered “yes” when asked if her behaviour aligned with the Nolan principles and Kent's code of conduct. Opposition councillors criticised her leadership, with Labour's Alister Brady accusing Reform of avoiding questions on council tax, which may rise by up to 5% despite campaign promises of savings.
Tory group leader Harry Rayner said the council had become “a laughing stock with more clowns on display since I saw Bill Smart's last circus”, noting he had seen nothing like it in 40 years of local government. Kent County Council has an annual budget of £2.5bn.
