Reform UK's largest council is set to announce its "first big savings" from cost-cutting initiatives on Thursday, as opposition parties criticise what they call "poor governance" during the party's first two months in power. Kent County Council (KCC), led by Reform after their stunning local election victory, will unveil details at a full council meeting in Maidstone.
Earlier this week, Reform party leader Nigel Farage visited KCC headquarters and promised significant announcements. The party launched a Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) initiative last month to slash council spending after securing 677 seats nationwide in the May 1 local elections.
AI and data analysis plans
Reform plans to use artificial intelligence, advanced data analysis tools and forensic auditing techniques to "identify wasteful spending and recommend actionable solutions". The initiative follows the US Doge launched during Donald Trump's presidency to cut federal spending, which billionaire Elon Musk spearheaded before his departure.
Speaking to PA on Monday, 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, opposition leader Liberal Democrat Antony Hook claimed that "no key decisions have been taken" by Reform and most committees are yet to meet.
Data protection concerns raised
The Conservatives have called for an information watchdog to regulate Reform's cost-cutting drive due to data protection risks. Shadow communities secretary Kevin Hollinrake warned that handing data to Reform is a "cyber-security disaster waiting to happen" as he wrote to the Information Commissioner's Office calling for an investigation.
KCC's Reform leader Linden Kemkaran said a "legal framework" is being drawn up to ensure the Doge project works within data protection rules. She explained: "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."
Library book controversy emerges
Despite the absence of the head-office Doge project, Kemkaran maintained she will announce savings on Thursday including a vote on cutting councillors' allowances. By population, KCC is the largest local authority in England and Reform took 57 of the 81 seats on May 1, ending 28 years of Conservative control.
Critics have pointed to a lack of council meetings and conflicting announcements made via social media. Last week, Kemkaran and a cabinet member 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.
Policy confusion and criticism
It later emerged 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 was "unedifying gender-baiting of the LGBT community". On Monday, 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."
Hook criticised the governance approach, saying: "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.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
