Reform UK's flagship local authority has proposed a 3.99% council tax increase for 2026-27, despite the party's pre-election promises to cut taxes. Kent County Council, controlled by Reform since May last year, published the draft budget on Thursday evening.
The hike means an average Band D household will pay £67.47 more per year. The increase sits just below the central government's 5% cap but has sparked fierce criticism from opposition parties.
Reform candidates pledged in their election material last year to «reduce waste and cut your taxes.» The party won 57 out of 81 seats, ending a 30-year Tory majority at the council.
Opposition Accuses Reform of Betrayal
Liberal Democrat opposition leader Antony Hook accused Reform of a «total betrayal» of voters. He said: «Reform stood for election promising to make savings and lower the burden on taxpayers. Today, that promise has been utterly broken. They are boasting about a nearly 4% increase instead of 5%, a difference of just 33p per week for the average Kent family. It's a poor outcome given the hype and promises made at the election and for the last nine months.»
The Liberal Democrats also criticized Reform's Department of Local Government Efficiency as a «failure.» They accused the administration of «spiralling overspend» and warned: «By squeezing these reserves to cover their own indecision, Reform is gambling with the council's future. They are smashing the piggy bank to pay for their own overspending.»
Conservative group leader Harry Rayner highlighted the financial risks of cutting council tax below the cap. He explained: «For every 1% of council tax that you reduce it costs you on paper £10 million.» He warned the government could reduce grant money by the same amount, meaning «in order to save £10 million, you end up losing £20 million.»
Reform Defends Budget Proposals
KCC leader Linden Kemkaran defended the budget, saying: «These proposals reflect the real priorities of Kent residents. People took the time to share their views, and we listened.» He said the aim is to «stabilise» the council's finances «while protecting frontline services.»
Kemkaran noted: «In fact, many services will see increased spending because of the difference they make to people's lives.»
Reform inherited what Kemkaran described as a «very serious financial situation» with hundreds of millions in debt. The party established an Elon Musk-style Department of Local Government Efficiency to «maximise efficiency» through measures including procurement tightening and market intervention.
KCC called itself a «shop window» for Reform in a leaked video of a heated meeting last year. The draft budget will undergo meetings throughout January, with the final decision on February 12.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
