Four Reform councillors in Kent were suspended today after an extraordinary leaked video of infighting.
Footage emerged over the weekend of the party’s politicians clashing bitterly at an online meeting over efforts to control spiralling spending.
At one point council leader Linden Kemkaran told colleagues they could ‘f***ing suck it up’ if they did not like her decisions.
The scenes have been compared to the viral ‘Jackie Weaver’ parish council Zoom meeting back in 2021.
A Reform spokesman said this morning that the whip had been removed from four councillors over the video – including Paul Thomas, whom Ms Kemkaren threatened to mute.
‘Cllrs Paul Thomas, Oliver Bradshaw, Bill Barrett and Maxine Fothergill have had the whip suspended pending investigation, following evidence that they brought the party into disrepute,’ the spokesman said.
Leaked footage obtained by the Guardian revealed bitter infighting between the Reform members of Kent County Council
Pictured: Nigel Farage (centre) posing for a photo during a visit to the Reform UK group at Kent County Council in July this year. Pictured front right, Ms Kemkaran
During the clashes, Ms Kemkaran told her councillors: ‘I am not a dictator or an autocrat. I like feedback, I like to discuss. I like to hear what everybody thinks.
‘However, when it comes to making the really big decisions, and LGR is one of those really big decisions.
‘Sometimes I will make a decision that might not be liked by everybody in the group. But I am afraid you are just going to have to f***ing suck it up.’
Mr Thomas questioned whether Reform had the ‘right’ leader and cabinet before he was muted by the council leader.
The leader said that managing to avoid raising council tax by 5 per cent would be the ‘best thing’ for KCC.
‘People are looking at us, they are judging us every single day, every single minute of every single day. Nigel knows that. He is super aware that we are the flagship council,’ she said.
Reform UK took control of Kent County Council (KCC) after winning 57 of the 81 seats at the local elections in May, overturning a 30-year Tory majority.
