‘Couldn’t run a bath, let alone a council’: Readers slam Reform after Kent council chaos

If Reform UK comes to power in Westminster, many Independent readers believe this will be very similar to what is happening in Kent; chaotic, divided and out of control.

Our community is reacting after footage emerged of council leader Linden Kemkaran berating colleagues and telling them to “screw this up”, leading to the sacking of four councilors from Reform’s “flagship” Kent County Council.

Reform seized control of the authority with a shocking local election victory earlier this year, ending three decades of Conservative rule.

Many described the incident as evidence that Reformation was “imploding” and argued that the chaos in Kent showed the party was “unfit to govern”.

Some have cited Reform’s Elon Musk-inspired Dolge plan as evidence that a group is playing politics rather than providing serious governance.

Others, meanwhile, accused the party of hypocrisy; While it had promised efficiency and reduced council tax, it was now mired in scandal and infighting.

Here’s what you need to say:

At least they show up

What did people expect? All these right-wing councils have proven useless in the past; Why did Farage and his right-wing cronies think their rebranding would be any different?

Unlike Farage, at least they are coming to do their job. The people of Clacton are still wondering when they will see their MP.

fuzzy ferrite

Reform failed to hold parent-teacher meeting

Reform could not manage a neighborhood council either. Or a parent-teacher conference. Doge? This is not a job, this is a public duty.

All they will do is cut vital services while protecting contracts and tenders for the ‘boys’. Then say look at the numbers. This is nonsense. I work for a local council; that’s how things work.

And you tell people to just do it if they disagree? It looks familiar. So when people say ‘they can’t be worse than so and so’ – oh yes they can. Much worse. They will make Labor and the Conservative Party look competent.

robertforton

The deck of cards is exploding

Card decks (cards of more than one shape) are exploding, and this is just the beginning. The truth was that they couldn’t even manage their own bathrooms, let alone the small council; Imagine the chaos that would ensue if they ruled our nation.

just saying

Soon there won’t be a single Reform councilor left

Soon there won’t be a single Reform councilor left.

More than 30 people have been expelled, suspended or resigned since the local elections. It’s not all bad news then.

HASTINGSPIER

What reputation did the Reformation have in the beginning?

Did it damage the reputation of the party? With so many such embarrassments suffered by inexperienced, unskilled and even teenage councillors, what reputation did the Reformation have to begin with? And as Brexiteer Farage owns it – sorry, leader – there’s nothing worse than lying, right?

hayneman

Hate does not equal competence in governance

We have seen this behavior in parliaments before. It may be easy to be elected because of the embrace of a form of hatred, but time and time again (and not just in the Reformation) we see that hatred does not equal competence in governing.

Yes yes

‘We know best’ brigade is on strike again

Oh dear. These people seem as power-mad as local politicians from any party. They are typical of the ‘we know best’ brigade of truly annoying and expensive wasters who impose stupid policies on local people to the detriment of business, taxpayers and shoppers.

It is also typical of: “Those who seek power should never be allowed.”

OlTom

a preview

Just look at Kent County Council, where reform was elected on the promise of saving millions from “waste”. The problem is that they can’t find anything and council tax is now likely to rise by a maximum of 5 per cent. Reform councilors are fighting like cats in a sack as their false promises meet reality.

This is a preview of what we will face if we vote for these risky opportunists at the national level.

mG123

A complete disaster in Westminster

I’m not surprised that Reform councilors bicker like this. Being a manager is a serious job. There is a lack of experience and, more worryingly, a lack of respect for democratic functioning. If they couldn’t operate at council level they would be a disaster in Westminster.

Reform would not be a wise choice in the next general election.

Labor shows us what they really are. The Liberal Democrats and the Greens are not serious rivals.

The choice therefore falls on the reformed Conservative Party. I think they have learned their lesson and have experience. The country needs to vote for them in the next general election.

Krispad

Can reform govern?

It’s easy to stand on a soapbox or stage and shout slogans into a microphone that you think people will want to hear. Being in government, whether local or central, is very, very difficult.

As polls prove, reform is very effective in electioneering, but is completely incapable of managing a jury. The ten local authorities they currently control are the litmus test.

Fruit T-Bunn

Local elections a protest vote

Labour- and Conservative-controlled councils are absolutely terrified of the next local elections because for many it is almost certain that Reform will take over.

While many voters will ultimately refrain from voting for a Reform Westminster government, local elections are being used as protest votes and these boats show no signs of stopping.

Ian Robinson

We will explode when Farage becomes Prime Minister

We can laugh at Reformation all we want, make fun of them, make jokes, which is what we did to Trump supporters, just so he could get re-elected and put his country on a path we could never have imagined. Today’s madness in the USA is a sad day for all of us. We have already allowed them to separate us from the EU, causing great harm to ourselves.

Labor and those on the left will support the decline of Reform unless it starts to address the real problems facing ordinary Reform supporters (and all of us) – good jobs, affordable housing, a decent NHS, a decent education system. Yes, we should also address immigration, but this becomes (almost) a moot point when the economy is doing well for the average person, not just the already rich. The disparity between the richest and the lowest is obscene, to say the least. Otherwise, we will explode with Prime Minister Farage, just like the USA.

punda

low attendance

What I find extremely depressing is that other parts of our demographic, following the US as an example, are all too willing to be dominated by the first part.

In America, despite the first term, millions of so-called ‘decent’ Americans decided not to participate in the 2024 elections and to give it another chance. Many “decent” Americans are choosing to “send a message” through an empty ballot box rather than voting for the only woman who can stop Trump.

We see the same here. These council members were elected fairly and honestly, with a turnout of around 30 percent. Thousands of ‘decent’ Kentish people had better things to do than go to the polling booth and vote to stop the rot.

I’d bet that if they held the council election again on Thursday, turnout would be about the same and the outcome would actually be decided by a handful of voters.

Rather than posturing and ‘sending a message’, the better side of the demographic cast your votes To stop these clowns.

Jim987

Reform is not a real political party

The simple and obvious reason why the Reformation did not fail is this; This is because it is not a real political party. A limited company vehicle for Nigel Farage’s bluster. Without it there would be no Reformation.

In my view it is almost impossible to imagine Farage and his band of former Tory mediocrities staying together in the medium term.

PinkoRadikal

Some of the comments in this article have been edited for brevity and clarity.

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