Two Reform UK councillors from Kent are expelled over allegations, following a leaked video revealing party tensions, amidst the party's internal conflicts.
Reform HQ claimed in an email on Monday that Robert Ford and Bill Barrett had "undermined" the party's interests and brought it into "disrepute," leading to their expulsion from the party.
Along with Maxine Fothergill, Paul Thomas, and Oliver Bradshaw all of whom were suspended last week Ford and Barrett were on the Kent County Council. According to The Guardian, Thomas, Bradshaw, and Fothergill are still on suspension while the probe is ongoing.
Following accusations of misbehavior in an "unofficial complaint" from multiple female Kent County Council employees, Ford, a councillor for Maidstone Rural West, was suspended. Barrett, speaking on behalf of Ashford, was suspended along with Thomas, Bradshaw, and Fothergill for his criticism of the council hierarchy.
The suspensions and expulsions mean that 48 Reform councillors remain on the Kent council, after the party’s May election win of 57 seats. Two other councillors had been suspended, while a third had joined Ukip.
A Reform spokesperson said:
“Councillors Barrett and Ford have been expelled as their conduct undermined the interests of the party and brought Reform UK into disrepute.”
Council members complained about "backbiting" and being ignored by their leader, Linden Kemkaran, who urged them to "fucking suck it up" if they disagreed with her decisions, according to the August meeting video that was originally made public by the Guardian.
Additionally, Kemkaran referred to the council, which has a budget of over £2.5 billion, as a "shop window" for what Reform could accomplish if it were in charge of the nation.
In an email sent the weekend before, she reportedly informed her fellow council members that she had begun a search for the "cowards" responsible for leaking the meeting recording.
The leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the Kent County Council, Antony Hook, told the Guardian that the "chaos" inside the Reform group was directly affecting their needy residents.
He stated that because of the suspensions, a council committee that was supposed to meet on Wednesday to discuss school transportation concerns had been canceled.
What are the specific misconduct allegations against the expelled councillors?
Bill Barrett (Ashford) was openly critical of the council leadership, contributing to internal pressures within the Reform group. His behavior is seen as undermining party interests and bringing Reform UK into reproach.
Robert Ford (Maidstone Rural West) faced allegations of misconduct following an unofficial complaint from several female Kent County Council staff members. These allegations were separate from the internal pressures stressed by the blurted videotape but raised enterprises within the party.
Both councillors have also been indicted of bullying, although Reform UK denied these claims, stating that they take bullying allegations seriously and would have acted if believable substantiation existed.
Their expatriations came after a blurted videotape showed council leader Linden Kemkaran using strong language to quell dissent within the council and describing the council as a "shop window" for Reform UK.