A Reform UK council leader Linden Kemkaran was branded “captain chaos” by a union boss after councillor suspensions sparked claims of mismanagement and safety risks.
After a series of suspensions and removals, Reform UK presently holds 48 seats on the Kent County Council (KCC), having taken over in May with 57 of the 81 seats.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) claims that the impacted council members included the chair and vice-chair of the Kent and Medway Fire Authority, leaving the authority in "disarray."
The FBU general secretary, Steve Wright, urged the KCC administration to "get a grip" on the seemingly collapsed structures.
“This situation is a shambles and a threat to public safety. Without sound governance, fire and rescue services will not be able to do their jobs properly,” Mr Wright said. “The public has a right to expect that its emergency services are accountable to them and their elected representatives. At the moment, the structures for that have broken down in Kent.”
Without the Fire Authority, which presently lacks important members, Kent's Fire and Rescue chief executive cannot approve significant expenditures. Oliver Bradshaw, Paul Thomas, Robert Ford, and former Fire Authority chairman Brian Black have all been expelled from Reform UK. Prior to a full council meeting last week, vice-chair Isabella Kemp was suspended.
According to the FBU, local union representatives have written to Linden Kemkaran, the leader of the KCC, requesting a meeting, but they have not heard back. Ms. Kemkaran claims that KCC, which has a budget of over £2.5 billion, is a "shop window" for what Reform UK might accomplish if it were in charge of the nation.
“Since Reform took over the council in May, we have seen a deeply worrying lack of care and diligence. The FBU has written to Linden Kemkaran, or ‘captain chaos’ as she is becoming known, to ask for a meeting, but nothing has been forthcoming.
The FBU will continue to defend the safety and welfare of firefighters, as well as the safety of the public.”
In a speech in the council chamber last Thursday, Ms Kemkaran drew parallels between the recent suspensions and her son’s army training.
“Some had quit because they couldn’t hack it, others have been thrown out for bad behaviour, because they weren’t good enough or they weren’t team players – not up to the challenge or were simply unable or unwilling to accept discipline,”
she said.
The co-Labour group leaders at KCC, Alistair Brady and Vince Maple have said it is clear that “the Reform UK chaos” is “spreading beyond KCC”.
“This undoubtedly poses more questions to be answered about the Reform UK political leadership of KCC who would have selected these councillors before sacking them,”
they said.
Mark Hood, leader of the Green group at KCC, who is one of the members of the Fire Authority, has said the FBU are “absolutely right” to sound the alarm.
What has Reform UK leader Linden Kemkaran said in response?
Reform UK leader Linden Kemkaran has characterized the recent expatriations and dormancies of members from her party as" a tragic situation" caused by" a displeased core of people." She defended her leadership style as direct and occasionally blunt, standing by using" various language" when necessary. Kemkaran emphasized that she still commands the support of a substantial number of Reform councillors and called the party" incredibly strong" despite losing some members.
She described those former associates who blurted a recording of her swearing and arguing during a private meeting as betraying trust and putting tone- interest before duty, saying they" should feel ashamed."
In response to review from the Fire Armies Union and others, Kemkaran has so far not engaged directly but reiterated her commitment to her leadership and Reform UK's docket despite the fermentation.