Removing these flags promotes exclusion and marginalisation – it implies people represented by those flags are not welcome
More than 100 Leicestershire social workers have spoken out against a new Reform UK policy they fear “promotes exclusion and marginalisation”. Their comments follow a decision by Reform to change which flags can fly at the Leicestershire County Council headquarters, in Glenfield.
The new policy means that community flags, such as the Pride flag and the disabled people’s flag, will not automatically be raised in the inner quadrangle at County Hall to celebrate events and celebration days. Instead, a decision will be taken by the chief executive “following consultation with the leader of the council”, the party’s Dan Harrison, over whether they can fly or not, leading some to fear they will not be flown going forward.
Some 102 social workers at the council have now written to councillors and the new Reform cabinet to “loudly” and “overwhelmingly” oppose the change in policy. They said they felt that flying community flags was a “vitally important” symbol from the council that it was “supportive of marginalised groups”.
Leicestershire social workers object to Reform policy they fear ‘promotes exclusion and marginalisation’, www.leicestermercury.co.uk
Category: In The News
Police officer dismissed over basketball row now running as Reform UK candidate in Mendip by-election
A FORMER police officer who was dismissed after a “misuse of his position” in a row over a basketball is now standing as a Reform UK candidate in a council by-election.
Stuart Ball was dismissed from Avon and Somerset Police in 2019 after a “ridiculous and disproportionate spat” with Sports Direct staff over a basketball which, a misconduct panel heard, culminated in him making criminal allegations against the store’s manager.
Mr Ball insisted he had not been treated fairly and the issue had been “blown out of proportion.”
Now he is hoping to be elected as the first Reform UK councillor on Bath and North East Somerset Council in the by-election for the Mendip ward on July 3.
Police officer dismissed over basketball row now running as Reform UK candidate in Mendip by-election, www.mnrjournal.co.uk
Reform’s ‘Britannia cards’ will cost £34 billion
Speaking today at Church House in Westminster, Nigel Farage announced that Reform will introduce a ‘Britannia card’ that will let wealthy foreigners pay a £250,000 fee to move to the UK, and live here exempt from all tax on their foreign assets. The move is an attempt to win over ‘non-doms’ alienated by Labour and Conservative governments and bring their wealth back into the country.
The party says the policy will raise between £1.5 and £2.5 billion annually. Our analysis of the data suggests it is more likely to cost around £34 billion over five years.
Reform’s ‘Britannia cards’ will cost £34 billion, www.spectator.co.uk
‘Get Some Help’: David Lammy Mocks Reform MP For Repeating ‘Conspiracy Theory’ In Commons
David Lammy accused a Reform UK MP of “swallowing conspiracy theories” over a question she asked him in the House of Commons.
The foreign secretary told Sarah Pochin to “get some help” after she suggested the government’s controversial decision to give the Chagos Islands to Mauritius had played a part in America’s plans for bombing Iran.
‘Get Some Help’: David Lammy Mocks Reform MP For Repeating ‘Conspiracy Theory’ In Commons, Huff Po
From Lawnmower Mishaps to Expenses Scandals: 10 Fresh Embarrassments for Reform UK
A week is a long time in politics and never has that been more the case than with Reform UK.
In recent weeks we’ve been closely following the party’s dozen councils they took control of back in May and detailing the many scandals, resignations, cancelled meetings and culture wars they have been getting themselves involved in.
After each piece we publish, we’ve been inundated with yet more examples of what’s been happening as Nigel Farage’s fledgling party meets the reality of actually managing local government, as well as holding ministers to account nationally.
Here’s a roundup of just some of what we’ve seen over the past week.
From Lawnmower Mishaps to Expenses Scandals: 10 Fresh Embarrassments for Reform UK, bylinetimes.com
Lammy urges Reform’s newest MP to ‘get some help’ over ‘conspiracy theories’
David Lammy has urged a Reform UK MP to “get some help” because she is “swallowing conspiracy theories”.
Sarah Pochin had asked the Foreign Secretary whether the US felt unable to use the UK-US airbase on Diego Garcia, following the Government’s deal with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands.
Responding during a statement on the Middle East, Mr Lammy said the MP for Runcorn and Helsby should “get off social media”.
[…]
Mr Lammy replied: “The honourable lady has got (to) get off social media, has got to get some help… because she is swallowing conspiracy theories that should not be repeated in this House.”
Lammy urges Reform’s newest MP to ‘get some help’ over ‘conspiracy theories’
Deadline looms to register to vote in £27k by-election after Reform councillor quits
The by-election is expected to cost taxpayers £27,000
The deadline to register to vote in a by-election triggered by the resignation of a Reform UK councillor after just a fortnight is now looming. People in Eccleshall and Gnosall have a week to register to vote in next month’s Staffordshire County Council by-election which is costing taxpayers £27,000.
Former Eccleshall & Gnosall councillor Wayne Titley was one of 49 Reform candidates to be elected onto the council as the party secured a landslide victory on May 1.
But just two weeks later he resigned after coming under intense online criticism of social media posts attributed to him, including one which called for the Royal Navy to shoot at small boats in the English Channel.
Deadline looms to register to vote in £27k by-election after Reform councillor quits, www.stokesentinel.co.uk
Newly-recruited Reform councillor under fire after voicemail message branded racist
A newly-recruited Reform councillor is under fire for comments made about the Pakistani community in a voicemail left to a journalist.
On Wednesday 18 June, Councillor Andrew Barry, who is a Reform councillor for Merthyr Tydfil Council, left a voicemail seemingly in error to an ITV Wales journalist.
In it, he is having a conversation with an unknown second person about the benefits system and housing. He goes on to say: “They’re putting the immigrants in the HMOs. They’re everywhere. The problem we’ve got, no one’s interested… (Inaudible)
[…]
Newly-recruited Reform councillor under fire after voicemail message branded racist, ITV
Reform UK councillor reported to police for potential election expenses breach
A REFORM UK member has been reported to police for potentially breaching election campaign spending limits.
Neil Stevens, who won the Alphington and Cowick seat in May’s Devon County Council elections by just 72 votes, has been reported by a fellow Reform UK councillor for the alleged overspend, and for a suspected false election expenses return submission.
Reform UK councillor reported to police for potential election expenses breach, www.creditoncourier.co.uk
Reform councillors reported to police by colleague
Infighting in the Reform UK party in Devon has seen two county councillors and an election agent reported to police by a colleague over election expenses.
Neil Stevens and his brother Tony were elected for Reform in May and documents seen by the BBC allege Neil Stevens spent about £170 more than the campaign spending limit.
This was reported to police by Ed Hill, who was also elected for Reform in May and was the chairman of the Exeter branch but was removed from the post for what the party says was bringing it “into disrepute”.
Reform councillors reported to police by colleague, BBC
Nigel Farage blames admin error for candidates praising Hitler
Reform UK leader blames botched vetting contract for slew of controversial candidates.
When your election candidates keep praising Hitler, something’s probably gone wrong.
Nigel Farage blamed failures by a “reputable vetting company” for a slew of controversies which have hit election candidates standing for his Reform UK party in recent weeks.
One praised Adolf Hitler as “brilliant,” said he was “able to inspire people to action,” and called Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine “legitimate.” Another said Britain “should have accepted Hitler’s offer of neutrality” in the run-up to the Second World War.
Nigel Farage blames admin error for candidates praising Hitler, www.politico.eu
Reform councillors ‘not invited’ to Miners’ Gala
Reform UK councillors have not been formally invited to the 139th Durham Miners’ Gala after taking control of the local authority.
Durham Miners Association (DMA) said the party had “chosen to criticise” the group publicly for its lack of invitation, but said it would not “abandon” its principles.
Reform councillors ‘not invited’ to Miners’ Gala, BBC
Resignations, Cancelled Meetings and Culture Wars: How Reform UK Councils Are Descending Into Chaos
Nigel Farage’s band of newly-elected councillors are already starting to struggle, reports Josiah Mortimer
After the election counts finished and the camera crews headed home, Reform UK councillors – over 800 of them now, running 12 councils – had to grapple with a new question: ‘What are we going to do now?’
Now that question is starting to be answered.
We’ve dug through local news coverage and talked to local constituents and opposition councillors on the ground to figure out what the new Reform councils have been up to. It’s not been smooth sailing, to say the least.
Across England there have been stories of cancelled meetings, suspensions, resignations, and more than a few culture wars.
Here’s just Reform’s local councillors have been getting up to since May 1st. It’s not been smooth running.
Resignations, Cancelled Meetings and Culture Wars: How Reform UK Councils Are Descending Into Chaos, Josiah Mortimer, bylinetimes.com
Reform council brings in ‘British values’ flag rules
Leicestershire County Council’s new Reform leadership has scrapped the authority’s flag flying policy in its first cabinet meeting.
The move, approved at a meeting on Thursday, means a previously agreed schedule of flags to be displayed outside County Hall in Glenfield has been discontinued.
The list included flags to mark events celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Gypsy Roma and Traveller History Month and Windrush Day.
New Reform council leader Dan Harrison said the changes to flag flying protocols were “to celebrate British values that unite us all”.
Some staff groups at the council, where Reform formed a minority administration following May’s local elections, raised concerns about the move.
Harrison described the eight-minute cabinet meeting, which had only the flag flying policy on the agenda, as “historic”.
Reform council brings in ‘British values’ flag rules, BBC
Ex-Labour councillor who defected to Reform distances himself from ‘racist’ Anas Sarwar advert
Jamie McGuire – who joined Nigel Farage’s party last week – told the Holyrood Sources podcast he would have focussed the advert on the economy instead.
Ex-Labour councillor who defected to Reform distances himself from ‘racist’ Anas Sarwar advert, dailyrecord.co.uk
Merseyside Reform candidate removed as social media posts surface week before election
A Reform UK candidate has been expelled after “unacceptable” comments surfaced on social media. Reform UK confirmed it had removed Irene Davidson, who was due to stand as a candidate in the Blundellsands by-election taking place next Thursday, June 19.
In recent days posts on Ms Davidson’s X account had been re-shared on the social media platform by other users highlighting the language used in them. A spokesperson for Reform told the ECHO the social media account had not been disclosed to the party’s vetting team.
Merseyside Reform candidate removed as social media posts surface week before election, www.liverpoolecho.co.uk
Zia Yusuf announces return to Reform UK two days after quitting as chair
Zia Yusuf, who resigned as Reform UK chairman on Thursday, is to return to work for the party in a new role.
Yusuf will lead what the party calls its “Doge team” – which is modelled on the Department of Government Efficiency set up by US President Donald Trump.
Earlier this week, Yusuf quit the party, saying working to get it elected was no longer “a good use of my time”, without expanding further.
Zia Yusuf announces return to Reform UK two days after quitting as chair, BBC
Why Zia Yusuf’s resignation matters for Reform UK
The resignation of Zia Yusuf as Reform UK’s chairman matters because he was a central character in the stand out trend in British politics since the general election – the rise and rise of Nigel Farage’s party.
After 11 months in the role, Yusuf said on Thursday that working to get the party elected was no longer “a good use of my time”, without expanding further.
Farage described Yusuf as a huge factor in Reform’s success in last month’s elections, but added that he believed he had “had enough” of politics.
It comes after Yusuf said it was “dumb” for Reform’s newest MP to call for a ban for the burka – a veil worn by some Muslim women that covers the face and body.
Why Zia Yusuf’s resignation matters for Reform UK, Chris Mason, Political editor, BBC
Question about a ban on burkas from Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin “dumb”.
The unelected chair of the party stood down from his role in the party, following a row in which he called a question from a Reform MP about banning burkas “dumb”.
Zia Yusuf: Chairman of Reform UK resigns, Sky News
Zia Yusuf resigns as Reform UK chairman
Zia Yusuf has resigned as the chairman of Reform UK, saying working to get the party elected was no longer “a good use of my time”.
Zia Yusuf resigns as Reform UK chairman, BBC
Fiscal recklessness aside, it’s the super-rich who’ll benefit from Reform UK policies
Nigel Farage claimed last week to speak for the working class but he is still firmly wedded to the rightwing playbook
For a politician who has done more than most to shape Britain’s current challenges, nothing seems to stick to Nigel Farage. Not the chaos of the post-Brexit referendum years; or the contradiction of his closed-border English nationalism combined with a fondness for courting nomad capitalists from Malaysia to Mar-a-Lago.
[…]
However, something is lost in the argument about Farageonomics. Not only are the party’s numbers hardly better than scribblings on the back of one of its leader’s umpteen fag packets, but there is a more fundamental problem: his plans would not help the communities that Reform claims to champion.
Fiscal recklessness aside, it’s the super-rich who’ll benefit from Reform UK policies, Richard Partington, The Guardian
Inferior pension schemes won’t create savings nor recruit vital staff
Commenting on remarks made by Richard Tice about preventing new recruits to Reform-controlled councils from joining the local government pension scheme alongside threats to cut the pay of existing employees, UNISON assistant general secretary Jon Richards said today (Thursday):
“This looks like another Reform UK policy scribbled on the back of a beer mat.
“Local authorities are obliged to offer access to the local government pension scheme to all new starters.
“The scheme is well-funded and affordable. Many council employees aren’t on final salary schemes anyway.
“Forcing council staff on to inferior pensions would leave retired workers much poorer and add to the already severe recruitment crisis in local government.
“Employees’ pensions aren’t the reason why many councils are on a financial precipice. It’s the decade and more of draconian budget cuts under Conservative governments.
“Reform claims to be on the side of workers. But declaring ‘war’ on low-paid staff won’t serve communities or cut budgets.”
Reform UK’s pension plan deserves early retirement, www.unison.org.uk
Reform councillors aged 19 and 22 in charge of children’s and adult services at local authority
Social workers raise questions over clash of values and lack of experience of new lead members at Leicestershire County Council
Concerns are mounting over the appointment of two Reform councillors as political leads for children’s and adults services in Leicestershire.
Joseph Boam, 22, now heads up adult social care at Leicestershire County Council (LCC), and Charles Pugsley, 19, who is still at university, has been made cabinet member for children and family services.
The pair were appointed following the local elections in May, and are responsible for multi-million pound budgets.
Reform councillors aged 19 and 22 in charge of children’s and adult services at local authority, basw.co.uk
Reform UK chair Zia Yusuf says role is ‘no longer good use of my time’
Reform UK chair Zia Yusuf resigns from party
Senior figure in populist movement says role is ‘no longer good use of my time’
Reform UK chair Zia Yusuf has resigned from Nigel Farage’s populist party after criticising comments by one of its MPs about burkas, saying that he no longer believes the role is a “good use of my time”.
Reform UK chair Zia Yusuf resigns from party, ft.com
Political CUSTARD: IN LIMBO! Reform Run Nottinghamshire County Council Cancels Meetings And Don’t Bother Turning Up
No time frame for Reform Doge review in Kent
Reform UK have warned their Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) unit “will take as long as it takes” to provide recommendations.
On Monday the Doge team arrived at Kent County Council (KCC) in Maidstone for their first meeting.
Party chairman Zia Yusuf met leader Linden Kemkaran along with senior staff, accompanied by millionaire party backer Arron Banks and Nathaniel Fried, a tech entrepreneur said to be leading the Doge unit.
The party plans to use artificial intelligence, advanced data analysis tools and forensic auditing techniques to “identify wasteful spending and recommend actionable solutions”.
No time frame for Reform Doge review in Kent, BBC
Does reform not know how councils work that it threatens our privacy?
Kent County Councillor, Tim Prater of the Liberal Democrats, has roundly condemned Reform’s latest attempt to emulate Donald Trump.
In a letter to Kent County Council (KCC) signed by Linden Kemkaran (KCC leader for Reform), Nigel Farage, and Zia Yusuf, Reform have demanded access to all KCC data (even sensitive information about residents) for a group of unelected persons that Reform has chosen not to let the public know about.
Cllr Prater called it an “attack on Kent by Reform UK national leadership”.
This embarrassing, threatening and totally misjudged letter to Kent County Council tonight is an attack on Kent by Reform UK national leadership, countersigned by their new Kent leader who clearly doesn’t have a clue.
Anyone with the first understanding of how local Government has worked for the last 30 years knows the information they request is almost all public anyway. I suggest their highly expert DOGE team try “googling a bit”.
The rest is either subject to the same FOI constraints as apply to the public or other Councillors. To suggest there is top secret information here is nonsense on shifts, brought to you by people who have no understanding of how any public organisation in this country works. Mainly because they have never worked within local government in this country.
The irony that they have not released the “appended” list of “DOGE” representatives who should be given access to any data they imagine is interesting is not lost on us. They can ask for information on millions of Kent residents, thousands of Kent employees, but you won’t even tell us who they are?
The Lib Dems stand with Kent residents, and Kent County Council staff.
There is a process. That process includes the Council meetings your administration have cancelled at KCC over the next 3 weeks. They can ask for information in a public and democratically accountable way. You might not understand the process, but that’s your fault, not theirs.
DOGE in the USA just fell apart, having failed to find much of interest or actual saving, making a highly embarrassing series of blunders, some life threatening, and its leader Musk slamming the most recent Government bill and then quitting to spend more time with his failing business. To visit that pain on Kent is to hold us in contempt. We say no.
Liberal Democrat Cllr Tim Prater, via Facebook
Political CUSTARD: Reform Run Kent County Council Becomes Kent County Cancel In The Hands Of Ex Tory Linden Kemkaren
Reform accused of ‘paralysing’ Kent Council amid spate of cancelled meetings
“This isn’t Reform. It’s paralysis.”
The Lib Dems have accused Reform UK of causing ‘paralysis’ at Kent Council, after the party cancelled multiple scrutiny meetings this month.
The Reform-run council held its first full county council meeting on 22 May, when it elected its new leader and appointed a cabinet. Since then, Reform has cancelled or postponed several scheduled committee meetings.
Nigel Farage’s party took 57 out of 81 Kent County Council seats at the local elections on 1 May.
Folkestone and Hythe Lib Dems said in a statement that Reform has also yet to confirm which, if any, scrutiny committees will be formed.
The statement said: “For the first three weeks of June, there were FIVE committee meetings timetabled. FOUR have been cancelled.”
Reform has cancelled committee meetings on topics including health, planning, and governance so far.
Reform accused of ‘paralysing’ Kent Council amid spate of cancelled meetings, leftfootforward.org
Reform’s Clean Energy Crackdown Would Cost 60,000 Jobs and Raise Bills, Says Study
Nigel Farage’s “economically illiterate” climate policies could wipe £92 billion off the UK economy, according to the New Economics Foundation.
Reform UK’s policies to “scrap net zero” would cost more than 60,000 jobs and wipe £92 billion off the UK economy, according to a new study.
Nigel Farage’s party — which took control of 10 councils in the recent local elections — this week claimed that the government could save £45 billion every year by ditching climate policies.
However, analysis by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) published today suggests that Reform’s policies would cost jobs and investment, and could raise household energy bills.
Reform’s Clean Energy Crackdown Would Cost 60,000 Jobs and Raise Bills, Says Study, desmog.com
Reform UK Campaigner Admits On BBC Question Time The Party’s Sums Don’t Add Up
A leading Reform UK campaigner has admitted that the party’s spending plans do not add up.
Tim Montgomerie, who left the Tories last December in a high-profile defection to Nigel Farage’s party, made the comment on BBC Question Time on Thursday night.
Reform UK Campaigner Admits On BBC Question Time The Party’s Sums Don’t Add Up, Yahoo News
Reform UK Chair Dismisses Worries About Cost of Tax, Spend Plans
The chair of Reform UK dismissed concerns that its plans to cut taxes and increase welfare benefits would rattle the bond market
Reform UK Chair Dismisses Worries About Cost of Tax, Spend Plans, Bloomberg (Paywall)
The cost of Reform UK’s anti-environmental policies
Reform UK has said it will scrap net zero and cut all renewable subsidies – the impact would be hugely damaging
[…]
Reform UK has said it will scrap net zero with various figures banded around by the party’s representatives for how much this will raise – anywhere from £225bn to £45bn. The Institute for Government, who’s analysis is used to calculate the larger of these two figures, has already said the Party has misrepresented its analysis and failed to acknowledge that most of this investment will come from the private sector – in other words, Reform UK’s policies would likely destroy much needed investment into the UK economy.
But what is the real cost of their anti-renewable and anti-net zero policies? It is important to ensure all political parties are accountable to the public and the impacts of their policies are estimated in a transparent and consistent manner.
The cost of Reform UK’s anti-environmental policies, New Economics Foundation
Reform expels councillor over ‘inappropriate’ posts
A city councillor in Doncaster has been expelled from Reform UK over historic social media posts deemed “unacceptable” by party leaders.
Mark Broadhurst, who had been in post for just four weeks, will sit as an independent councillor after the party’s decision to withdraw the whip on Thursday.
Councillor Guy Aston, Reform UK group leader, said the decision was a result of “inappropriate social media activity that does not reflect our values or standards: family, community, country.”
A Facebook page belonging to Broadhurst shared a post comparing black Islamic dress to “bin bags”, and a now-deleted image which suggested Adolf Hitler would have been a “legend” if he had targeted Muslims.
Reform expels councillor over ‘inappropriate’ posts, BBC
As Reform UK take official command of Warwickshire County Council tomorrow (Friday) no-one has the faintest notion how the party will run the authority
REFORM UK will take official command of Warwickshire County Council tomorrow (Friday) with no-one having the faintest notion of how the party will run the authority.
Although people have a rough idea of Reform’s policies at a national level, the party did not issue a manifesto for the county council elections on 1st May.
As Reform UK take official command of Warwickshire County Council tomorrow (Friday) no-one has the faintest notion how the party will run the authority, stratford-herald.com (Paywall)
BBC Debate Night row erupts over ‘racist’ Reform UK ad
A ROW erupted on BBC Debate Night over a “racist” political advert published by Reform UK.
Last week, Nigel Farage’s party was accused of “not so much a dog whistle as a foghorn” after it was found to have promoted an advert on Facebook and Instagram which claimed Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar would “prioritise the Pakistani community”.
The quote, which Reform UK falsely attributed to Sarwar, included selected clips from a video which had been spread by far- and alt-right agitators on social media the previous month.
The National revealed how Reform UK have spent more than £10,000 promoting the advert online, despite sparking outrage from across the political spectrum.
BBC Debate Night row erupts over ‘racist’ Reform UK ad, thenational.scot
Farage defends Reform advert after racism claims
Nigel Farage has defended a controversial Reform UK advert about Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
Both Labour and First Minister John Swinney have described the online video – posted ahead of a Holyrood by-election – as “blatantly racist”.
At a press conference in London, Farage played the video and accused Sarwar of introducing “sectarianism” into Scottish politics.
The Scottish Labour leader described the claims as “absolute nonsense”.
The Reform advert, posted on Facebook and Instagram, features clips of a 2022 speech Sarwar gave, external at an event celebrating the 75th anniversary of Pakistan’s independence.
Farage defends Reform advert after racism claims, BBC
Farage’s numbers don’t add up
Stuart Adam, a senior economist at Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank, said increasing the annual income tax allowance to £20,000 could cost between £50bn and £80bn a year, depending on the details.
“As it stands, I don’t think they’ve really set out how they would pay for such big giveaways,” he said.
“Of course they don’t have to do that yet – we’re not at a general election. But at some point, if they’re going to be a party of government, they would have to make those numbers add up.”
Stuart Adam (on Reform’s fantasy tax cuts) via BBC
Farage offers fantasy promises
Labour Party chairwoman Ellie Reeves accused Farage of “fantasy promises”, which “are exactly how Liz Truss crashed the economy”.
Ellie Reeves via BBC
The economic fantasies of Reform UK
Nigel Farage’s fiscal arithmetic is as eye-catching as it is unserious.
[…]
That reality is the sticking point. Raising the tax threshold to £20,000 is estimated to cost between £50bn and £80bn all on its own. Reform claims to have found a cool £225bn down the back of the Treasury sofa by scrapping net zero and insists it could save more still by cutting funding to quangos. Good luck, as they say, with that.
But how successful will Reform’s opponents be at pointing this out? Shadow chancellor Mel Stride has been out and about, calling Farage’s plans “fantasy economics”, while Labour has gone for “fantasy promises”. Farage’s answer to this charge was that all parties fudge the figures in their manifestos, suggesting Reform’s creative accounting was par for the course. Against the general backdrop of disillusionment with the political establishment, the narrative will be that Reform are no worse than the other parties – and that official estimates should be viewed sceptically anyway.
One attack line might get through. “Trussonomics on steroids” was how the Liberal Democrats responded to Tuesday’s proposals.
The economic fantasies of Reform UK, New Statesman
Farage has shown absolutely no loyalty
Farage has shown absolutely no loyalty to hundreds of hard working party members across the country, who have dedicated themselves to building Reform up to be an election winning machine, on the contrary. he treats them with contempt, regularly casting them aside to be replaced by ‘yes men’ who are willing to display sycophantic loyalty.
Donna Edmunds (via BBC)
Reform-led Kent County Council will remove Pride and Ukrainian flags
Reform-run Kent County Council will not fly a Pride flag this summer and will remove the Ukrainian flag from the chamber, the new council leader confirmed.
At the beginning of May, Reform swept to a local elections victory in Kent taking 57 of 81 council seats, wiping out a Conservative majority which had stood for almost 30 years.
On Thursday, councillors heard from the new leader of Kent County Council, Linden Kemkaran, at their annual general meeting at County Hall in Maidstone.
Ms Kemkaran, Kent’s Reform leader, told the chamber her new administration had little time for “special interest groups” or the flags that represent them.
Reform-led Kent County Council will remove Pride and Ukrainian flags, kentlive.news