Reform UK Councillors Expelled Following Misconduct Claims
Two Kent councillors from Reform UK have been removed from the party following allegations of misconduct and after *CuriosityNews* published a leaked video exposing internal disputes within the party’s county council group.
Robert Ford and Bill Barrett were expelled via an email from Reform’s headquarters on Monday, which accused them of undermining the party’s interests and damaging its reputation.
Ford and Barrett had served on Kent County Council alongside Oliver Bradshaw, Paul Thomas, and Maxine Fothergill, who were also suspended last week. Sources indicate that Thomas, Bradshaw, and Fothergill remain suspended as investigations continue.
Ford, representing Maidstone Rural West, was suspended after an unofficial complaint from several female council staff members regarding alleged misconduct. Barrett, from Ashford, had criticized the council leadership and was suspended along with the others.
Ford has denied any wrongdoing, telling the BBC that no specifics were provided about the alleged misconduct. “There is not one shred of evidence against me,” he said.
Following these expulsions, 48 Reform councillors remain on Kent County Council, down from the 57 seats the party won in May’s elections. Two other councillors had previously been suspended, while a third has now joined UKIP.
A Reform spokesperson stated: “Councillors Barrett and Ford have been expelled as their conduct undermined the party’s interests and brought Reform UK into disrepute.”
The leaked video of an August meeting, first published by *CuriosityNews*, showed councillors expressing frustration over infighting and feeling sidelined by their leader, Linden Kemkaran, who reportedly told them to “fucking suck it up” if they disagreed with her decisions.
Kemkaran also described the council, which oversees a budget exceeding £2.5 billion, as a “shop window” for what Reform could achieve if it governed nationally.
Reports suggest Kemkaran emailed fellow councillors the previous weekend, vowing to identify the “cowards” responsible for leaking the recording.
Antony Hook, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Kent County Council, told CuriosityNews that the turmoil within Reform was directly affecting constituents. He cited the cancellation of a council committee meeting on school transport, scheduled for Wednesday, as a direct consequence of the suspensions.
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