By Local Democracy Reporter Simon Finlay
Two suspended Reform UK county councillors have been booted out of the party.
Cllrs Bill Barrett and Robert Ford were expelled in emails from London headquarters yesterday afternoon.
It follows a week of torrid headlines for the Kent County Council (KCC) top table after a leaked video emerged of leader Cllr Linden Kemkaran swearing and raising her voice in front of members in a virtual meeting over the summer.
Cllr Barrett was one of four members suspended last Monday on suspicion of leaking the video, which he strenuously denies.
He said that he had been shown the door for WhatsApp messages in a private group chat in which he called deputy chief whip Cllr Wayne Chapman “daft”.
The party also cited Cllr Barrett’s description of leadership communications as “scripted horses**t” and that his language was “inflammatory and deliberately divisive”.
Cllr Barrett claimed the leadership at KCC is “toxic” and both members claimed they were bullied. Reform said there was no evidence of bullying in both cases.
He said: “Toxic to the decent Reform back benchers, toxic to the opposition and toxic ultimately to the party’s reputation…”
Cllr Barrett added: “Linden Kemkaran has neither the leadership skills nor the ability to treat other members with respect, which is borne out by the fact I am aware of at least eight formal complaints to Reform HQ over her, (deputy leader) Brian Collin’s and (chief whip) Maxwell Harrison’s behaviour.
“Indeed this behaviour has been occurring since we were elected to office in May and, unfortunately, Reform HQ has done the sum total of zero to rectify things. Often not even replying.”
The member for Ashford rural south said he was sacked from his deputy cabinet member’s post for transport on July 7, the official line being that it was by mutual agreement.
Cllr Barrett claims that far from being consensual, he was “subjected to 45 minutes of abuse at the hands of these three (Cllrs Kemkaran, Collins and Harrison)” and later “fabricated” a statement about his departure.
“I offered no resignation,” he said.
The councillor says he feels saddened by events since he believes in the Reform project and says his KCC back bench colleagues are “loyal, decent, hard-working people”.
He added: “The reality is KCC at the moment is run by three incompetent individuals who are harming the party brand and the lives of people, like me, who have worked hard to get us all elected and then work hard for the residents of Kent.”
Cllr Robert Ford
Cllr Ford was suspended on October 13 for alleged “unofficial” complaints by female KCC staff members.
He said no details were put to him about where, when and how he acted in the way it was claimed. A senior party source claimed he had failed to show up for a meeting when the allegations were to be discussed.
Rather, the 59-year-old believes, it was due to a strongly-worded email he sent to other Reform councillors expressing his concerns about the leadership at KCC.
Cllr Ford, who represents Maidstone rural west, said: “It is no coincidence the timing of my message and my suspension.
“I have asked the head office what the allegations are and they replied to say they were not aware of them. The fact is there is not one shred of evidence against me or they would have put that to me in writing or in some other formal way.”
In his email to fellow members on October 13, he described the leadership as a “dictatorship” after being assigned deputy chief whips with whom members were to have one-to-ones.
Cllr Ford described long-running concerns about his treatment by others in the party machinery, even before 57 Reform councillors were elected on May 1.
Several back benchers have privately supported Cllr Ford, claiming the alleged complaints by female staff were “trumped up to get rid of him”.
Now he says that he gets “filthy looks in the streets” because of the local and national coverage of the story, which he says has damaged his reputation. Cllr Ford said he is consulting lawyers.
‘Disrepute’
A Reform UK spokesman said: “Councillors Barrett and Ford have been expelled as their conduct undermined the interests of the party and brought Reform UK into disrepute.”
On allegations of bullying, a party source said: “The party takes claims of bullying seriously. If there was any credible evidence of this we would not have hesitated to take action.”
The leaked video appeared on the Guardian website last Saturday afternoon and within hours Cllr Kemkaran sent a message to her councillors describing the culprits as “cowards” who had committed an act of “treachery”.
On Sunday it emerged that a back bencher was considering gathering enough signatures to spark a vote of no confidence in the leadership of KCC.
The following day, four Reform councillors – Cllrs Barrett, Maxine Fothergill, Oliver Bradshaw and Paul Thomas – had the whip suspended pending an investigation into the Guardian leak.
Cllr Kemkaran sent a message to members on Tuesday asking them to sign a pledge of support to their leader.
Two days later, it emerged that at least five Reform members had lodged complaints with the party’s head office about the style and culture of the leadership at KCC.
Linden Kemkara’s management style appears to be modelled on that of Donald Trump. An autocracy, with no understanding of the Democratic Process.
I imagine things at County Hall will get worse before they get better.
Another day,another soap opera.
We start with Kemkaren berating and swearing at her fellow councillors.She appears to be her own opposition.
Next instead of apologising, she seeks out the traitors.
Four are picked and suspended.
Five more send in complaints to Reform HQ.
Now two of the original quadrate are as Mr Finlay calls it “booted out”.
This will either stem the bad news for now, or others will jump ship and form their own KIG outfit (Kent Independent Group).
My suggestion to Ms Kemkaran is, if you are intending on operating a mushroom policy with your back bench, it would be as well to leaven it with small rewards of some sort.
Kemkaran does not seem to be that sort of individual, and for that matter,neither is Reform that sort of party.This is a coalition of the angry, and as such they won’t take to autocrats easily, whether they be within their group or remotely operated from Reform HQ.
For as long as there is success in every packet the coalition will hold.If on the other hand they meet adverse conditions, the glue that binds them, may weaken, causing splits, disruption and public rows. Kemkaran has created a centre of disaffection which can only grow larger.
It wasn’t like this when you were an imaginary KCC cllr then?
😂
No it was not like that 45 years ago.The likes of Bobby Neame were polite even to minor members of the opposition.
We debated vigorously but with respect.All there is now is hate and anger.
Thank you for the clue George. Bobby Neame served as member of KCC from 1965 until his defeat in 1989. So you served at sometime between those dates? Looking at the election data for the four yearly elections between 1973 and 1989 I can find no record of a G Nokes. I can only presume that you a) Served between the dates of 1965 to 1973. b) you stood at a by-election between 1973 and 1989 and did not seek re-election at the end of your term or c) You sought election and was successful under a different name. I wonder which one it is?
George is great at criticising current cllrs (except when they’re Labour of course), but doesn’t like to be scrutinised for what he’s done in the past.
I find your intense interest in Mr Nokes rather peculiar.
I find your acceptance of his “facts” even more peculiar, particularly as you so often like people to cite sources. He’s either a Walter Mitty character, or he has something to hide.
“He’s either a Walter Mitty character, or he has something to hide.”
Or, he’s a private citizen now, who like anyone else, is afforded a right to anonymity online to prevent snotty little bullies targeting them.
He called me a liar for simply stating that I voted Labour in the last election. So I have every right to call him/her/they a liar too.
No surprises. Farage’s previous UKIP party set the standard when they ran TDC. Took nearly three years of splits, defections, chaos, resignations, arrests, but eventually they gave up and handed it all back to the Conservatives. The people of Thanet are still paying the price for that legacy of chaos.
KCC nearly as bad as Thanet District Council
Give them time Zoe, its early days yet, and my guess is they will disappear up their own rear end, as the rabid right usually do! Even if I have made a similar comment in the past, its worth repeating! Can you switch that damn machine off Kathy?
What machine?
The one that keeps saying I have made a comment before, so its not published again, I take it its a machine, or is it AI?
It seems almost rotten to comment on this ratbag of ex Tories and Kippers fighting like ferrets in a sack but some of us warned that these characters couldn’t organise a p☆☆s in a brewery, so can only say “told you so”.
Who on earth voted for these twits, ex Tories and Kippers. Says it all as far as I am concerned.
More people that voted for any of the other candidates on offer. That’s who.
It was a protest vote, and many people sat on their hands, which will happen at the next General Election letting Reform win by default!
Checksfield gets snidey when he is on a sticky wicket and he is with Reform.
My facts as he calls them are based on verifiable historical records and actual experience. As always he is wrong, because I do criticise Labour a lot, especially the local mob, who have much to answer for.
As for Lawrence, well his doleful record is I am afraid is a matter of record.
The thing is this article is about the Reform soap opera and failure of leadership not me, and it says something for the Reform groupies, that are trying to distract from the Kemkaran example of how not to lead a council group.
Why post under a pseudonym then? There has never been a KCC cllr called “George Nokes”.
Peter the two 🥱 🥱 were not meant for you.
Of course! : )
Still I have got to hand it to George or whatever his real name is Tom, Dick, Harry or Richard he has style!!!
why not post under a pseudonym? Not all of us are desperate for validation and acceptance from internet comment sections, like some.
I have personally no problem with Pseudonyms as long the individual using them does not use it as a cover to belittle and be rude to others who post. Still I have a fair idea now who George Nokes really is and his past behaviour on here is a disgrace considering the positions he once held and not just as a County Councillor! As for your comment ‘not all of us are desperate for validation and acceptance from internet comment sections’ sounds just straight out of the George Nokes playbook! Have a nice day.
I think you’re a little bit too invested, given he was a councillor when I was still being formed in my Dads balls…Paranoid delusions and fighting imaginary enemies isn’t condusive to long term mental health mate. Hope you’re ok.
I know exactly who he is, but I won’t “out” him just yet.
🥱 🥱
Mr. Nokes- I always associate your name/pseudonym) with the founding editor of “The Railway Magazine”.
You’re absolutely right about these awful Reformers, and Ms Kemkaran is one of those who aren’t fit to be in charge of anything important.
I always associate your name with the lead vocalists of Motown legends Martha and The Vandellas.
Both are wrong.