By Local Democracy Reporter Simon Finlay
The newly-formed Restore Britain political group at Kent County Council has elected its new leader and deputy and vowed to fight the forthcoming by-election in Thanet.
Cllr Paul Thomas will head up the seven-strong team with Cllr Maxine Fothergill as his second in command.
The new leaders emerged from the Medway Suite after a 90-minute meeting followed by their group members, promising a “refreshing approach” to local politics.
But minutes after the duo were unveiled, Reform UK announced that two Thanet district councillors had defected to Nigel Farage’s outfit.
Cllr Thomas said: “As I said in my speech just now, it’s not about me, it’s about us and about the communities we serve.
“You’ll see a refreshing approach where we are there for the local people in our divisions.
“I am honoured to be elected as the leader of the restore Britain group on KCC. My focus will be to empower the experienced group members to champion local issues unimpeded and the wider Kent area together.”
Cllr Thomas claimed the fledgling party, started by former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe, now has “thousands” of members in Kent.
He said if the party can get permission from the Electoral Commission to field a candidate in time for the Cliftonville by-election, it will, but if not will endorse an independent who would join the group at KCC should they win.
Rupert Lowe said in a statement: “I am delighted with the team we are building in Kent. This is one of our strongest counties in terms of membership and we are fully expecting to compete in seats across Kent at the next general election.
“Our councillors will have the freedom to decide on local issues. There will be no national whip…we trust our councillors to make the right decisions for their residents. Unusual to hear in politics, I know.”
Cllr Fothergill said she is “proud” to be part of the party and the newly-formed group.
She added: “It feels like new beginnings and a huge opportunity.
“I am under no illusion that there is a big job ahead of us. We are confident we will be ready for the next general election and I am delighted to be elected as deputy leader of such a strong group at KCC.”
The current seven Restore Britain members at County Hall are Cllr Fothergill (Sevenoaks), Isabella Kemp (Sheppey); Brian Black (Maidstone rural south); Cllr Thomas (Maidstone south); Oliver Bradshaw (Maidstone central) and Robert Ford (Maidstone rural west) and Dean Burns (Ashford East).
Apart from Cllr Burns, all six were booted out of Reform UK last autumn for alleged disloyalty and bringing the party into disrepute. All the expelled members denied any wrong-doing.
If Restore Britain does field a candidate in the forthcoming by-election at Cliftonville, there could be a split in the hard right vote.
It was sparked by former Reform UK councillor Daniel Taylor being jailed for a year for controlling or coercive behaviour towards his wife.
Taylor was suspended from the party after he was charged with the offence last summer. He attended the last full council meeting on February 12.
The by-election is likely to be held in early April.
In May 2025, Taylor won with more than 40% of the vote, ahead of Labour on 22% and the Conservatives on 19%. The turnout was just 33%.
Cllr Alister Brady, co-leader of the KCC Labour group, believes that having come second last time, his party could be well-placed to take it, claiming Reform’s record is now under intense scrutiny since sweeping into power.
Labour’s campaign machine is enhanced by having MP Polly Billington on the patch and some observers see left and right-leaning voters tactically coalescing to keep Reform out.
One said: “It makes sense. But it would take a big chunk of the Tory, Green and Lib Dem vote to get behind Labour to make it happen – but it could – and a Restore Britain candidate might make life even harder for Reform.”
But Cllr Tricia Austin, Leader of the Green Group at Thanet council, disagreed.
She said: “In last year’s KCC elections in Thanet, the Greens polled higher than Labour in four out of seven seats – and our local membership has quadrupled since then. Politics has changed.
“Sadly, Labour are still using their old trope of ‘Only Labour can beat the Tories/Reform/ Restore Britain’ – but it simply isn’t true. So maybe it’s time for Labour and the Lib Dems to get behind the Greens and campaign for hope, not hate?”
With Cllr Burns defection to Restore Britain, the number of Reform UK members at County Hall has dropped from 57 to 47.
The current make-up at County Hall is: Reform UK – 47; Liberal Democrats – 12; Restore Britain – 7; Conservatives – 5; Green – 4; Labour – 2; Independents – 2; UKIP -1 and one vacancy.
Thanet district councillors Marc Rattigan (Cliftonville East), a former Tory, and independent John Dennis (Garlinge) joined Reform UK today.
As usual, any party that involves Farage and his cronies splinters into other groups.
The Judean People’s Front?
Haha!
Splitters…
KCC Cllrs get a minimum payment of £50K pa, I believe? Party hopping is the new bed hopping, and just as ignoble.Do we, the electorate( and paymasters) really have no say in this immoral behaviour?
No, they get £17k. per annum
Interesting times.
It all depends on turn out
Will they be decorating any roundabouts?
These are the flotsom and jetsom of the tory party;the great ignored. They join up to Reform,and get the putin treatment from Farage and his bumptious associates.They split or are pushed out from Reform and start chiselling away at the right wing vote.
In the past all these outfits were considered to be joke parties, but now because so many people in the UK are pissed off with the two mainstream parties, anything can happen.
The Greens are attractive to millenials,generation z etc,and Reform, Restore,ruebarb etc is mainly representing boomers, or granny and grandad.These voters want white faces in the hospitals,free parking for the over 65’s and reruns of Heartbeat, and Vera on the telly.
They don’t appear to recognise the neo nazi overtones of some of these politicians, and don’t care anyway. Any bye election will attract about a 25% turnout, and someone will claim a great victory on that basis.
I’d vote Green if they focused on Green policies instead of hating Jews, and Labour have been disastrous. So I’ll probably go back to the Conservatives again, particularly if Badenoch is still in charge (nothing would say more for equality than having a black female PM!).
You seem to be hopelessly confused Checksfield, and not just about politics. Since when have the Greens opposed Jews, who are people who practice a religious faith? I dislike ALL religious institutions, as they are coercive and controlling, and I can’t stand all that singing in the C of E!
Zionists, like me.