It’s a hard no for Reform UK
The Reform UK leader of Kent County Council put in a request to the government to delay the first stage of local government reorganisation, which was swiftly rejected.
The council leader, Linden Kemkaran, said that the minister for local government Jim McMahon, who is in charge of the changes, has verbally given her a “hard no”.
The councillor is claiming that Kent County Council requires an extension as the 28 November deadline the government has set is “almost impossible” for the Reform-led council to meet.
Kemkaran instead asked to delay the devolution plans to the end of March.
Kent County Council is transitioning from a two-tier system (Kent County Council and district/borough councils) to a smaller number of larger unitary authorities.
In a statement in Parliament on 9 June, McMahon said: “In all areas, there is more than adequate time to prepare final proposals. Councils in the devolution priority programme have until September, and all others—the majority—have until November.
“That is more than adequate time for councils to be able to marshal and get their plans together and make an assessment on that basis.”
Reform UK won 57 out of 81 seats on Kent County Council. The right-wing party has pledged to slash council waste by doing away with climate change and diversity initiatives.
Yet, Reform has sought to delay local government reorganisation, despite the fact that the government argues it will ‘cut wasteful duplication of bodies’ and create efficiency savings.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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