Reform's Kent councillors get a pay hike

When Reform took control of Kent Council last year, its new leader, Linden Kemkaran, was quick to vow the belt-tightening operation they were promising would extend to its own members.

Each councillor’s wages, known as their allowance, would be cut by 5% and the money spent instead on community projects, she promised, as Reform said the flagship local authority would offer a “window” into how the party would govern at the national level.

10 months on, and guess what? The council has just voted to hand its elected members a 3.8% INCREASE in their allowances to mark the fantastic job they have been doing! Members have voted 45 in favour and 22 against, with five abstentions, to give themselves a pay rise at the same time as they hike council tax for the council’s residents (the council last month approved a 3.99% council tax increase).

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In 2024/25, before Reform led the council, the total cost for councillors in allowances and expenses was £2.2m. During the current financial year, all elected Kent members have been entitled to receive a basic allowance of £16,266.91, designed to cover meeting attendance, dealing with residents’ concerns and basic office costs. This will increase to £16,885.05 under the new arrangements.

Kemkaran said the rise was “entirely reasonable”, rather than a “whopping” increase in future. The leader herself is currently entitled to claim £53,493.38, which will increase to £55,526.13 under the changes.

It continues another glorious first year in office in Kent for local man Nigel Farage’s turquoise Tories, who have lurched from shambles to shambles since taking over. Just last week it declared an “illegal migration emergency” after opposition councillors walked out of a debate in protest at what appeared to be little more than a gimmicky announcement.

Meanwhile, a by-election for the Cliftonville ward in Margate will be held on April 9 after Reform councillor Daniel Taylor was removed upon being jailed for behaving in a controlling or coercive way towards his wife. The prosecution said Taylor had told his wife he would hunt her like prey and kill her, and that he would “put you in the boot and set fire to the car”.