A county councillor claims he was “ambushed” by Reform UK’s top table at County Hall who he says are “focused on soundbite politics”.
Cllr Bill Barrett, the former cabinet member for highways and transport at Kent County Council, says the leadership has “rushed to make an impression” with ill-thought-out plans for spending cuts.
It follows the Ashford Rural South member’s removal from the cabinet just weeks into the job on Monday.
A statement was released by KCC leader Linden Kemkaran, saying he had been replaced, while a Reform UK spokesperson insisted he had not been sacked.
But Cllr Barrett insists he was sacked after he walked out of a tense meeting with Cllr Kemkaran, chief whip Cllr Maxwell Harrison and deputy leader Cllr Brian Collins.
He told KentOnline he has filed a formal complaint to Reform’s national chairman David Bull, and to KCC’s chief executive, Amanda Beer.
He said: “There is a very top-down culture. They want everyone to go quietly, along with the leadership and not question things.
“I think I didn’t fit in because I was not nice, quiet and obedient. I want to question things as a politician should.
“They think it’s all about savings, they are not interested in something if it doesn’t have a pound sign attached to it. To them it’s all about money yet politics is more than that, it’s about people and communities.”
The KCC Reform leadership, which took over after May’s election, is on a blitz to establish what it believes is wasteful spending.
But Cllr Barrett believes those savings plans have not been properly thought through and have been “rushed to make an impression because it is all about soundbite politics”.
He believes that a major problem is that the bulk of Reform UK members in the authorities have no political experience, having been elected councillors for the first time this spring.
Cllr Barrett’s meeting with the leadership came just hours after a visit from party leader Nigel Farage, however, he told Politico he does not believe the decision was linked.
An official statement from County Hall on Monday said: “The leader of KCC has announced a change to her cabinet.
“Linden Kemkaran says Bill Barrett, who represents Ashford Rural South, made the decision to step down from his role as Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport.
“He will be replaced by his deputy Peter Osborne, Member for Hythe West.”
In addition to the statement, Cllr Kemkaran said on Monday: “I have today made changes to my cabinet team to support me, and KCC, to deliver the ambitious plans we have set out to improve this authority and the county of Kent.
“It’s still early days for the Reform administration at KCC, and reshuffling and fine-tuning my cabinet is something I have to do as leader, to ensure that I have the best possible team around the top table who can deliver on the promises we have made to Kent residents.
“Every member of my cabinet took the role on the understanding that their position may be subject to changes.”
Cllr Barrett said he had been questioned about cuts in school pupil transportation.
But he stressed it was under the education department budget and queried why the education member was not present at the meeting too.
He also says Kemkaran gave him one month to find cuts from a dossier on the highways department, which officials had drawn up in recent weeks.
The Ashford borough councillor added he felt the atmosphere was so hostile that he walked out after 50 minutes.
Describing the meeting as an “ambush”, Cllr Barrett told KentOnline: “This isn’t a bollocking, it’s a preamble to a bollocking.
“Kemjaran told me: ‘If you’re going through that door you’re gone’.”
He stressed he never resigned but took the leader’s threat that by leaving, it meant he was sacked.
Chief whip Cllr Maxwell Harrison previously said: “Bill wasn’t sacked. He agreed to leave – it was an agreement. Bill was doing a good job and there was no bad blood. He is a talented individual.
“But we have to make sure that we have the right people in the right places.”
Responding to Cllr Barrett’s comments, KCC leader Cllr Kemkaran said: “Naturally, it’s always slightly disappointing when a colleague who’s been given every chance to step up and improve their performance declines the opportunity and instead walks out of a meeting, knowing that it would mean they’d lose their position.
“We have a new cabinet member for highways and transport firmly in place and as far as we are concerned it’s business as usual, serving the people of Kent.
“What I’m not going to do is give a running commentary on the members’ positions here at KCC. We’re simply getting on with the job.”
Cllr Barrett was elected to the county council for the first time this year but he continues as an Ashford borough councillor after 10 years, representing Singleton East ward.
The married dad says he will remain as Reform UK backbencher as he believes in the national party’s policies.
