A Labour group will use 11 out of 13 questions at its next full council meeting to target Reform UK – and its handling of a different council.
The questions ask cabinet members of the ruling Labour administration at Medway Council about comments and policies which have been discussed or put forward not by them – but by Kent County Council (KCC) leader Linden Kemkaran and her party at County Hall.
But the Towns’ own Reform UK members say it’s not a productive use of time and questions would be better used to discuss issues actually affecting Medway.
Full council meetings enable members of the public as well as members of the council to ask councillors in charge of departments questions on any topic.
These can be on ward issues or the impact of national policies, but are often used to make political points in favour or in opposition to the ruling group.
However, of the 13 member’s questions scheduled only two are not on topics directly or indirectly related to actions or comments from KCC – the two being from Medway Council’s Reform councillors David Finch and John Vye.
Of the 11 questions from Labour members, they ask about ending working from home, cutting English language classes, opting out of the public sector pension scheme and the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (Doge) team – all of which have either been suggested or implemented at KCC since Reform UK took control in May.
These questions will be answered by Labour councillors who hold positions in the cabinet.
The swathe of Reform-centred questions has not gone unnoticed by other councillors, with the Independent Group’s Cllr Elizabeth Turpin writing on social media: “Are @MedwayLabour obsessed with Reform UK or just very scared of them?
“All of their questions at Thursday’s Full Council meeting relate in someway to Reform.
“Did they really not consider the optics before submitting all these questions?”
In response, Cllr David Finch (Ref) said: “Frankly, it’s all a bit amusing on our side. Cllr Linden Kemkaran, the Leader of Kent County Council, has even taken the time to respond to each of Labour’s questions for Thursday’s meeting.
“I’m more than happy to read her answers out on the night – although I suspect Labour aren’t really interested in hearing responses, just in headline-grabbing and political theatre.
“Sadly, this sort of pantomime just wastes valuable council time and leaves Medway residents wondering why their needs aren’t the priority.
“If you look at the agenda, you’ll see that the only two questions actually about Medway come from Reform UK councillors.
“But I wouldn’t be surprised if we run out of time for those, after all the grandstanding.
“At the end of the day, it’s Reform UK who are talking about residents, fairness, and value for money – and it’s Labour who are talking about us.
“That probably tells you all you need to know about which party is leading and which is chasing.”
The two questions not about Reform UK at KCC focus on comments made by Council leader Cllr Vince Maple (Lab) about the designation of Chatham Docks within the Local Plan and his suggestion ArcelorMittal KentWire had not made a bid to purchase the land from Peel Waters.
The other was about the cost of Medway Council’s effort to becoming a ‘Marmot Place’, meaning it aims to address health inequalities through social determinants, such as housing, employment and air quality, among others.
Medway Labour were contacted for comment.
