Flagship Reform council plans to raise tax by almost 4% – despite pledging cuts
Reform accused of ‘betraying’ election pledge with council tax rise
- Reform UK-led Kent County Council (KCC) has unveiled a draft budget proposing a 3.99 per cent council tax increase.
- This proposal contradicts the party's pre-election pledges to cut taxes, with an average Band D household facing an estimated £67.47 annual rise.
- Other local authorities where Reform UK holds a majority, including Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and the Northamptonshires, are also proposing significant council tax increases, some up to the 5 per cent maximum.
- A leaked video revealed KCC leader Linden Kemkaran advising colleagues to keep the increase below 5 per cent to serve as a "shop window" for the party.
- Opposition councillors have criticised Reform for a "total betrayal" of promises and warned that raising council tax by less than the government's 5 per cent cap could lead to reduced central government grants.