Reform UK Kent cover-up claim over green plans

Reform-run Kent council has been accused of trying to block scrutiny after it refused, for more than five months, to produce evidence that it had saved more than £40m by cancelling two environmental projects that did not exist yet.

- Peter Walker Senior political correspondent

Polly Billington, a Labour MP in Kent, first requested background to the claim via a freedom of information (Fol) request in July. She said the subsequent delay had not been explained and seemed to show the council was embarrassed at what the documents would show.

Kent county council said it rejected any suggestion of a cover-up, and that it planned to release the information to Billington, the East Thanet MP.

The saga began when the Kent leader, Linden Kemkaran, told a council meeting on 10 July that the authority had saved £32m by scrapping a programme to make properties more environmentally friendly, and £7.5m by not making the council’s fleet of vehicles electric by 2030.

This prompted the Fol request from Billington, which requested documents setting out how the total figure had been calculated.