Reform now face responsibility of power

FIRSTLY, congratulations to the Reform Party on their local election results. These were not the results I wanted, but the beauty of democracy that you do not always win.

- Tony Vaughan

Reform's local election success begs questions: what are they about? Who are they for? What drives them?

It is clear to me that Reform want to drastically cut our public services, despite 14 years of cruel Tory austerity. Labour is increasing investment in our public services.

Reform want large tax cuts instead of public service investment.

One of the first things that Linden Kemkaran, the new Reform leader of Kent County Council, said was that she wanted “to appoint some sort of DOGE", referring to the “Department for Government Efficiency” in the United States, which has decimated the Departments for Education, Environment, Health, and more.

But in Kent, there is nothing left to cut. Adult social care and Special Educational Needs, for example, are on their knees.

The idea that swingeing cuts could be made to KCC statutory services is ludicrous.