\n<\/p>\n
Nigel Farage\u2019s Reform UK has been accused of betraying election promises to cut council tax after several councils it controls said they planned to increase rates close to the maximum allowed.<\/p>\n
They include Kent county council \u2013 the party\u2019s flagship local authority and one viewed by it as the \u201cshop window\u201d for what a Reform-led government would look like \u2013 which has proposed an increase of 3.99%.<\/p>\n
Four other county councils controlled by the party \u2013 Derbyshire, North Northamptonshire, West Northamptonshire and Leicestershire \u2013 have also all proposed 5% council tax rises, the maximum permitted by law.<\/p>\n
Derbyshire county council earlier this week confirmed the rise after predicting a \u00a338m gap in its budget, with overspends in children\u2019s social care and adult social care.<\/p>\n
Councillors on the Reform-controlled Lincolnshire county council were told on Tuesday that a 4.99% increase was being considered. A public consultation would also examine alternative options, including a rise of 3.99% \u2013 although that increase would create a deficit of \u00a34.1m.<\/p>\n
Opposition councillors in Kent accused Reform of betraying voters who had last year received leaflets from the party pledging to freeze or cut council tax.<\/p>\n
The draft budget is to be voted on at a full meeting next month. Reform still holds a significant majority in Kent, despite a series of defections and ejections of its own councillors.<\/p>\n
Bitter divisions among Reform councillors were laid bare by footage leaked to the Guardian in October, which showed a chaotic internal meeting where members were told to \u201cfucking suck it up\u201d if they did not agree with decisions.<\/p>\n
Draft budget details \u2013 including the proposed increase \u2013 were published late on Thursday night after expectations they would come out earlier in the week.<\/p>\n
Linden Kemkaran, the leader of Kent county council, said the proposed draft budget reflected what she described as the \u201cprogress\u201d made since Reform took over the council after last year\u2019s local elections.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen this administration took office, the council was facing a very serious financial situation. KCC was saddled with more than \u00a3700m of debt, around \u00a384,000 was being spent every day on interest alone, and pressures on vital services were continuing to grow.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince then, we are on track to deliver \u00a3100m of savings and income, we have reprofiled almost \u00a340m of future spending, and we have reduced the council\u2019s debt by \u00a367m,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Kemkaran said details of the draft budget proposed a council tax increase of 3.99%, instead of the 5% figure anticipated when the current administration took office, and had been achieved while protecting frontline services.<\/p>\n
However, the opposition Liberal Democrat group on the council accused Reform of financial mismanagement and a \u201ctotal betrayal\u201d of election promises.<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite campaigning on a platform of tax cuts, Reform\u2019s budget will see the average Band D household pay roughly \u00a367.47 more per year,\u201d said the Liberal Democrat leader, Anthony Hook.<\/p>\n
\u201cReform stood for election promising to make savings and lower the burden on taxpayers. Today, that promise has been utterly broken. They are boasting about a nearly 4% increase instead of 5%, a difference of just 33p per week for the average Kent family. It is a poor outcome given the hype and promises made at the election and for the last nine months.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alister Brady, a Labour member of the council, said: \u201cReform will try to deflect and mislead but the facts are clear. During the election they said they would cut council tax but in their first budget they have put council tax up and they will need to do that for every year of their three-year budget because of their overspending. They should be honest with the public.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was also criticism from others who had originally been part of Kent\u2019s ruling Reform group.<\/p>\n
Bill Barrett, one of a number who have set up as independents, said: \u201cKemkaran may be able to say she has kept council tax rises as low as possible, but that \u00a310m less coming in from council tax means \u00a310m of savings that have to now be found.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlongside the fact we are drawing down on reserves again in this budget, I really do fear for services across Kent once we delve into the details of this draft budget.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tony Travers, a visiting professor in the London School of Economics\u2019 department of government, said: \u201cReform has been enduring a long and sharp learning experience in the last year about the realities of running council budgets that have been squeezed for the past 15 years.\u201d<\/p>\n
But he added: \u201cFrankly I am surprised that few, if any, have managed to achieve a figure significantly below 5% because it would have provided Farage with impressive political ammunition given their hopes of making further gains in local elections next year. Given that most of them are coming out with the maximum allowed increase it will be evidence, lest we need it, that there is no efficient \u2018Reform way\u2019 of filling a pothole.\u201d<\/p>\n
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