The Graun splashed with leaked footage from Kent County Council's cabinet meeting, which advertised a behind-the-scenes culture of fractiousness, bad language, and non-collegiate behaviour. In the fall out, four suspects/awkwards were turfed out the council group. The problem being that Reform in Kent, as in many other places, were voted in on the back of false promises that they would identify and cut waste without impacting on service delivery. A rather bold if not stupid claim, given the 14-year long butchery of local government. Kent have now gone a step further and has begged their opposition for help in finding savings to avoid putting Council Tax up. I'm sure other parties in the chamber will be falling over themselves to assist.
Kent is but one of several local government difficulties. Northumberland has seen three councillors expelled after notifying the national party about competency concerns. Nottinghamshire council group famously blacklisted the local paper, the Evening Post, and councillors refused to engage with them. They climbed down following legal threats. Reform in Derbyshire are pushing an unpopular care home fire sale, while their SEND cabinet member - an issue Reform professes to care about - has resigned. All over the country there are similar stories. Locals falling out. Councillors ditching their seats. New councils having nary a clue. It's a refraction of the chaos at the top of the party, which is two MPs down on where they should be since the election. And as if to underscore it, Zia Yusuf has resigned again. This time from Reform's pathetic council efficiency unit.
Division and infighting is the lot for Reform. As it was for UKIP before it. And that is why, from his point of view, Farage was wise to keep a firm control over his new personality vehicle. The private ownership model, which has now been superseded by a "democratic" model where Farage's writ runs unchallenged means the anointed one doesn't have to even pay lip service to democratic proprietary. If someone annoys the boss for any reason at all, they're gone. No matter how much sound and fury those on the receiving end kick up.
But does this matter? Chaos is not specific to Reform. It's a feature of all parties of the Farageist type. Yet fallings outs and expulsions have not derailed continental far right parties. And, sadly, it's unlikely council tax rises and other debacles in local government are going to reduce their support because that's not why people vote for them. Reform's standing begins and ends with Farage. And for anyone wanting to successfully overcome the challenge his party presents, political criticisms and attacks have to focus on him.
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