Reform-led Kent council accused of breaking pledges with council tax rise of almost 4% – UK politics live

Leader of Lib Dem opposition says promises of tax cuts made before local elections had been ‘utterly broken’Reform UK’s “flagship” local authority has raised council tax by almost 4% despite pledges to cut taxes before last year’s local elections, PA Media reports. PA says:Kent county council (KCC) produced its draft budget for 2026-27 on Thursday evening, revealing a 3.99% council tax hike.Reform UK took control of KCC after the local elections in May where it overturned a 30-year Tory majority, winning 57 out of 81 seats.These proposals reflect the real priorities of Kent residents. People took the time to share their views, and we listened …Through sound financial management and efficiencies, the council has been able to keep the proposed [council tax] increase below the level previously expected.Reform 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’s a poor outcome given the hype and promises made at the election and for the last nine months.Over 1,000 amendments in committee have been tabled, arranged into approximately 84 groups. So far, we have spent in total some 32 hours in this house scrutinising the bill, and we have another 50 hours scheduled.However, in four days of committee – about 17 hours – we have considered only 10 groups. If we continue at the rate we are going, this house will fail to complete the process of scrutiny.This house is more respected, not less, for giving extensive scrutiny to this bill. I think it would be a sad day if those of us who believe in exhaustive scrutiny and extensive debate were to be told that that was not in our best traditions.I am reminded of a wonderfully wise Scottish saying from the 16th century, which I believe this bill shows has stood the test of time: “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.” Our procedures are being followed appropriately and reasonably. If any bill is so poorly drafted and so unsafe, surely the question is not so much whether the bill deserves more time, but whether yet more time could transform it. Continue reading...