Reform councillors in Kent condemned for spending thousands on political assistants

"Reform UK's flagship local authority, Kent county council, has been condemned for pushing through plans to spend tens of thousands of pounds on hiring political assistants. The move comes after councillors from Nigel Farage's party in Warwickshire were accused of hypocrisy in July when they voted to spend 150,000 on the advisers, some of whom are being parachuted in by the national party to deal with a litany of issues at Reform-run councils. Both councils face budget crises and Reform candidates were voted in on pledges to cut waste and save money."

"A new leaked recording of a meeting of the Reform councillors in Kent wearing turquoise Santa's elf hats showed them being told earlier this week by one of their leaders, Maxwell Harrison, that a former Reform director of campaigning and training at the party's head office had been hired by the council as a political assistant. Harrison named him as Michael Hadwen, who has attracted controversy for social media posts including expressing support for Enoch Powell's ideas about immigration. In response to a tweet by Daniel Hannan, the Conservative politician, which said that Powell was wrong about immigration, Hadwen said: Enoch was right, he was just before the times. In April 2018 about a month after Russian agents attempted to assassinate Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury Hadwen also said that Russia is not my enemy, adding: We should be working with them, and not throwing around threats like a spoilt child."

"The appointment was voted through on Thursday with 45 votes in favour and 26 against at a meeting of Kent county council, where Reform continues to hold a majority after it purged a number of councillors amid bitter internal divisions. Those reprisals came after footage leaked to the Guardian showed Reform councillors squabbling among themselves and being told to fucking suck it up by their leader, Linden Kemkaran."

Kent county council approved plans to spend tens of thousands of pounds on hiring political assistants while facing a budget crisis. Similar spending in Warwickshire prompted accusations of hypocrisy after councillors voted to allocate £150,000 for advisers, some seconded by the national party. A leaked recording revealed a former party director was hired as a political assistant and was named as Michael Hadwen, whose social media posts praised Enoch Powell and advocated working with Russia. The appointment passed 45 to 26 amid internal purges and leaked footage showing infighting among Reform councillors.

Read at www.theguardian.com