Reform party, now running Kent County Council are likely to raise the rate Council tax.

Chocolatelovinggran

I live in Kent and was amused by the rhetoric from the Reform group about the massive savings they would make by cutting waste and removing expensive DEI initiatives.
When in power they discovered - surprise, surprise, the previous Conservative team had cut all the waste, and there were no expensive DEI initiatives.
They did take down the flag of Ukraine, so perhaps that was sold on eBay.
I was angered to learn that they had sold off many works of art belonging to the people of Kent, not the Reform party, to raise a little cash, with no consultation with the owners - us.

But you have Farage standing on the cliffs of Dover guarding you all from marauding foreigners! Be grateful!!

You are replying to spam, sunami.

PaynesGrey

You are replying to spam, sunami.

I suspected it was spam, but this interests me

Many people who didn’t pay taxes may still have contributed to society in other ways

It seems that the idea for providing old age pensions was introduced by Germany in the late 19th C. The German government seems to have had some understanding of how a money based economy 'works'. The pension was not only to support old people who could no longer work (so motivated by humanitarian concerns) but it was recognised that the money paid to them would be spent into the economy and so help to support it.

The comment about 'people who didn't pay taxes' ignores this second point. While these people didn't pay income taxes they still spent money into the economy and very little of the money spent into the economy escapes taxation. So their spending helped to sustain the economy. Pensioner's spending helps to sustain the economy, however the money was obtained in the first place.

Because nearly all a nation's money originates with its government (government issues the money and taxes it back to prevent a surplus being accumulated) and its primary purpose is to enable economic activity.

In the US civil war, when there was a shortage of money in circulation the Federal government (i.e the government of the non breakaway states) solved the problem of money shortage by issuing a new currency, the 'greenback dollar' with which to pay the suppliers of their military needs and for the general population to be able to carry on domestic trading in the normal way. These dollars weren't backed by gold or silver, but were accepted as a medium for economic activity because the Federal government insisted that they were used for payment of taxes.

What we forget is that 'money' is an artificial construct which only acquires its universal acceptance in a society because firstly, it is needed to pay taxes and secondly its 'value' is fairly stable and is trusted by those who use it. And it only has any value when it is being used in trading/exchange activity. If everyone were completely self sufficient, able to provide for their needs for shelter, food and clothing using natural resources we wouldn't actually need it...

PaynesGrey

You are replying to spam, sunami.

Oh! I thought I'd seen that username before. Never mind, the idea of Farage standing on the cliffs of Dover looking all fierce and shouting in a menacing way is quite amusing. (As if "boat people" would be scared!)

Ah! I see PaynesGray's post was referring to my previous post.

Yes, I am a real person, sunami, and I take your point: all of us in East Kent should sleep safer in our beds knowing that Mr Farage is our guard dog.

I get where you’re coming from, but it’s not that simple. Many people contribute to society in ways that don’t show up on tax records — unpaid caregiving, volunteer work, or informal jobs. Pensions are meant to support everyone in old age, not just those with formal employment. The bigger focus should be on reforming the system to make it fair and sustainable for everyone, rather than pointing fingers at specific groups flstudiomobileapk.net/

Read yesterday that two more Reform councillors have been 'ejected' in Kent. Not sure if it was from Reform or the Council or both.
How many more can they afford to lose, without losing control of the council?

Indeed Maremia. Interestingly, the foul mouthed bully who is the leader of the council is still in place : her critics are not.

Did they just repaint the traffic hazard road signs outside a primary school...that has been closed for ten years????

Maremia

Did they just repaint the traffic hazard road signs outside a primary school...that has been closed for ten years????

I don't in all honesty, think that you could blame the the Reform councillors for that. It sounds more like a Works Dept. cock up...

Though that's the sort of 'waste' I'd expect the councillors to be jumping on

Probably. The site was sold earlier this year for a housing development. Someone didn’t get the memo that the school was closed in 2016.

In other news, Reform are falling apart in Cornwall too.

Extract:

Six months on from the local elections – after which Reform was unable to form an administration, leaving the Liberal Democrats and independents to set up a ruling coalition – the party’s presence in the county is in disarray following weeks of resignations, suspensions and infighting that mean Reform UK no longer holds the highest number of seats in the authority.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/nov/16/when-reality-bites-the-rapid-rise-and-chaotic-fall-of-reform-uk-in-cornwall

God help the people of Kent.

Anyone thinking of voting Reform in the next General Election should stay informed about Reform's management (if one can call it that) of Kent County Council and understand what that would mean for the UK as a whole.

In which case God help us all.

I wonder how many Reform politicians will now come under scrutiny about Russian influence?

As many who have promoted pro Russia views- including Farage. It would be good to have an update on the Frage's current views on Russia, Putin and the state of its 'democracy' at the very least- or is Putin still the political leader he admires?

windmill1

Is Kent County Council the one with spotty, clueless 18 year olds trying to run it ?

No. They're not spotty as far as I know but they are clueless. It's so easy to scream 'waste' before the election and so difficult when they found the previous majority (Tories, in the case of Kent) had already stripped out waste. They also seem to fall out with each other: sensible Parties understand working as a team. They will undoubtedly have to put up Kent's council tax and the voters will have to 'suck it up' - isn't that the favoured expression?

But they're still ahead in the polls?

Yes, but the numbers are dropping.

The only poll that cou is is the election. There's time for the penny to drop.

Oh and here's me thinking Reform was a popular party- must have got it all wrong...lol!

Populist keepingquiet. There is no evidence that they are running Kent County Council competently.
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/reform-uk-suspended-councillor-kent-county-council-b2859820.html

Newest development in the Kent County Council soap opera- a Reform councillor threatened to punch a colleague in a meeting ... as you do...

Mt61

Yes I would say they’re all the same. Labour promised not to put up CT but did 😩

This is not accurate:
pa.media/blogs/fact-check/fact-check-labours-council-tax-promise-applied-to-2023-2024/

Reform also run Worcestershire county council, Worcestershire in the county I grew up in and I have friends who still live there, they tell me Reform have halted the building of a much needed high school meaning some pupils will have to travel to other high schools in the county. Reform are also exploring the possibility of raising the council tax by 10%.

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