Three more Kent County Council Reform UK councillors expelled
The Party say it is at the "request of the leader"
Reform UK has expelled another three county councillors from the party this afternoon alleging “a pattern of dishonest and deceptive behaviour”.
The dismissals of Cllrs Brian Black, Paul Thomas and Oliver Bradshaw brings to five the number of expulsions from the Kent County Council group in the past four days.
A short statement issued by Reform UK HQ in London said the decision to expel the trio came after a meeting called “at the request of the leader”, Cllr Linden Kemkaran.
The KCC leadership has been embroiled in controversy since the Guardian published a leaked video of Cllr Kemkaran swearing raising her voice during a virtual meeting.
Within hours of the piece going live on Saturday October 18, the leader promised to hunt down the culprits.
Initially, Cllrs Thomas, Bradshaw, Bill Barrett and Maxine Fothergill were suspended.
Since then, Cllr Barrett and another councillor Cllr Robert Ford were dismissed on Friday but not for leaking the video.
The party has not specified what the councillors are alleged to have done.
A short statement from Reform UK said: “At the request of the leader of Kent County Council, Cllr Black and Cllr Thomas were invited to meet with officials from Reform HQ in order to find a way forward for all involved.
“Following this meeting, a decision has been made to expel Cllr Black, Cllr Thomas and Cllr Bradshaw from the party after they displayed a lack of integrity.
“These individuals have shown a pattern of dishonest and deceptive behaviour which the party will not tolerate from its elected officials.”
Cllr Bradshaw, who represents Maidstone Central on KCC, declined to comment.