An ex-Reform UK councillor has claimed the party shows a lack of “human decency” and is worried about how they treat power.
Bill Barrett was one of 57 Reform UK councillors elected to Kent County Council (KCC) at the local elections in May overturning a 30-year Tory majority.
Last week, he was expelled from Reform UK for “undermining” the interests of the party in an email from their headquarters.
He was one of four councillors to be suspended from the party following a video meeting of KCC leader Linden Kemkaren swearing and shouting at her members.
Mr Barrett, who represents Ashford, insists that Reform UK “don’t know” who leaked the video and so they have used it to conduct “operation clean sweep” on any councillors who were challenging them.
“They just basically suspended everyone and then expelled everyone on individual points that had nothing to do with the Guardian leak,” said Mr Barrett.
He later added: “They still have absolutely no idea who released the information to The Guardian and the truth of it is that none of us do.”
The newly independent councillor was extremely critical of the Reform UK hierarchy in Kent, and at a national level, and cast doubt on their ability to govern effectively.
He pointed to a lack of “decency” across Reform UK as a whole and said the KCC group leaders have an “inability to treat human beings with respect”.
Mr Barrett told the PA news agency: “If they’re prepared to treat each other in this manner, how are they going to treat power and how are they going to treat the public?
“What’s going to happen is they’re basically going to get into power and they’re going to say, ‘this is the way it’s going to be’, that’s exactly what Kemkaran does at KCC.”
In the leaked video Ms Kemkaran told her councillors to “f****** suck it up” if they did not like her decisions on big topics, to visible surprise from members on the call.
“She literally is a dictator that believes that her rule is pure authority,” said Mr Barrett.
Mr Barrett also argued that “any other” political party would have removed Linden Kemkaran at this stage, and would have dealt with complaints from backbenchers.
“A lack of experience and probably a lack of human decency has led them to behave in this manner,” he said.
The councillor explained he had joined Reform UK because it was a new party with new aspirations and he “liked the look” of Nigel Farage as a leader.
Mr Barrett said: “I joined the Weald of Kent branch, and they helped me to get elected. And they’re lovely people, hard working reformers. But as soon as we got in that building and Kemkaran took over, it was like a switch had flipped.
“The power went straight to hers and Brian Collins’s head, and it just turned into a dictatorial downward spiral.”
He added that he had been expelled from the party for screenshots of WhatsApp messages sent in the Weald of Kent Reform UK group chat criticising their new deputy chief whip.
In May, Mr Barrett was the member for transport in KCC’s cabinet, before leaving his post by “agreement” which he disputes.
“There’s no mutual accord, they are more than willing to lie to the press to suit their story. It’s happened again and again and again,” he said.
On Monday, KCC councillors Oliver Bradshaw, Paul Thomas and Brian Black, were removed from the party for “dishonest and deceptive behaviour”, which Reform UK have connected to the video leak.
Maxine Fothergill was also suspended by Reform UK over the incident but has not yet been expelled.
Another councillor, Robert Ford was expelled last week after allegations of misconduct following an “unofficial complaint” from several female members of KCC staff.
With a budget of more than £2.5 billion, Ms Kemkaran has said the council is a “shop window” for what Reform UK could do if it ran the country.
A Reform UK spokesperson said: “These are comments from an individual who has shown a pattern of dishonesty and deception throughout the investigation process, ultimately leading to his expulsion from the party.
“Councillor Barrett’s involvement in the leaking of a confidential meeting betrayed the trust of the whole group and the people that elected Reform UK in Kent County Council.
“His campaign to undermine the leadership has been in full swing since he was removed from his cabinet position in July after failing to meet the standards required of his role.
“Councillor Kemkaran commands the confidence of the group. She and the Reform UK administration will not be blown off course by a small group of individuals who chose to put their own egos above the interests of local people.”
PA news agency has also contacted Ms Kemkaran along with Brian Collins and Maxwell Harrison for comment.
