The Fire Brigades Union has issued a stark warning that political chaos within Reform UK's flagship Kent County Council is directly threatening public safety, creating what they describe as a 'shambles' in emergency service governance.
Council Suspensions Cripple Fire Authority
Since winning a majority on Kent County Council in May, Reform UK has suspended nine councillors, including five crucial members of the fire authority. Among those suspended are the authority's chair, vice chair, and three other members.
This mass suspension has left Kent’s fire and rescue service Chief Executive Anne Millington with severely restricted spending powers. Without a functioning fire authority to approve larger expenditures, the service faces operational paralysis at a time when full financial authority is critically needed.
Union Condemns 'Captain Chaos' Leadership
The Fire Brigades Union, representing firefighters across the UK, has branded the situation "a shambles and a threat to public safety" while labelling council leader Linden Kemkaran as "captain chaos".
Local union representatives have written to Kemkaran requesting an urgent meeting to address their concerns, but have received neither a response nor any indication that a meeting will be arranged.
The situation escalated further when a leaked video emerged showing Kemkaran telling unhappy Reform UK colleagues to "f*****g suck it up" if they disagreed with her decisions. This incident led to four additional Reform councillors being suspended.
Broken Governance Impacts Multiple Services
Steve Wright, FBU General Secretary, stated: "Without sound governance, fire and rescue services will not be able to do their jobs properly. The public has a right to expect that its emergency services are accountable to them and their elected representatives. At the moment, the structures for that have broken down in Kent."
Joe Weird, FBU executive council member for the South East, added: "Kent firefighters work round the clock to keep the public safe. The least they deserve is political leadership that functions. Since Reform took over the council in May, we have seen a deeply worrying lack of care and diligence."
The governance crisis has extended beyond emergency services, with a Kent committee meeting regarding supported school transport for seven families being cancelled last month because its chair was among those suspended.
Kent, one of Britain's largest county councils with a £2.5 billion annual budget, now faces mounting pressure to resolve its internal conflicts and restore proper oversight of vital public services.
