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BBC<\/p>\nJoshua AskewSouth East and<\/p>\n
Simon FinlayLocal Democracy Reporting Service<\/p>\n
BBC<\/p>\n
It comes after a damaging video leak of a council meeting<\/p>\n
Reform UK has suspended four councillors following the leak of a video of a heated virtual council meeting.<\/p>\n
The councillors sit on Kent County Council (KCC), one of ten local authorities run by Reform UK and seen by the party as a test case of its ability to govern. <\/p>\n
It comes after a clip was leaked to The Guardian of KCC leader Linden Kemkaran swearing and telling party members to “suck it up” regarding her decisions.<\/p>\n
When asked by BBC Radio Kent if the suspensions were linked to the video, she declined to comment. <\/p>\n
“It is business as usual at Kent County Council,” she said.<\/p>\n
A Reform UK spokesperson said Paul Thomas, Oliver Bradshaw, Bill Barret and Maxine Fothergrill have had the whip suspended pending an investigation. <\/p>\n
They said the suspensions were the result of “evidence” the councillors “brought the party into disrepute”.<\/p>\n
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Getty Images<\/p>\n
A leaked video appears to show councillor Kemkaran telling councillors from her party to “suck it up”<\/p>\n
Councillor Kemkaran was heard in the clip raising her voice at councillor Thomas during an exchange on local government reorganisation.<\/p>\n
Kent’s 14 councils are set to abolish themselves under government proposals<\/a> and be replaced with three or four new, larger unitary bodies.<\/p>\n In the leaked clip, councillor Kemkaran tells the councillors: “I am not a dictator or an autocrat. I like feedback. I like to discuss.<\/p>\n “However, when it comes to making the really big decisions, and LGR [local government reorganisation] is one of those really big decisions… sometimes I will make a decision that might not be liked by everybody in the group.”<\/p>\n She then uses an expletive as she tells them they will have to “suck it up”, prompting one councillor to gasp open-mouthed, before laughing.<\/p>\n The Guardian said that the comments sparked dissent from others in the meeting, including councillor Thomas who said backbenchers were not being briefed on the plans. <\/p>\n He said to the meeting: “Quite frankly, the question is\u2026is that the right leader and the right cabinet?”<\/p>\n As councillor Kemkaran and councillor Thomas continued with their heated exchanges, often speaking over each other, councillor Thomas said: “The problem is, it’s easier when it’s face-to-face.”<\/p>\n As he attempted to continue, councillor Kemkaran replied angrily: “I am meant to be on bloody holiday this week Paul! I don’t want to be having this meeting.”<\/p>\n She then said the meeting was “running out of time” and threatened to mute councillor Thomas, which prompted deputy leader Brian Collins to burst into laughter.<\/p>\n “You keep laughing your head off mate,” councillor Thomas said.<\/p>\n ‘Treachery’<\/p>\n Suspended councillor Ms Fothergrill denied allegations she was the source of the leaked video. <\/p>\n “Reform UK has a once in a lifetime generation mission to save our country,” she said. <\/p>\n “Distractions like this will only play into the hands of our opponents.”<\/p>\n Rosie Duffield, an Independent MP for Canterbury, said Reform looks “chaotic” and “unprofessional”.<\/p>\n She said councillor Kemkaran seemed more concerned with ending the meeting to go on holiday than about discussing issues affecting people in Kent.<\/p>\n Ms Duffield added that the council leader should “seriously” consider resigning. <\/p>\n Councillor Kemkaran previously said<\/a> those behind the leak were “weak” and “foolish” to have committed an act of “treachery”, and that a “thorough investigation” had been launched.<\/p>\n