The Fire Brigades Union has slammed the record of Reform’s ‘flagship council’ as it emerged that Kent and Medway Fire Authority was in disarray following the removal of five councillors, including its chair and vice chair.
Reform UK won a majority on Kent County Council in May but have since suspended nine councillors. These include five members of the fire authority, including its chair (Brian Black), its vice chair (Izzy Kemp, removed only this week), Robert Ford, Paul Thomas and Oliver Bradshaw.
The removal of the councillors from the Fire Authority means that Kent’s fire and rescue service Chief Executive Anne Millington has tight limits on expenditure without a body to sign off bigger spends, due to the inability of the fire authority to carry out its full functions.
The Fire Brigades Union, which represents firefighters across the UK branded the situation “a shambles and a threat to public safety”, dubbing council leader Linden Kemkaran “captain chaos”.
It said that local union reps had written to the new council leader on asking for a meeting, but that no meeting had been forthcoming, nor any response to the letter received.
Joe Weir, Fire Brigades Union executive council member for the South East, said:
“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 FBU has written to Linden Kemkaran, or ‘captain chaos’ as she is becoming known, to ask for a meeting, but nothing has been forthcoming.
“The FBU will continue to defend the safety and welfare of firefighters, as well as the safety of the public.”
Steve Wright, Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said:
“This situation is a shambles and a threat to public safety. 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.
“It’s time for the council administration to get a grip.”
