No decision made yet on council tax, leader says

KCC leader Linden Kemkaran said it was too early to be having the conversation

The leader of Kent County Council (KCC) has said a decision will not be made on council tax until next month at the earliest, following reports it could rise by 5%.

The Financial Times reported that Diane Morton, KCC cabinet member for adult social care, said local services were "down to the bare bones" and the council needed more money to meet rising demand.

But KCC's Reform UK leader Linden Kemkaran said the story came about after "banter" between two cabinet members was overheard at an event in Ashford.

She said: "It is way too early to be having this conversation... We will not be setting the council tax until much further down the line - November at the very earliest."

Reform took control of the council in the local elections in May, with candidates at the time pledging to cut taxes, or suggesting rises would likely be 3% or less.

Speaking to BBC Radio Kent, Kemkaran said: "When I came into office I was very clear, I would not be speculating too early on about whether the council tax would have to go up or not... It would be completely irresponsible of me to tell you now."

Anthony Hook, leader of the local Liberal Democrat party, said it was "crazy" to suggest it was too early to be discussing council tax.

"It's exactly the right time to be talking about whether that's going to happen or whether something different is going to happen," he said.

Council tax increased by 4.99% in April under KCC's former Conservative leadership

The Labour MP for East Thanet, Polly Billington, said if an increase of 5% was put in place it would be a "huge betrayal".

She said: "My constituents in East Thanet need to see Kent being run efficiently and effectively, with a proper plan for keeping taxes low and services running smoothly."

Kemkaran responded by urging Billington to "leave a legacy for the people she's meant to be serving".

Although Kemkaran agreed services were "down to the bare bones", she said the party's Elon Musk-style Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) team was helping it save money.

She said £2.5m had been saved from its homes-to-school transport budget, and the Doge team had helped knock £50m off the council's long-term debt.

Council tax increased by 4.99% in April under KCC's former Conservative leadership.

The maximum the council could raise council tax by is 4.99%, without holding a local referendum.

Jonathan Werran, chief executive of independent, not-for-profit think tank Localis, said: "A maximum rise is almost inevitable because you've got to see the picture elsewhere.

"I cant imagine any other large unitary council with responsibility for social care services not whacking up council tax to the maximum they can."