Farage calls for cuts to school transport spending

Nigel Farage made his first visit to County Hall in Maidstone since Reform UK took over Kent County Council

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has described Kent County Council's spending on home to school transport as "beyond belief", suggesting funding should be removed from some families.

On his first visit to County Hall in Maidstone since the party took over the council in May, he said the authority was "going to save a lot of money" through its Department of Government Efficiency (Doge).

He said: "There are things called parents who for as long as modern times remember have had the aggravation of getting their kids to school."

Farage's visit was part of a tour of authorities that Reform UK won at the local elections.

The party took control of Kent County Council on 2 May, wiping out the Conservative majority after nearly 30 years.

Reform UK's Doge was launched in Maidstone in June, designed to identify areas where councils can save money.

The party would not be drawn on how much Kent would be looking to save or which budgets, though Linden Kemkaran, council leader, told the BBC it would be "in the millions".

She said: "I've always said from day one I would ask awkward questions."

Cutting the budget for home to school transport was a subject the party was keen to talk about.

Currently the council spends £98m per year on school transport, according to Reform UK.

Children are eligible for that if they are over eight years old and living more than three miles (4.8km) from school, if they have special educational needs or are a family on a low income.

Farage said: "If you've got two kids living next door to each other getting separate taxis that is crazy.

"To have crept to a position where school transport is costing taxpayers almost £100m per year is unacceptable."

He did say there would be exceptions for children with special educational needs.

The authority has its first full meeting on Thursday and it is expected to announce the findings of its audit.

Reform UK took control of Kent County Council in May

The visit comes after news that James McMurdock, Reform UK MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock in Essex, resigned the party whip amid allegations that he took out government loans during the Covid-19 pandemic for businesses with no employees.

Farage was keen to distance himself from the absence of candidate vetting processes for the 2024 general election, and said he "can't apologise" for it.

He said: "I came in, I inherited this situation where hundreds of candidates who stood in the last general election had not gone through a vetting process."

The Reform UK leader did not answer when asked whether the allegations faced by McMurdock were an embarrassment for his party.

"Let's find out the truth, I know as much about this right now as you do," he said.

Additional reporting by PA Media.