Council debate rules 'could face legal challenge'

The Labour group on Medway council says it wants to prevent meetings running late into the night

Medway Council could face a legal challenge from Reform UK over proposed changes to the way council debates are run, according to legal advice seen by the BBC.

Medway Labour, which runs the council, is proposing to limit the number of motions that can be debated at full council meetings. Motions allow councillors from any party or political group to raise issues or propose actions for discussion.

Under the proposed changes, other parties would lose the automatic right to table motions at each meeting.

Labour says the move is intended to prevent meetings from running late into the night, while Reform UK argues the plans are undemocratic and designed to silence opposition voices.

An independent legal opinion commissioned by the Reform UK group on Medway Council provided by the solicitor Gavin Persuad, and seen by the BBC, suggests the proposed rule changes are "vulnerable to a likely successful legal challenge" through judicial review.

Speaking to BBC Radio Kent, Medway Council leader Vince Maple said the proposed changes were "solely to avoid lengthy council meetings running late into the night".

But Robbie Lammas, Deputy Leader of the Reform UK group on the council, said: "Labour want to change the rules of council debate to limit what subjects we as Reform can raise and when we can do so. This is clearly undemocratic."

He says the legal opinion "confirms Labour's plans are improper, undemocratic and likely go beyond legal powers to regulate debate".

Mr Maple rejected Reform's suggestion that Labour was "rigging the rules" saying he had confidence in the council's own legal advice, which he said confirmed the proposals were lawful.

Councillors are expected to vote on the changes at a meeting on Thursday.