Less than two months after his election victory, Kent County Councillor Daniel Taylor has been suspended by Reform UK and now sits as an independent member, stirring political unrest in the Cliftonville ward and beyond. Taylor, who secured his seat on May 1, 2025, with 1,922 votes as part of Nigel Farage's Reform UK surge, has been stripped of the party whip amid a police investigation into an undisclosed matter.
The suspension was confirmed by a Reform UK spokesperson who told the BBC: "Following a matter which is now with the police, the group whip has been withdrawn from Councillor Taylor with immediate effect." The exact details of the issue remain confidential, and Kent Police declined to comment on the case.
Taylor's sudden change in status from a Reform UK councillor to an independent has prompted calls for a by-election from opposition parties, notably the Kent Green Party. Councillor Mark Hood expressed strong disapproval, emphasizing that "Cliftonville residents didn’t vote for Mr Taylor; they voted for the Reform candidate. As he is no longer their Reform representative and there is still almost four years left of his term, the right thing to do would be to resign and trigger a by-election." Hood criticized the current state of Kent County Council (KCC), describing it as suffering from "paralysis" since Reform took control in May.
Indeed, Reform UK’s recent takeover of KCC marked a seismic political shift, ending nearly 30 years of Conservative dominance by winning 57 of the 81 council seats. However, this new administration has been beset by turmoil from the outset. Council meetings have seen a high cancellation rate, with around 40% of scheduled gatherings postponed or deferred, raising concerns about governance and transparency.
A KCC spokesperson explained that many meetings originally slated for May had to be rescheduled to June due to election and induction processes, a disruption typical in election years but exacerbated this cycle. Furthermore, some June meetings have been deferred to July to optimize member and officer availability. Specific examples include the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC), which had limited business in June and is now set to convene in July, and the Police and Crime Panel, which delayed its meeting due to unconfirmed membership from various councils. The Planning Committee’s June meeting was canceled because no immediate decisions on applications were needed, with a July session planned if required.
Despite these explanations, criticism has mounted from various quarters. East Thanet MP Polly Billington voiced her concerns about the council’s dysfunction, stating, "Under Reform, Kent County Council is in chaos: 40% of council meetings cancelled, multiple resignations from Kent’s Elon Musk-inspired cost-cutting drive, and a councillor suspended and referred to the police." She further questioned the council leader’s absence during this turbulent period, noting, "Reform say they can’t hold key meetings because cabinet members are being trained, but now there are reports the new council leader has gone on holiday and Reform seem reluctant to explain what is going on." Billington urged council leader Linden Kemkaran to "come clean" about her leave and working arrangements, especially in light of Nigel Farage’s recent remarks criticizing council employees working from home.
Leader Kemkaran, who has been out of office until June 16, 2025, informed group leaders in a letter that the decision to withdraw the whip from Taylor was made "due to a very sensitive set of circumstances." She has yet to publicly comment on the matter. Meanwhile, Reform UK’s Department of Government Efficiency (DoGE) unit, intended to drive cost-cutting and efficiency, has experienced its own upheaval. Key figures such as chairman Zia Yusuf and tech entrepreneur Nathaniel Fried briefly resigned before rejoining the party, adding to the perception of instability within the new administration.
Opposition voices continue to press for accountability. Liberal Democrat councillor Alex Ricketts from Canterbury North stated, "Residents in the area Mr Taylor was elected to represent will expect an explanation of why he has been removed by his own party." Labour MP Mike Tapp, representing Dover and Deal, has also written to Kemkaran expressing "increasing concern" over the authority's governance.
Daniel Taylor, prior to his suspension, had portrayed himself as a committed local businessman and family man dedicated to addressing Cliftonville’s challenges. In a Facebook post during his campaign, he declared, "Cliftonville deserves real action by a representative who will step up, be proactive, deal with issues as they arise and fulfil their pledge given during the local election. That representative is ME!!!" Now, with his status changed and a police matter looming, the community and political observers alike are left wondering about the future representation of Cliftonville and the stability of Kent County Council under Reform UK’s stewardship.
The Kent Green Party’s call for a by-election underscores a broader question about democratic representation when elected officials change their party affiliation under contentious circumstances. With nearly four years remaining in Taylor’s term, the debate centers on whether constituents should have the opportunity to elect a new representative aligned with their original choice.
As the council navigates this period of uncertainty, the spotlight remains firmly on Reform UK’s ability to govern effectively and transparently. The coming weeks will likely reveal whether the party can steady the ship and address the concerns raised by residents, opposition parties, and its own members.
