Reform UK says officers who obstruct internal review team sent into county council will be guilty of gross misconduct
Reform UK has warned it will consider officers who obstruct the work of an internal review team sent in to Kent County Council to have committed gross misconduct.
The team, which is styled after Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E), has requested access to a series of council documents, including access to whistleblowing documents or internal investigations relevant to financial matters.
In a letter to council staff sent on 26 May, Reform UK's party leaders announced they had resolved to undertake a review of Kent’s financial management, procurement activity, and associated governance arrangements.
The party, which took control of the county council in the May local elections, has appointed a team of software engineers, data analysts and forensic auditors to carry out the review.
"The leader, to understand council business, is entitled to all information available under the Local Government Act 1972, the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the common law 'need to know' principle, and in the public interest," the letter said.
It added: "This review is part of Reform's commitment to transparency, accountability, the prudent management of public funds and the highest standards in public life.
"We believe it is in the public interest to ensure that the council's financial and procurement systems are robust, lawful and value-driven."
The scope of the review includes, but is not limited to:
- Contractual arrangements with suppliers and consultants
- All capital expenditure
- Use of framework agreements and direct awards
- Any off-book or contingent liabilities
- Use of reserves and financial resilience
- Any audit flags raised by internal or external auditors in the last three years
The letter requested that council officers provide the team with "full and prompt" access to council-held documents, reports and records, relevant finance, procurement, audit and contract data, and meeting minutes and correspondence concerning major procurements.
Reform UK also requested access to any internal investigations or whistleblowing reports relevant to financial matters and "any additional documents that might be of assistance".
The team is "acting under the authority of the council", subject to "strict duties of confidentiality", and "bound by data protection obligations and professional standards", the letter added.
Reform UK threatened to pass a motion to compel the request should the request be resisted, adding that it will "consider any obstruction of our councillors’ duties to be gross misconduct".
The letter was signed by the council's new Reform UK leader, Cllr Linden Kemkaran, Nigel Farage MP and the party's chairman, Zia Yusuf.
Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf said: “For too long British taxpayers have watched their money vanish into a black hole. Their taxes keep going up, their bin collections keep getting less frequent, potholes remain unfixed, their local services keep getting cut. Reform won a historic victory on a mandate to change this.
"As promised, we have created a UK D.O.G.E to identify and cut wasteful spending of taxpayer money. Our team will use cutting edge technology and deliver real value for voters.”
Responding to Reform UK's announcement, the chief executive of CIPFA, Owen Mapley, said he knew of no other "government sector that is already this transparent with where its funding comes" and pointed to documents recently published by Kent that consisted of "200 pages of detailed financial information and analysis".
He added: "So let's not pretend that there is some great secrecy to uncover. Let's not pretend that there is no transparency."
Mapley continued: "Of course every council administration has the right, and a mandate from their electorate, to change priorities, following the constitutional rules that are set out in that council.
"For decades, this has been done any time there has been a change of administration, with councillors and officers working together in mutually respectful partnership. Threats and ultimatums will undermine this partnership.
"This partnership is vital given the complex mix of legal/statutory and professional obligations that officers have to comply with whilst delivering the huge range of services that councils are responsible for - and to do this without breaking the law."
Adam Carey
