Reform UK’s £140m Cuts at Kent County Council: Are the Most Vulnerable Paying the Price?

Kent County Council (KCC) is undergoing one of the most far-reaching restructures in its history. Following Reform UK’s dramatic electoral win in May 2025, the new administration has wasted no time launching a sweeping programme of cuts and reviews across public services. What started as a £75 million savings target—set by the previous Conservative-led council—has now surged to over £140 million.

The new leadership says it is restoring common sense, cutting bureaucracy, and focusing on value for money. But the reality is more complex. These decisions touch everything from pothole repairs to refugee support, green energy projects to school transport. Residents are asking: What exactly is being cut? Will it affect me? And is this a bold rescue—or a reckless experiment?

One of the first major moves under Reform UK was to cancel the planned sale of Sessions House, the council’s historic headquarters in Maidstone. The building was already under offer, with the previous Conservative administration expecting to raise £5–10 million from the sale and move staff to Invicta House, a more modern office nearby. 

But Reform Leader Cllr Linden Kemkaran (pictured) reversed this decision, stating on 10 July:

“By the end of this financial year, we will have increased our office-based capacity by 500 desks.”

Reform’s position is that keeping Sessions House avoids borrowing £14 million to upgrade alternative offices and helps restore visibility and public trust in local government. 

One key question remains unanswered: how much will it cost to repair and modernise the ageing Sessions House headquarters? No figures have been released for the necessary upgrades to energy efficiency, accessibility, digital infrastructure—or even to fix the leaking roof. Back in September 2023, former councillor Simon Webb warned that “the repair bill for Sessions House would be enormous.”

Reform UK’s “no more borrowing” policy raises further uncertainty. If the administration plans to fund the refurbishment from reserves, that would still amount to internal borrowing—a practice they have yet to clarify or acknowledge. And if not reserves, then what? How will the building be brought up to a safe and modern standard for staff to return?

What’s clear is this: while the decision may be symbolic, the financial implications remain unexplained.

As of mid-June, KCC was facing a £75 million funding shortfall for 2025–26. This gap had already been identified by the previous administration. Reform UK accepted that figure—and added more cuts of its own.

Here’s how the full savings programme now breaks down:

Note: The £16 million debt repayment is not a new initiative introduced by Reform UK. At the end of Q1 2024, Kent County Council’s debt stood at £748 million, decreasing to £732.5 million by Q4 (31 March 2025)—a £15.5 million reduction driven by scheduled repayments. Reform UK has claimed its “no more borrowing” policy will reduce debt by £33 million by next March, but these repayments are routine and would occur regardless of who was in charge.

Reform UK has not publicly explained whether “no more borrowing” refers solely to external borrowing from financial institutions—or if it also includes internal borrowing from the council’s own reserves, a common but often overlooked source of temporary funding. Without this clarification, it remains uncertain whether essential services or capital projects could be impacted by a blanket freeze on all forms of borrowing.

The original £75 million in service cuts remains at the heart of the council’s plan. These reductions were already deemed necessary under the previous leadership—but now Reform is layering in additional reviews, restructures, and pauses.

Here’s what residents should know:

Roads and Potholes

Kent’s highways contract with AMEY is valued at over £60 million, covering routine road maintenance and repairs. In addition, KCC has received £21 million in dedicated pothole repair grants from central government since 2020—£15 million in 2020/21 and £6 million in 2023/24.

Recognising the worsening condition of the road network, the council had, until recently, significantly increased its investment in highways by £30 million annually—funded largely through borrowing. However, with Reform UK’s administration now adopting a firm “no more borrowing” stance, a key question remains unanswered: how will road conditions improve without additional capital investment?

The Department of Local Government Efficiency (DOLGE) is currently reviewing Kent’s highway maintenance contract for value for money. But with borrowing off the table, it is unclear how future repairs will be funded. The risk is that longer delays, more potholes, and deteriorating road surfaces could become the new normal.

So far, Reform UK has not outlined a plan for maintaining—let alone improving—road conditions without fresh investment. For now, the policy raises more questions than answers.

School Transport and SEND Travel

Transport for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) has become one of Kent County Council’s most financially pressured services. 

Between 2021 and 2024, the council overspent its Home to School and College Transport budget by £5.8 million in 2021–22, £16.1 million in 2022–23, and £10.9 million in 2023–24—reflecting a deepening funding challenge. 

Over the last three years KCC’s  Home to School Transport budget rose by £52 million. That represents a 118% rise. At the beginning of the 2022/23 financial year, the budget stood at just £45.7 million—illustrating the scale of growth needed to meet rising demand and cost pressures.

Although recent procurement and planning reforms helped deliver an £8.6 million underspend in 2024–25, total costs remain well above historical levels.

For 2025–26, the net budget for Home to School Transport stands at £97.7 million, up £1.4 million from the previous year. This includes funding to account for inflation, rising pupil numbers, and the implementation of new route-planning software. Of this budget, approximately £10 million is allocated to Post-16 transport to schools and further education providers.

According to a Freedom of Information response, the actual spend in 2024–25 was £76 million, specifically for transport commissioned by the council for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This total does not include the cost of Personal Transport Budgets provided to families who arrange their own travel. The SEND figures also include over-16s attending school, as these costs are not separately recorded. 

The service is now under urgent review by the Reform-led administration. One focus is the high cost of taxi journeys for SEND students, some reportedly seven to fifteen times more expensive than standard commercial ride services. These journeys are under scrutiny as part of broader efforts to identify savings.

The critical question now is not whether some efficiencies can be found—but whether changes to eligibility, routes, or entitlements could end up stripping away vital support for vulnerable children and their families. Savings may be necessary—but at what cost?

Refugee and Migrant Services

Kent County Council provides English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and limited leisure services for refugee and asylum-seeking children. These are statutory obligations. However, the associated costs are fully funded by the Home Office and do not fall on Kent residents.

In 2024, the council spent £24,000 on supervised leisure activities for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) in its care. As a corporate parent, KCC has a legal and moral duty to treat all children equally, regardless of their background. It is important to reiterate that the costs of supporting UASC are met by central government, not local taxpayers.

Reform UK is now reviewing these services.

“If it’s costing KCC a lot of money… if it’s not value for money, it’s going,” said Cllr Kemkaran.

Precise spending on ESOL has not been published, but the DOLGE team has indicated these services will face scrutiny.

Adult Social Care and SEND Support

Kent County Council spends £35 out of every £100 on adult and older people’s social care. When children’s services are included, the figure rises to £60. Add special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision, and together these three areas account for around 70% of the council’s entire budget.

These are statutory services, which the council is legally required to provide. Unlike discretionary services, they cannot be cut or reduced at will.

Reform has not announced cuts in this area, but it plans to “review how we deliver services, what we deliver, and whether we deliver them at all.”

That phrase, used by the Leader at the 10 July council meeting, signals a broader cultural shift: even protected services for the most vulnerable are being scrutinised.

Net-Zero and Climate Action

Two green programmes are now on ice:

• £32 million to retrofit public buildings for energy efficiency
• £7.5 million to transition the council’s fleet to electric vehicles

Reform UK argues these plans are unaffordable luxuries when the council is in financial difficulty. Climate advocates say abandoning these schemes will result in higher costs and missed targets in the long term.

Governance: Subscriptions, Councillor Costs

In addition to front-line service cuts, the new administration is also targeting internal council costs and structural overheads. This shift marks a transition from direct service changes to in-house reforms and wider strategic restructuring.

During the 10 July meeting, the following measures were confirmed:

• £180,000 will be saved by cutting unspecified memberships and subscriptions
• £202,500 will be saved from a 5% cut in councillor basic allowances, redirected into community grants for local projects

While the amounts are modest, they signal Reform’s message: everyone at the council, including elected members, must take a financial haircut.

No diversity or staffing cuts have been confirmed. Reform has not published a breakdown of affected roles.

The driving force behind this transformation is Reform UK’s core belief: local government must spend only on what is essential, and every pound must prove its worth.

To enforce this, the council has created the Department of Local Government Efficiency (DOLGE)—a special team tasked with auditing contracts, cancelling duplication, and exposing waste. According to council sources, DOLGE has already uncovered £2.8 million in questionable spending.

In her address to councillors on 10 July, Cllr Kemkaran declared:

“We are bringing a laser-like focus to saving money now and in the future, and that includes reviewing how we deliver services, what we deliver, and whether we deliver them at all.”

For supporters, it’s a long-overdue house-cleaning. For critics, it’s a dangerous experiment with high stakes for Kent’s most vulnerable residents.

The effects of this transformation will be felt widely:

• School transport routes could change
• Pothole repairs may slow down
• SEND and social care delivery could be restructured
• Refugee services and English-language classes are under review
• Green investment has been paused indefinitely

Some residents may applaud the tighter focus on basics. Others may feel essential services are being hollowed out. And many are simply unsure what will happen next.

Final Word: Reform or Retreat?

KCC has faced budget pressure before—but never like this. Reform UK’s sweeping changes are not just budgetary—they are philosophical. A new line has been drawn about what councils should and shouldn’t do. The council is reviewing core statutory functions, cutting green investments, and questioning how far it must go to meet community needs. The 5% community grant reallocation may offer a gesture—but it’s a sticking plaster, not a substitute for system-wide reform.

Cllr Linden Kemkaran is not stepping quietly into leadership. Her style is bold, disruptive, and unapologetically interventionist. Whether it leads to lasting reform—or long-term retreat—remains to be seen.

What happens next won’t just affect spreadsheets. It will affect school runs, care visits, potholes, and vulnerable families across the county.

Which leads to a deeper question: Are the most vulnerable paying the price?

Many of the services now under review or facing cuts—such as SEND transport, support for refugee children, and local education access—are disproportionately relied upon by Kent’s most vulnerable residents.

The Home to School Transport budget, which primarily serves children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, has been underfunded and overspent for years. While Reform UK is now reviewing this service, the record shows the pressure stems from rising demand and unavoidable need—not waste. Likewise, refugee and migrant support services are being assessed not on social impact but on perceived financial efficiency.

While financial prudence is important, the weight of savings is falling on groups with the least voice and the greatest need. That imbalance raises legitimate moral and democratic concerns.

In truth, it’s not just about balancing a budget—it’s about whose needs matter most when money runs short.

Kent’s residents are not just watching. They are waiting.

And the stakes could not be higher.

We would be interested in hearing about your experiences of Kent County Council wherever you are in the County. Email: TheShepwayVoxTeam@proton.me in confidence.

The Shepway Vox Team

The Velvet Voices of Voxatiousness