Key Takeaways
- Reform UK’s Kent county council has been criticized for hiring political assistants despite facing a budget crisis.
- The council has appointed a former Reform director of campaigning and training, Michael Hadwen, as a political assistant, who has expressed controversial views on immigration and Russia.
- The appointment was voted through with 45 votes in favour and 26 against, with Liberal Democrat group leader Antony Hook accusing Reform of wanting to spend public money on a political apparatchik.
- Reform UK has defended the move, stating that providing professional political support to its leadership is entirely proportionate and the role will be cost neutral.
Introduction to the Controversy
Reform UK’s "flagship" local authority, Kent county council, has been condemned for pushing through plans to spend tens of thousands of pounds on hiring political assistants. This move has been met with criticism, particularly given the council’s current budget crisis. The decision to hire political assistants has been seen as hypocritical, as Reform candidates were voted in on pledges to cut waste and save money. The controversy surrounding the appointment of political assistants is not unique to Kent county council, as councillors from Nigel Farage’s party in Warwickshire were also accused of hypocrisy in July when they voted to spend £150,000 on advisers.
The Appointment of Michael Hadwen
A new leaked recording of a meeting of the Reform councillors in Kent showed them being told by one of their leaders, Maxwell Harrison, that a former Reform director of campaigning and training, Michael Hadwen, had been hired by the council as a "political assistant". Hadwen has attracted controversy for his social media posts, including expressing support for Enoch Powell’s ideas about immigration. In response to a tweet by Daniel Hannan, the Conservative politician, which said that Powell was wrong about immigration, Hadwen said: "Enoch was right, he was just before the times." Additionally, in April 2018, Hadwen said that "Russia is not my enemy", adding: "We should be working with them, and not throwing around threats like a spoilt child." These views have been widely criticized, and the appointment of Hadwen has been seen as a contentious issue.
The Vote and Reaction
The appointment of Hadwen was voted through on Thursday with 45 votes in favour and 26 against at a meeting of Kent county council, where Reform continues to hold a majority. The vote has been met with criticism from opposition parties, with Liberal Democrat group leader Antony Hook accusing Reform of "wanting to spend public money on a political apparatchik to tell them what to do". Hook also expressed concern about Hadwen’s views, stating that he appears to have a record of concerning views, such as endorsing the racist Enoch Powell. The reaction to the vote has been highly critical, with many seeing the appointment of Hadwen as a waste of public money and a reflection of Reform’s priorities.
Reform UK’s Defense
Reform UK has defended the move, stating that providing professional political support to its leadership is entirely proportionate and the role will be cost neutral. A Reform UK Kent spokesperson said that Kent county council’s budget is double that of the Treasury department, which has eight political advisers, and larger than the Department for Business and Trade, who employ four political advisers. The spokesperson also noted that political assistants are a normal and established part of local government, with many councils, including the Lib Dem-controlled Gloucestershire county council, having allocated budgets for these roles. However, this defense has not alleviated concerns about the appointment of Hadwen and the use of public money to fund political assistants.
Conclusion and Implications
The controversy surrounding the appointment of political assistants in Kent county council has raised questions about the priorities of Reform UK and the use of public money. The appointment of Michael Hadwen, with his controversial views, has been widely criticized, and the vote to approve his appointment has been seen as a reflection of Reform’s majority on the council. The defense of the move by Reform UK has not alleviated concerns, and the issue is likely to continue to be a point of contention in the future. As the council continues to face a budget crisis, the decision to hire political assistants will be closely scrutinized, and the implications of this decision will be carefully watched.