Polly has accused Reform UK of being “continuity Conservatives” after Kent County Council’s Reform leader confirmed she would be proceeding with Tory public service cuts in Thanet.

Polly said the letter she had received from Reform Council Leader Linden Kemkaran confirmed there had been absolutely no change in Kent after the May county council elections. She said she would continue to fight cuts to vital Thanet services that her constituents depended on.

Linden Kemkaran is a former Conservative parliamentary candidate, with many of her fellow Reform UK councillors in Kent also former Tories.

In June, Polly wrote to the new council leader, urging Reform UK to rethink the damaging cuts being enacted by the Tories. She said in the letter: “Reform promised Thanet things would be different, and voters put their faith in your party to do just that. I sincerely hope you will not let them down.”

Her letter raised the cases of the Millmead Children’s Centre in Margate, Pie Factory Music in Ramsgate, and the Sarah Thorne Theatre in Broadstairs – all of which had been earmarked for devastating cuts by the previous Conservative council.

In her response, Council Leader Kemkaran confirmed all previous Tory cuts would be going ahead under Reform, despite East Thanet Reform councillors having identified “family and community” as two of their three priorities as new councillors.

The letter confirmed that offers by the Sarah Thorne Theatre and Pie Factory Music to buy their respective buildings from Kent County Council had been rejected. It also confirmed the near 90% funding cut to the Millmead Children’s Centre would proceed, despite strong local opposition and the fact it is located in one of the most deprived parts of Kent.

Polly said:

Reform UK can try and bury the bad news in legalistic jargon and talk of ‘priorities’ all they like, but that can’t disguise the fact that they are going ahead with all the planned Tory cuts to public services in Thanet.

Whether it’s Nigel Farage’s plan to charge people to use the NHS or Kent Reform slashing public services in Thanet, Reform UK have shown time and time again that our public services are not safe in their hands. Despite promising change, Reform UK have proven themselves to be continuity Conservatives in Thanet.

The Millmead Children’s Centre in Margate, the Sarah Thorne Theatre in Broadstairs, and Pie Factory Music in Ramsgate are all vital services that some of our most vulnerable and deprived communities rely on. Reform UK might not think that’s important, but I won’t stop fighting to protect these vital services and standing up for those who use them.

The full response from Council Leader Linden Kemkaran can be read by clicking here.