The new leadership of Kent County Council is expected to be announced early next week following Reform’s election victory yesterday.

Meetings are going on “behind the scenes” this weekend to decide who the party will choose to lead it and the authority.

Leading candidates are believed to be Linden Kemkaran (Maidstone South East), Brian Collins (Ashford Rural East) and Richard Palmer (Swale West).

Once the top job is decided, the new leader will choose a cabinet to oversee KCC and its £1.5bn annual budget.

Reform almost entirely swept away the Conservatives who have been in power for much of the council’s history.

Nigel Farage’s party took 57 of the 81 seats at County Hall with the Tories down to just five.

Speaking to KentOnline, a Reform UK spokesman said: “The leader will most likely be appointed in the next few days when everyone is back from the Bank Holiday.

“There are meetings going on behind the scenes. There’s a lot to do as we are going from a standing start.”

KCC can expect swift, major changes in the way it is run and managed, according to one new councillor.

Sheppey representative Maxwell Harrison said one of the first tasks at County Hall will be to open the books and identify where there is waste.

He added it will be a US-style Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) purge of “nonsensical spending”.

Several high-profile Tories last their seats, including former leaders Roger Gough and Sir Paul Carter.

Last night Mr Farage was back in the county for victory celebrations where he declared "I always thought we'd do well in Kent but this result is beyond my wildest dreams."