Reform UK presided over its first full Kent County Council (KCC) meeting today, with the new leader Linden Kemkaran announcing a cut in councillor allowances and a special post for finding savings.

On a morning dominated by frequent applause and table thumping by Reform’s members, Cllr Kemkaran said she regarded her role as a "privilege”.

But the leader pledged to look at every area of spending at the cash-strapped authority with the creation of a department of local government efficiency (DOLGE) and proposed to cut member allowances by 5%.

The latter would generate £100,000 in savings to be redirected to councillors’ grant funding to support community organisations to benefit local communities, she said.

The leader poured cold water on the government’s local council reforms, which would see KCC and every other authorities in Kent abolish themselves and be replaced by a smaller number of larger unitary bodies.

Cllr Kemkaran said reorganisation was “hurtling down the tracks” and doubts it is good for the county.

She said: “I am not entirely convinced that it is the right thing for Kent. My primary concern is that local government reorganisation (LGR) is designed to carve up our county and essentially remove our unique identity.”

She fears LGR will mean Kent would lose its sense of “one county, one people” where the wealthy areas support those less well off, as well as take powers away from communities.

Later, the Green Party’s Stuart Jeffery said that he found Cllr Kemkaran’s stance “a bit worrying”.

He added: “It doesn’t sound like she wants to work constructively with the other councils to take reorganisation proposals to the (government) minister. She did not seem happy with the concept of reorganisation.”

Cllr Kemkaran, whose party won 57 of the 81 seats on May 1, said other priorities include finding new solutions to reduce disruption on Kent’s roads and adequate government funding for social care, which represents a huge chunk of KCC’s £1.5bn annual budget.

She is committed, too, to the improvement of education, skills and training for young people.

The DOLGE model, said the leader, would have no set-up costs as she has replaced one cabinet post, with those responsibilities distributed around other portfolio holders. DOLGE will be run by Cllr Matthew Moat.

It is based on the US President Donald Trump’s department of government efficiency (DOGE) headed up by billionaire Elon Musk to root out wasteful spending.

Cllr Kemkaran said she is “super-excited” about what has potentially been found by her councillors, so far.

In her 10 minute address to members, Cllr Kemkaran pledged to work “positively” with all staff, councils and Kent MPs to deliver the best for local residents.

The first question raised this morning from Liberal Democrat Cllr Mike Sole was whether the Pride flag would fly above County Hall as it has in the past in June.

He asked: “Please can the chairman of the council confirm whether this council will fly the Pride flag this June, and not seek to change the flag-flying policy of this council that has seen not only the Pride flag, but also, amongst others, the Kent Invicta flag, Ukrainian flag and armed forces flag fly from KCC property?”

Cllr Kemkaran and the newly appointed chairman, Cllr Richard Palmer, stuck to the pledge only to fly the union flag, the county flag and that of St George. The only exceptions would be those to mark royal occasions and the armed forces.

A member of the packed gallery above the chamber, Labour supporting Maureen Cleator, who is also a local Maidstone borough councillor, draped a Ukrainian flag over the side.

Mrs Cleator said later that her son, a former soldier, had spent time in the war-torn country and wanted to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

“There is nothing insensitive about wishing to focus the attention of people in this chamber on the people of Kent,” insisted Cllr Kemkaran.

Lib Dem opposition leader Antony Hook is opposed to the flag ban because there was "four square" cross-party support in the previous administration for the people of Ukraine.

Cllr Kemkaran said recently that she supported the Ukrainian people and had great admiration for them.

While the new administration will seek to make savings in the current budget, the main focus will be on 2026-27 and work on the basis of “the best possible services for the least cost” to tax-payers, she said.

But Labour’s Cllr Alister Brady contended that by continuing the former Conservative administration’s budget, it meant “cuts to vulnerable people in Kent”.

The leader also declared she will support the banning of smart phones in schools and will examine Net Zero initiatives to see if they offer public benefits.

Later, Cllr Kemkaran defended her proposed 5% cut in allowances, worth around £850 per member per year, saying “we lead by example” to invest back into the community. It would apply to all councillors.

Cllr Stuart Jeffery said the remuneration for the amount of time and effort required to do the job of county councillor “would barely be minimum wage”.

Cllr Hook said later that his 12-strong group in opposition would be there to “scrutinise and challenge” the decisions of the new administration.

The Labour group leader Cllr Brady asked repeatedly what the new authority was going to do differently.

He added: “There has been nothing of substance as yet, so I am waiting to hear what is going to be different.”

Earlier, on taking over as chairman from Conservative Bryan Sweetland, Cllr Palmer said: "I’m incredibly proud to take on the role of Chairman of Kent County Council and it is a huge privilege to serve the residents of Kent in this way.

“I am looking forward to meeting and supporting as many people as I can in the year ahead and, most importantly, being able to raise the profile, along with much needed financial support, for my chosen charities.”

Cllr Palmer has chosen The Young Lives Foundation, which supports young people , and SATEDA, a domestic abuse charity supporting women and children across Kent.

KCC General Counsel Ben Watts thanked the local media for its “extensive coverage” of the May 1 election.

The Cabinet portfolio holders are:

Adult Social Care: Diane Morton (Gravesham Rural)

Environment: David Wimble (Romney Marsh)

Integrated Children's Services: Christine Palmer (Swale)

Community/Regulatory: Paul Webb (Sittingbourne South)

Education & Skills: Beverley Fordham (Dartford West)

Highways & Transport: Bill Barrett (Ashford Rural South)

Department of Local Government Efficiency (DOLGE): Matthew Moat (Northfleet & Gravesend West)

Economic Development & Coastal Regeneration: Paul King (Dover West)