Really disappointed to read reports that the Reform county council in Kent is set to significantly increase council tax. This is simply not the way, and it was certainly not the messaging - big promises were made, and they seemingly won’t be kept. Expanding the size of the state is NOT the answer. The only way is to get tax down, and cut expenditure - cut, cut and then cut some more. Not a popular message, but it’s absolutely necessary. Councils, and the country, need to live within their means. Not only that, but actually make the necessary savings to seriously pay off the debt. Lazy moves like this simply undermine our argument that real savings can and must be made in local authorities across the UK. Just hiking tax when it gets rough means the cycle will go on and on and on. It has for decades, it has not worked. It will not work. The wheel needs to be broken. Difficult decisions need to be taken, really difficult. That will mean frustrating some voters. That is exactly what must happen, in all councils. Quite frankly, a big majority of politicians just don’t have the courage to do it. They want votes. That is all. I don’t believe that hardworking families in Kent, and across the country, should have to pay further through the nose for councils spending our money like drunken sailors. It's very easy to promote all of those wonderful policies during a campaign. The British people expect proper action when in power, not yet more tax rises and broken promises. Reform’s reported plan to raise council tax is a huge mistake - they must reconsider. It's not good enough.
