Reform UK’s Linden Kemkaran elected new KCC leader
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00:00Well, I think day one, which of course really starts now, I've just had a briefing upstairs with the Chief Executive,
00:05but day one really starts tomorrow morning.
00:07When I come in, I meet some of the staff and we start talking about what the job really involves.
00:12That's how I plan to start.
00:14What are going to be some of those key policies you're going to be looking at?
00:16I can't really go into detail about policy now, but of course, reform came in on a ticket of saving money,
00:22getting value for money to the people of Kent, who of course pay our wages and pay for this amazing building here.
00:29Nigel Fry, I just talked a lot about ending work from home. Is that something that you stand with as well?
00:34I'm not going to make any promises at the moment, but we're going to be looking at all aspects of how everybody works inside this building.
00:40So not ruling out work from home?
00:42I'm not ruling anything in and out at this moment. I'm just saying we're going to be looking at everything.
00:45That's going to be quite difficult. Unions won't be happy by that.
00:48Well, you know, unions will be unions and reform will be reform. Reform are in charge of this council.
00:54You have to understand that we want a massive majority. We have absolute ultimate control.
00:59There is an opposition, but I'm not sure, you know, they're going to actually be able to change anything we want to get through.
01:05So reform are in charge and reform will be doing what we want to do.
01:07You've got a Ukrainian flag in the chamber right now. Is that going to be coming down soon?
01:11Yes.
01:12How quickly?
01:15Well, I don't know about timescales, but my point is we are here to serve the residents of Kent.
01:20And if you'd been out on the campaign trail with me and my fellow councillors, you will have seen that some parts of this county are utterly, utterly destroyed.
01:29They've been neglected for years.
01:31The residents are just in despair.
01:33But what's taking the Ukrainian flag down going to do about that?
01:36I'll tell you what it's going to do.
01:37This is Kent County Council.
01:39We are here to represent the residents of Kent.
01:41A foreign war that's happening thousands of miles away is simply a distraction.
01:45We are here to serve the people of Kent.
01:47That's what we were elected on.
01:49That's what we're going to do.
01:50But thousands of the citizens now in Kent are from Ukraine.
01:53Refugees came over.
01:55They will say this feels like their voice is being heard by having the flag flown here.
01:59What would you say to that?
02:00I think the fact that they're here and they've come here legally and they've made their lives in Britain, some of them.
02:05Some of them have gone back home to Ukraine.
02:07Others may stay for a long time.
02:09That's absolutely marvellous.
02:10They're amazing people, the Ukrainians.
02:12They've contributed amazingly to our society.
02:14That's great.
02:15A flag doesn't change any of that.