Reform UK Suspends Councillors; Drone Shootdown Powers

A leaked video published by The Guardian of an online Kent County Council meeting showed council leader Linden Kemkaran berating backbench Reform UK councillors—muting one—and telling them they would “f***ing suck it up,” prompting a leak inquiry. Reform suspended the whip from four councillors—Paul Thomas, Oliver Bradshaw, Bill Barrett and Maxine Fothergill—pending investigation for bringing the party into disrepute, reducing the number of councillors with the whip from the 57 won in May to 50. The row has raised questions about Reform’s ability to run the council, which oversees an annual budget of more than £2.5bn, and has disrupted council business (a school transport committee was cancelled); the party has warned it will punish leakers. Reports also highlight wider governance strains including a flagged VAT issue that a tax expert estimated could cost roughly £46,000 in repayments, charges and interest. Separately, Defence Secretary John Healey plans to announce new legal powers to allow the armed forces to shoot down unidentified drones over UK military sites, to be included in the Armed Forces Bill to speed military responses after recent Russian drone activity.