Seismic shift in Kent’s political landscape

May, 2025

The recent local government elections have seen a seismic shift in the political landscape. Reform UK has just ripped control of Kent County Council from the Conservatives. Regardless of your political persuasion, the big question is what does it mean for the county’s business community?

Before the elections, the Conservatives held the keys to County Hall for 28 years, most recently with 55 seats but now have just five seats. In contrast, Reform UK previously had three seats and romped home with 57 seats.

Having had a strong showing as UKIP in East Kent, Reform UK has now extended to cover the county with the exception of two Lib Dem bastions in Tunbridge Wells and Canterbury. The Greens matched the Conservatives' haul of seats and performed well in Tonbridge. The Conservatives have retrenched to their West Kent heartland, and the biggest casualty was Cllr Roger Gough, Leader of the council who had served his North Sevenoaks constituents for 20 years.
 

There’s a real risk that with the loss of many long-serving Cabinet members, each of them across their respective briefs, whether it be economic development, roads and highways, environment and waste, or adult and social care, to name but a few of them, that there’ll be a vacuum in terms of knowledge.

Thankfully there’s a good officer group at County Hall. However, their job just got harder as the vast majority of the Councillors will be new in post – and need detailed and ongoing briefings, as well as explaining how they must operate and the protocols of public office.

Given that Kent and Medway will be subject to local government reorganisation, bringing with it the prospect of three or four new unitary councils, Kent County Council will cease to exist in 2027/28. As a result, some political commentators may be suggesting the new Councillors will have little time to get fully up to speed and deliver their party’s manifestos. In fact, some have suggested that the Reform manifesto was more national in focus than on delivering local change.

In the meantime, business will need to continue to push forward with its plans, whether that’s investing in their own growth through improving their skills, premises and marketing; or delivering development such as new homes, offices and community facilities. The challenge for those businesses needing to engage with KCC, especially if they need to escalate an issue with a Councillor, will now inevitably be made harder.

The good news is that the team at Maxim continue to enjoy strong relations with senior KCC officers and will now get to know the new Leader and Cabinet members.