REFORM UK has been accused of financial mismanagement and a “total betrayal” of election promises after raising council tax by almost 4 per cent in its “flagship” local authority.

Kent County Council (KCC) revealed a 3.99 per cent council tax hike when it published its draft budget for 2026-27 on Thursday evening.

Reform took control of the council last May with election material from its candidates often including statements of intent like: “Reduce waste and cut your taxes.”

The hike is slightly more than 1 per cent below the government cap, which has led to opposition councillors to warn of further effects on key services and overall funding from central government.

In real terms, an average Band D household will see council tax increase by an estimated £67.47 per year.

KCC Liberal Democrat opposition leader Antony Hook said: “Reform stood for election promising to make savings and lower the burden on taxpayers.

“Today, that promise has been utterly broken.

“It’s a poor outcome given the hype and promises made at the election and for the last nine months.”

Other KCC leaders have also argued that putting council tax up by less than the 5 per cent allowed by central government could lead to a lower grant in future from Westminster.

In a leaked video of a heated virtual meeting last year, KCC leader Linden Kemkaran told her Reform colleagues they needed to keep the council tax increase below 5 per cent, because they were a “shop window” for what the party could do in government.

In a statement, she said: “These proposals reflect the real priorities of Kent residents. People took the time to share their views, and we listened.”