Watch: Ken Clarke eviscerates Reform’s council incompetency on Question Time

Ken Clarke didn’t hold back on Question Time this week as he tore into Reform UK’s record running Kent County Council, calling out what he described as amateurism, confusion and complete inexperience within the party’s ranks.

The former chancellor, appearing alongside Reform MP Danny Kruger, Your Party co-founder Zarah Sultana and Labour minister Alex Davies-Jones, was taking part in a debate on how Britain might improve public services without raising taxes.

Kruger insisted Reform could fix the country’s problems by cutting waste, but Clarke stepped in to remind viewers of what has actually happened in Kent since Reform seized control of one of England’s biggest local authorities.

🟥 Ken Clarke: They had no idea what they were doing

Clarke, who lives in Kent himself, delivered a brutal assessment of the council’s performance.

He said:
“I live in a county with a Reform Council. Some of the people didn’t even know that it sat in the day so they resigned quite quickly because they couldn’t get time off work. Most of them had no idea what the county council was responsible for.”

He also highlighted their key election pledge to cut council waste and reduce taxes, noting the sharp contrast with what they’ve actually done since taking power.

“They fought on the promise of cutting waste and cutting council tax – and they’ve just put up the council tax by the maximum.”

🟩 A local authority in turmoil

Since taking control, Reform’s leadership in Kent has been marked by weeks of infighting, confusion and resignations. Clarke accused them of governing as protest politicians rather than serious administrators.

He said:
“Where Reform has taken over you have a lot of complete beginners who are still doing a study as to what county councils are responsible for, and finding out a little bit about adult social care, education or whatever it happens to be.”

The remarks left Kruger visibly uncomfortable as Clarke made clear that the party’s real-world governing record falls far short of its national promises.

🟨 Can Reform survive the scrutiny?

Kent was supposed to be Reform’s flagship example of what they could deliver in power. Instead, it has become a repeated warning from critics that national politics requires more than slogans and anger at the status quo.

As the party continues to rise in the polls, Clarke’s intervention is likely to become a key reference point in the wider debate about whether Reform is truly prepared for government.

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