Starmer warned of £28bn defence funding shortfall by head of UK military – UK politics live

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 8 min read 100% complete by Andrew SparrowJanuary 9, 2026 at 11:50 AM

AI Summary

long article 8 min

Reform UK's flagship council, Kent County Council (KCC), is facing criticism for raising council tax by almost 4%, despite pledges to cut taxes before the local elections in May 2023. Reform UK gained control of KCC after overturning a 30-year Conservative majority. The council tax increase, while below the government cap, is expected to raise council tax for the average Band D household by an estimated £67.47 per year. KCC leader Linden Kemkaran stated the proposals reflect the priorities of Kent residents and were kept below the previously expected level through financial management. Opposition councillors, however, are accusing Reform UK of breaking their promises and warn of further impacts on key services.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Conservative Party (Tory) 40% Labour Party 40% Antony Hook 50% Linden Kemkaran ×260% Kent ×580% Kent County Council (KCC) ×385% Reform UK ×590%

Keywords

council tax 90% reform uk 80% tax-cutting pledges 70% kent county council 70% local elections 60% budget 50% defence funding 50% government cap 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.30

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Kent

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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council tax reform uk tax-cutting pledges kent county council local elections budget defence funding government cap

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