Reform UK campaigned in the May local elections on ‘cutting waste’ and suggested they could hold down (or even freeze) council tax; by July, their own efficiency lead was saying actual cuts weren’t going to happen.

In County Durham the Reform UK administration have proposed council tax alterations that could affect thousands of vulnerable residents in County Durham.  New plans put forward by the local authority could mean that individuals on modest incomes might have to contend with increased expenses.

Durham County Council has long had a Council Support Scheme but the Reform-led council have put forward a number of changes, claiming that there is a need for adjustments in light of financial pressures.

In response, the County Durham Labour Group has called the Reform led council’s suggestions “’deeply unsettling’ for those dependent on the scheme”.

Councillor Rob Crute, leader of County Durham Labour commented: “It comes as no surprise to see that people are angry at the Reform UK administration running Durham County Council.”

All working-age individuals will need to contribute a baseline sum towards their council tax bill if the cap is scrapped thereby ensuring that everyone pays in for council services, regardless of their economic situation.

Reform UK on council tax

In the local elections in May, Reform UK suggested that they would cut  council tax bills  However Zia Yusuf, who leads Reform UK’s so-called Doge unit, admitted in July that councils under their governance won’t manage to lower council tax.

Meanwhile, Labour has argued that constituents feel misled after earlier assurances that council tax would not rise. North Durham MP Luke Akehurst has appealed to the council to maintain the existing council tax support scheme and expressed concern that one of the first actions of the Reform-led administration could involve a significant increase in council tax

The scheme was established in 2014 and at present 32,600 individuals make use of it.  The aim of the scheme is to provide discounts of up to 100 per cent on their council tax, to eligible working-age residents.

The council identified Bishop Auckland, Ferryhill, Peterlee, and Stanley as the areas likely to be hardest hit, since they have the highest number of council tax discount claims. According to the 2021 Census deprivation data, more than half of households in these towns experience some form of deprivation, making them among the most disadvantaged in the county.

ChronicleLive reported that County Durham Labour launched a petition calling on the Reform-led council to abandon plans to scrap the current scheme and instead protect working-class residents from council tax increases.

Reform costing voters money – claim

The BBC reported that Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey accused Reform UK of making a “complete mess” of County Durham Council after taking control earlier this year. Davey pledged to expose what he described as the council’s poor performance and criticised Nigel Farage’s party for abandoning net-zero policies that he said were saving taxpayers money.

Since winning the council in May, the Reform administration has scrapped its net-zero target, halted purchases of electric vehicles on cost grounds, and dropped plans to install solar panels on council buildings.

Talking about electric cars, County Durham Council deputy leader Darren Grimes was reported as saying “We’ve got workers sat waiting for their cars to charge instead of being out on the road and delivering for the people of County Durham. That is a saving in itself.”  No mention was made of electric cars being charged up outside working hours…

Reform councillor Tim McGuiness, portfolio holder for rural, farming and transport did say, “if there are any projects or buildings these green technologies do work on, we’re interested – but only in a reasonable payback time.”.

In response to Reform Davey said: “Look at what Reform is doing in Durham. They’re running the council and making a complete mess of it, wasting taxpayers’ money.  In opposing net zero policies, Reform are basically going to cost taxpayers more.”

Rhetoric vs reality

When Reform UK formed a majority at County Durham Council in May – alongside several other councils across the country – the party promoted plans to emulate Elon Musk’s DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) unit in the US and eliminate what it called unnecessary spending. However, on 6 October, The London Economic reported that the Doge-style experiment in Kent had faltered, with the Reform-led council there instead raising council tax by 5%.

Reform’s campaign promises appear to have collided with reality. The spending they branded as “waste” may in fact have been essential to keeping services running after years of austerity, which have already left local budgets stripped to the bone. Councils in regions like the North East arguably need more funding – not less – to deliver the services people rely on.

If Reform is struggling to manage local government responsibly, it raises serious questions about how the party would handle national power.