The 8 UK counties braced for council tax hike despite Reform UK promise | Politics | News
Eight councils in England, led by Reform UK, have signaled council tax increases next year due to financial difficulties. Nigel Farage’s party took control of 10 councils in the May election and won a staggering 677 seats; 41% of all seats are up for election. Amid the party’s big gains, Mr Farage vowed to cut “wasteful” spending by councils across the country and later set up a ‘DOGE’ unit, modeled on the US Department of Government Efficiency founded by Elon Musk, to cut costs.
But Reform-led councils are reportedly facing similar challenges as other local authorities, where social care costs for children and adults are rising. Times It has been reported that Durham has proposed scrapping a plan that would exempt low-income families from paying council tax. Stephen Shaw, the party’s deputy council leader in Warwickshire, said his aim was to raise the tax “slightly lower” than the maximum of 4.99%.
In west Northamptonshire, Reform UK council leader Mar Arnull reportedly said an increase in council tax was “very likely”.
Reform’s Dan Harrison has proposed a 3% increase in council tax in Leicestershire next year, despite telling councilors last month his intention was to “reduce” it, according to The Times.
In Worcestershire, budget advice includes the option of increasing council tax by up to 10%. In a document, the council said the impact of cost-of-living increases was “equally impactful”. [the council]“It presents us with significant financial challenges.”
Reform UK’s John Lawson in Derbyshire told PoliticsHome that local authorities were in a “straitjacket” on council tax. Similarly, Ian Cooper from Staffordshire council said that they aimed to increase the tax below the maximum amount, but “we will wait and see”.
The Financial Times previously reported that Kent County Council’s (KCC) cabinet member for adult social care, Diane Morton, said local services were “down to the wire” and the council needed more money to meet the increase in demand.
“I think it will be 5 per cent,” he said of the expected council tax increase.
But Linden Kemkaran, KCC’s Reform UK leader, said it was “too early to have that conversation”.
“We won’t be setting the municipal tax until much later, November at the earliest,” he said.
“I was very clear when I took office that I would not speculate too early on whether council tax would need to increase… It would be completely irresponsible of me to tell you that now.”
A Reform spokesman said: “We are in the process of fixing the mess, cutting wasteful spending and delivering value for money, as we promised during the election campaign. “Reform councils have already cut £100 million worth of waste in the first 100 days by ensuring council tax increases are kept as low as possible.
“After years, and in some cases decades, of mismanagement by the Conservatives, the idea that Reform UK will change local councils in just five months is a bird’s-eye, especially with a Labor national government financially penalizing fiscally responsible local authorities.”
