Resignations, Cancelled Meetings and Culture Wars: How Reform UK Councils Are Descending Into Chaos
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After the election counts finished and the camera crews headed home, Reform UK councillors - over 800 of them now, running 12 councils - had to grapple with a new question: 'What are we going to do now?'
Now that question is starting to be answered.
We've dug through local news coverage and talked to local constituents and opposition councillors on the ground to figure out what the new Reform councils have been up to. It's not been smooth sailing, to say the least.
Across England there have been stories of cancelled meetings, suspensions, resignations, and more than a few culture wars.
Here's just Reform's local councillors have been getting up to since May 1st. It's not been smooth running.
Kent County Council
Kent County Council has received the most attention of the 12 Reform-run local authorities in England, in no small part due to it being the flagbearer for Reform's 'DOGE' team of party activists and ostensible experts, sent in to audit the council's finances.
However, despite promises of newfound efficiency, it already seems to be experiencing a severe case of dysfunction.
As Byline Times first reported, all committee meetings scheduled for June were cancelled by the new administration, with some Reform members reportedly requesting that July meetings also be rearranged because they cannot attend those either.
Opposition councillors describe the council's performance under Reform decision-makers as both slow and chaotic.
A Kent resident got in touch with Byline Times to share their thoughts: "The overwhelming sense I get since the Council elections is…. silence. We've heard nothing from our elected Councillor, we've seen very little in the press other than a few bits on Kent Online…and those articles you've published.
"The huge fanfare over the "DOGE" team and that appalling letter from Reform Ltd telling staff to cooperate or else, then the resignations of half the team has been followed by….. nothing much at all.
"Cancelled Council meetings and collapsed "DOGE" but no new policies, no innovation, no massive (imaginary) savings. Nothing. Are they out of their depth?" Probably.
BREAKING
Reform UK Is Being Sued by a Group of More Than 50 Voters for Breaching Their Personal Data
Nigel Farage's party could be forced to pay damages if found liable by the courts
Josiah Mortimer
The council leader responded to criticism so far by, according to opponents, going on holiday.
East Thanet Labour MP Polly Billington has been watching the council closely. She said: "Reform say they can't hold key meetings because cabinet members are being trained, but now there are reports the new council leader has gone on holiday and Reform seem reluctant to explain what is going on. There may be a perfectly reasonable explanation, but the people of Kent shouldn't be kept in the dark."
A Reform councillor there has already been suspended by the party over allegations that are now "with the police". So that's all going well.
As another Kent reader put it: "We'll probably be under special measures by Christmas."
A plethora of postponed and cancelled Kent Council Meetings in June:
Derbyshire County Council
One Reform council that has got to work quickly is Derbyshire County Council. Though residents would probably prefer the new leader obsessed over flags instead, in this case.
Last week the BBC reported that Reform planned to close a swathe of adult education centres.
"Learning centres such as the Eco Centre in Wirksworth, and centres in Alfreton, Ashbourne, Matlock, Shirebrook, Long Eaton and the Toolbox in Glossop will cease to offer adult education courses at the end of July," according to the BBC report of the council.
The new administration has also refused to commit to installing sprinklers in Derbyshire schools, reversing a pledge from the previous administration. "Harrington Junior...
Packed with exclusive investigations, analysis, and features
SUBSCRIBE TODAY
After the election counts finished and the camera crews headed home, Reform UK councillors - over 800 of them now, running 12 councils - had to grapple with a new question: 'What are we going to do now?'
Now that question is starting to be answered.
We've dug through local news coverage and talked to local constituents and opposition councillors on the ground to figure out what the new Reform councils have been up to. It's not been smooth sailing, to say the least.
Across England there have been stories of cancelled meetings, suspensions, resignations, and more than a few culture wars.
Here's just Reform's local councillors have been getting up to since May 1st. It's not been smooth running.
Kent County Council
Kent County Council has received the most attention of the 12 Reform-run local authorities in England, in no small part due to it being the flagbearer for Reform's 'DOGE' team of party activists and ostensible experts, sent in to audit the council's finances.
However, despite promises of newfound efficiency, it already seems to be experiencing a severe case of dysfunction.
As Byline Times first reported, all committee meetings scheduled for June were cancelled by the new administration, with some Reform members reportedly requesting that July meetings also be rearranged because they cannot attend those either.
Opposition councillors describe the council's performance under Reform decision-makers as both slow and chaotic.
A Kent resident got in touch with Byline Times to share their thoughts: "The overwhelming sense I get since the Council elections is…. silence. We've heard nothing from our elected Councillor, we've seen very little in the press other than a few bits on Kent Online…and those articles you've published.
"The huge fanfare over the "DOGE" team and that appalling letter from Reform Ltd telling staff to cooperate or else, then the resignations of half the team has been followed by….. nothing much at all.
"Cancelled Council meetings and collapsed "DOGE" but no new policies, no innovation, no massive (imaginary) savings. Nothing. Are they out of their depth?" Probably.
BREAKING
Reform UK Is Being Sued by a Group of More Than 50 Voters for Breaching Their Personal Data
Nigel Farage's party could be forced to pay damages if found liable by the courts
Josiah Mortimer
The council leader responded to criticism so far by, according to opponents, going on holiday.
East Thanet Labour MP Polly Billington has been watching the council closely. She said: "Reform say they can't hold key meetings because cabinet members are being trained, but now there are reports the new council leader has gone on holiday and Reform seem reluctant to explain what is going on. There may be a perfectly reasonable explanation, but the people of Kent shouldn't be kept in the dark."
A Reform councillor there has already been suspended by the party over allegations that are now "with the police". So that's all going well.
As another Kent reader put it: "We'll probably be under special measures by Christmas."
A plethora of postponed and cancelled Kent Council Meetings in June:
Derbyshire County Council
One Reform council that has got to work quickly is Derbyshire County Council. Though residents would probably prefer the new leader obsessed over flags instead, in this case.
Last week the BBC reported that Reform planned to close a swathe of adult education centres.
"Learning centres such as the Eco Centre in Wirksworth, and centres in Alfreton, Ashbourne, Matlock, Shirebrook, Long Eaton and the Toolbox in Glossop will cease to offer adult education courses at the end of July," according to the BBC report of the council.
The new administration has also refused to commit to installing sprinklers in Derbyshire schools, reversing a pledge from the previous administration. "Harrington Junior...
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