Reform UK discussion

[SargeNpton]

Perhaps worth pointing out that the previous incumbents didn't cover themselves in glory. I don't remember anyone being asked whether they thought a unitary authority was a good idea, but it probably became a necessity after the poor financial performance of the constituent councils resulting in allegedly insolvency. For instance, Northampton Borough Council made a (presumably unsecured) loan of £10,250,000 to the local football club, none of which was repaid. BBC investigations (easily available on the web) suggest where it may have gone. There's a YouGov report into the downfall of Northampton County Council, the summary of which, in my opinion, is quite scathing.

I am also not entirely sure that charging for parking is a completely bad idea. Within Northampton, the bus service is not that bad; where I live it's a 7 minute walk to a stop (Daimler Close - see Bustlmes) where there's 'buses into town from 05.30 to 23.00 and most of the day it's 10 buses per hour. (although to be fair, not evenly distributed). There's a stop for the Wellingborough and Eastwards services slightly further away, with buses every 30 minutes. Travelling quite frequently from the railway station I can generally use the bus even for an early start, and it's £3. Off course I accept that not everywhere in town is so well served, but it's a good parameter in choice of house location. Perhaps charging for parking will encourage more people to use the buses.

Not defending Reform, I'm a none of the above p[erson.

I agree that the previous county council was a shambles (and the loan to the football club is now part of criminal proceedings). However, Reform campaigned on rooting out waste and cutting out non-jobs. I think that they have found that there wasn't much to cut.

 

[MP33]

To win an election. Reform will in one Parliament need to go from five to 326 seats. I predict that, their best will to be the third party, with more seats than the Liberal Democrats, have ever gained in a General Election.

 

[Class 317]

It will be interesting to see the effects of tactical voting. I've seen a lot of this being pushed online and living in an area with local elections quite a few work colleagues have been talking about various sites which wasn't the case last time.

 

[fwsmVor]

Free parking on Sundays removed. Blue Badge parking no longer free. General parking fees raised. Parking charges introduced at some country parks that were previously free.

Sounds like more sensible, pro-active-transport policy from the Gre--wait, *who*?

 

[sor]

For instance, Northampton Borough Council made a (presumably unsecured) loan of £10,250,000 to the local football club, none of which was repaid. BBC investigations (easily available on the web) suggest where it may have gone. There's a YouGov report into the downfall of Northampton County Council, the summary of which, in my opinion, is quite scathing.

As with so much that's wrong with today's Britain, is this not a response to austerity? The Tory govt cut central funding to councils and told them to find other ways to make up the difference. This led to all the kinds of weird and wonderful investments that are now coming home to roost. It also did not help that the Tories also gutted the former Audit Commission and expected private firms to pick up that slack.

Given that Reform are essentially Turquoise Tories, I'm not sure what will change there.

To win an election. Reform will in one Parliament need to go from five to 326 seats. I predict that, their best will to be the third party, with more seats than the Liberal Democrats, have ever gained in a General Election.

FPTP has a "see saw" effect. Reform are certainly in the zone where they could tip it and see massive gains with relatively low swings in vote share, in the way the Lib Dems never really have been able to achieve

 

[Harpo]

The Tory govt cut central funding to councils and told them to find other ways to make up the difference. This led to all the kinds of weird and wonderful investments that are now coming home to roost.

The Eric Pickles strategy of encouraging councils with no knowledge of running big businesses to use their valuable reserve funds to gamble invest. Thurrock, Warrington and many more have paid the price but with the public’s money.

 

[Tetchytyke]

To win an election. Reform will in one Parliament need to go from five to 326 seats.

FPTP has a "see saw" effect. Reform are certainly in the zone where they could tip it and see massive gains with relatively low swings in vote share

In 2024, Reform finished second in 98 constituencies and the Greens finished second in 40 constituencies.

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/2024-general-election-performance-of-reform-and-the-greens/

Reform came second place in 98 constituencies. In 89 of these cases, it was second to Labour. 60 of these were in the north of England and 13 were in Wales.

In comparison, the Brexit Party came in second place in three constituencies in 2019, while UKIP came second in 120 constituencies in 2015.

The Green Parties came in second place in 40 constituencies, 18 of which were in London. In all but one of these seats it was second to Labour. The Greens came second in three seats in 2019, none in 2017 and five in 2015.

For all the focus on the 'red wall', that isn't where Reform are going to win an election. Even if they won all 98 seats in which they were runner-up in in 2024, they'd still be nowhere near a majority. And even if Labour lost all 128 seats in which Reform or the Greens were runner-up, they'd still have a majority.

For all the focus on Labour, if Reform can't get Conservative voters to vote for them in big numbers then they won't win.

The Eric Pickles strategy of encouraging councils with no knowledge of running big businesses to use their valuable reserve funds to gamble invest.

How Eric Pickles reached the levels he did is quite beyond me. He showed in Bradford in the 1980s what a useless and clueless individual he really is.

 

[Merle Haggard]

As with so much that's wrong with today's Britain, is this not a response to austerity? The Tory govt cut central funding to councils and told them to find other ways to make up the difference. This led to all the kinds of weird and wonderful investments that are now coming home to roost. It also did not help that the Tories also gutted the former Audit Commission and expected private firms to pick up that slack.

Given that Reform are essentially Turquoise Tories, I'm not sure what will change there.


/snip

The loan was to revamp the football stadium - 'Sixfields'. I can't see how there could be a way to get a return on that 'investment', i.e. receive back more money than lent. Sixfields stadium is the home of the association football club and was built by the council from the proceeds of selling the municipal bus company to First Group (about £5,000,000 from memory) . So the football club has done well out of council money. Even I could think of better ways of spending £15,000,000 of council money.

But I don't see how any of that was a response to austerity.

 

[PMH]

You'd think that people would look at how much of a disaster Reform have been when running councils like Kent and Staffordshire. But no one really pays attention to local authorities beyond moaning about potholes

That was always my hope, but having argued long and loud in Staffordshire pubs with their voters I don't have much confidence. There's a wilful ignorance of what local govt functions even are, let alone the challenges they face.

In the very recent past the Tories controlled every council and held every Westminster seat in Staffordshire, and those flocking to reform were still convinced that there was an easy populist fix to every modern ill if we just tacked even further right. I'm very much not a Tory, but worked closely with several district and county councillors in Staffs and found them a decent, competent, realistic, community-minded bunch. They were turfed out for a bunch of chancers who had largely not lifted a finger in their communities prior to chasing a vote.

Anyone looking at Reform's record and still voting for them is beyond redemption. If the electorate generally decides to go down that path it'll get what it deserves.

 

[jon0844]

The anti-vaccination mob seem to have latched on to Reform and I'm now seeing people on Facebook claiming that (insert town name) is on the verge of being locked down as part of the 15 minute cities which will be announced straight after the elections if we don't act now.

The person warning our local group insists councillors have already signed off in secret, and barriers are going to be put up to stop people being able to leave and forcing them to live like prisoners, all policed by cameras.

It's not a new conspiracy theory but one that has gained traction after these nutters realised Covid lockdowns weren't permanent. Now it seems they believe Reform is needed to stop this happening.

Ironically, the replies were mostly pointing out the benefits of the 15 minute city concept and things like low traffic neighbourhoods. Seems people quite like the idea of walkable towns and being close to services!

Plus Katie Hopkins plays a big role in this, someone so mad that I doubt even Nigel Farage wants their support.

 

[weeklycommuter]

The Eric Pickles strategy of encouraging councils with no knowledge of running big businesses to use their valuable reserve funds to gamble invest. Thurrock, Warrington and many more have paid the price but with the public’s money.

This must never be forgotten. The biggest mess is Woking Borough Council. Two billion pounds of debt for a district council covering one hundred thousand people. The current Government has had to spend five hundred million pounds of taxpayers' money to deal with this. Surrey County Council and its districts all replaced as the top reorganisation priority with two new unitary councils East Surrey and West Surrey.

This was the one of the many mistakes of the recent Conservative Governments and the reason the Conservative Party is so comprehensively discredited as a party capable of government and why so many Conservatives have switched to Reform UK. For all their faults this cannot be blamed on Reform UK though some of their politicians are ex-Conservatives.

 

[jon0844]

This must never be forgotten. The biggest mess is Woking Borough Council. Two billion pounds of debt for a district council covering one hundred thousand people. The current Government has had to spend five hundred million pounds of taxpayers' money to deal with this. Surrey County Council and its districts all replaced as the top reorganisation priority with two new unitary councils East Surrey and West Surrey.

This was the one of the many mistakes of the recent Conservative Governments and the reason the Conservative Party is so comprehensively discredited as a party capable of government and why so many Conservatives have switched to Reform UK. For all their faults this cannot be blamed on Reform UK though some of their politicians are ex-Conservatives.

I'm certain Reform won't be wanting to invest any money in any shady schemes, giving money to companies they've had donations from (e.g. JCB) or doing anything dodgy in any way whatsoever.

 

[weeklycommuter]

I'm certain Reform won't be wanting to invest any money in any shady schemes, giving money to companies they've had donations from (e.g. JCB) or doing anything dodgy in any way whatsoever.

Reform UK cannot be blamed for anything that happened in the past when they were not in national or local government.
Their eventual record of governance in the councils they won control of last year and may win control of this year remains to be seen.
The Government is making changes to what councils can do with the aim of avoiding any repeat of the council bankruptcies.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Reform UK cannot be blamed for anything that happened in the past when they were not in national or local government.

Given the number of ex Tories in their ranks I'm not sure I agree!

 

[Krokodil]

Plus Katie Hopkins plays a big role in this, someone so mad that I doubt even Nigel Farage wants their support.

She was shown around Culdesac, Arizona by The Daily Show (a satirical news programme shown on the US Comedy Central channel). She fell for it hook, line and sinker. A very entertaining watch:

They want to turn us all into a barcode. They want to be able to control where we go, how we go, when we go, what we can access. They will put us in confined spaces, Culdesac.

 

[3141]

That was always my hope, but having argued long and loud in Staffordshire pubs with their voters I don't have much confidence. There's a wilful ignorance of what local govt functions even are, let alone the challenges they face.

In the very recent past the Tories controlled every council and held every Westminster seat in Staffordshire, and those flocking to reform were still convinced that there was an easy populist fix to every modern ill if we just tacked even further right. I'm very much not a Tory, but worked closely with several district and county councillors in Staffs and found them a decent, competent, realistic, community-minded bunch. They were turfed out for a bunch of chancers who had largely not lifted a finger in their communities prior to chasing a vote.

Anyone looking at Reform's record and still voting for them is beyond redemption. If the electorate generally decides to go down that path it'll get what it deserves.

Let's say that at the next General Election the turnout is 70% (probably optimistic), and 51% of those voting support Reform. Would you say that that is "the electorate generally", or that the other 49% also deserve what they get? You may be defeatist in your views about effectively countering Reform, but a large-scale dismissal of the electorate won't do anything to improve their understanding of the issues.

 

[Sorcerer]

Ironically, the replies were mostly pointing out the benefits of the 15 minute city concept and things like low traffic neighbourhoods. Seems people quite like the idea of walkable towns and being close to services!

You could probably win over a few social conservatives by framing 15 minute cities as traditional means of planning (~7,000 years) that strengthens community cohesion and is better for the high street and small businesses who people may otherwise miss driving past in their cars. If they're American you can even throw in "California-style city planning" while pointing to Los Angeles and explain how 15 minute cities are a way of owning the libs.

Truthfully though I don't think Reform will be keen to take on lunatics like Katie Hopkins. Nigel Farage is reasonably intelligent enough to know political poison when he sees it which is why he's distanced himself from the likes of the EDL and even Trump after his Iranian antics. If anything I'd bet Reform, come 2029, are mostly going to be nothing more than a hardline band Eurosceptics you could nickname the turquoise Tories.

 

[weeklycommuter]

The following news report appears to state that Reform UK are suggesting that councils they control will choose particular suppliers because those suppliers donate money to Reform UK. Surely that would not comply with public procurement rules? Surely public bodies including councils need to avoid favouring or even giving the impression that they favour any particular supplier in public procurement? Surely it would not be acceptable for any supplier to gain advantage in procurement by donating money to a political party?

Reform frontbench promotes JCB’s pothole machine after firm’s £200,000 donation

Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson and Robert Jenrick, among others, have sung the praises of the JCB PotHole Pro

www.theguardian.com

Dig deep! Reform frontbench promotes JCBs after £200,000 donation from firm
Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson and Robert Jenrick, among others, have sung the praises of the JCB PotHole Pro
Rowena Mason Whitehall editor Sat 2 May 2026
Reform UK’s leading figures have repeatedly promoted a new pothole-fixing machine by the construction company JCB, while the party received £200,000 from the British digger maker, the Guardian can reveal.
Several Reform politicians including Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson, Robert Jenrick, Zia Yusuf and Richard Tice have sung the praises of the JCB PotHole Pro machine.
At a rally last year in Birmingham, Farage entered the stage on one of the repair vehicles and suggested it would be used in Reform-run councils when the party had taken control at local elections.

 

[SteveP29]

a large-scale dismissal of the electorate won't do anything to improve their understanding of the issues.

But we now have actual evidence of Reform in governance being 'no better than the others' that lots of the electorate spouted as reason to vote Reform, so yes, they will deserve everything they get

 

[Tetchytyke]

Surely public bodies including councils need to avoid favouring or even giving the impression that they favour any particular supplier in public procurement? Surely it would not be acceptable for any supplier to gain advantage in procurement by donating money to a political party?

Neither the Tories nor Labour could make much of this as an issue, because they are just as bad. There’s a reason why the likes of Serco so generously sponsor both political parties, only to receive very lucrative government contracts a few months later.

What is more interesting is how Christopher Harborne- who gave Farage £5m- being allowed to fly under the radar as a “crypto billionaire.” He may be rich through crypto but he’s also the single largest individual shareholder in QinetiQ, which is the privatised Ministry of Defence research arm.

 

[FinsburyPark]

But we now have actual evidence of Reform in governance being 'no better than the others' that lots of the electorate spouted as reason to vote Reform, so yes, they will deserve everything they get

Also. Most Reformers support Reform because of Immigration.

I do not, for one second think Reform will do all that much on the issue.

All talk, and no action.

 

[The Ham]

Given a lot of the attractiveness of Reform is the issue of small boats.

If you were to factor it down to a village of 5,000 people, in the past 15 years the number of people who have come to that village, and assuming that none left, that's 14 people.

 

[SteveP29]

Enough to give the inward looking, mostly elderly inhabitants the heebie jeebies.

Most of them can't stand townies to start with, never mind people from another country

 

[The Ham]

Enough to give the inward looking, mostly elderly inhabitants the heebie jeebies.

Most of them can't stand townies to start with, never mind people from another country

That's if they ever see them.

 

[nw1]

Let's say that at the next General Election the turnout is 70% (probably optimistic), and 51% of those voting support Reform. Would you say that that is "the electorate generally", or that the other 49% also deserve what they get? You may be defeatist in your views about effectively countering Reform, but a large-scale dismissal of the electorate won't do anything to improve their understanding of the issues.

Reform getting 51% is surely an extreme scenario, that is well above either Thatcher or Blair ever got at their peak. Half of those participating voting for them. That would say something very, very bad about the UK if it did come to pass.

Being a far more extreme party than Blair's Labour or even Thatcher's Tories, there's no way they will get 51% surely. Opinion polling seems to suggest 25-30%, that will surely be the amount they will manage, hopefully less by then.

 

[TravelDream]

It will be interesting to see the effects of tactical voting. I've seen a lot of this being pushed online and living in an area with local elections quite a few work colleagues have been talking about various sites which wasn't the case last time.

Wales is a prime example of it.

Plaid managed to win the argument that it was them vs. Reform and they won a substantial number of votes in traditionally very weak parts of Wales because of it.

The truth is there is an anti-Reform majority in Britain. It's just whether it can be exploited.

 

[brad465]

Wales is a prime example of it.

Plaid managed to win the argument that it was them vs. Reform and they won a substantial number of votes in traditionally very weak parts of Wales because of it.

The truth is there is an anti-Reform majority in Britain. It's just whether it can be exploited.

I can see it being exploited much more come the general election. Voters tend to take those more seriously than local ones, plus assuming its 2029, Trump's full effects of his term will be fully known and Farage's association with him will be exploited by all other parties. Whether tactical voting will do what those engaging in it intend is another matter entirely; given how fragmented everything currently is, the tactical vote choice isn't as obvious as in 2024.

 

[The Ham]

I can see it being exploited much more come the general election. Voters tend to take those more seriously than local ones, plus assuming its 2029, Trump's full effects of his term will be fully known and Farage's association with him will be exploited by all other parties. Whether tactical voting will do what those engaging in it intend is another matter entirely; given how fragmented everything currently is, the tactical vote choice isn't as obvious as in 2024.

Indeed, at a local level the difference between the established parties is less of a significant issue for many. (Taxes are fairly fixed, much of the development requirements are set by national government, etc).

As such, tactical voting is probably less of a thing if the risk of the worst option isn't overly likely (for example someone in a remain voting area isn't necessarily too worried if they still have a Tory over any other, as Reform are less likely to be such a threat, and may split the Tory vote. Especially if there's no overall control anyway).

However, at a general election, they serious be much more likely to vote tactical.

 

[nw1]

I can see it being exploited much more come the general election. Voters tend to take those more seriously than local ones, plus assuming its 2029, Trump's full effects of his term will be fully known and Farage's association with him will be exploited by all other parties. Whether tactical voting will do what those engaging in it intend is another matter entirely; given how fragmented everything currently is, the tactical vote choice isn't as obvious as in 2024.

I suspect and certainly hope that there will be more organised campaigns, websites etc come 2029. Even against the relatively harmless Sunak, tactical voting worked effectively in 2024.

Perhaps some trends are emerging already into what flavour of anti-Reform vote will be strongest in a given area and thus which tactical choice to make. In my local authority, seats were won by Reform (sadly), the Greens, the Lib Dems and Labour - and each area seems to have a very distinctive demographic make-up. (Only a third of the seats were up for election, so the overall makeup hasn't radically altered).

You could even get left-wing, liberal, trade-unionist Remainers voting Tory in some cases where it's a straight choice between Reform and them. (Clacton, for example?)

 

[Harpo]

Buried deep in the BBC news pages:

Reform UK's Jaymey McIvor, who's been re-elected to his Ongar and Rural seat on Essex County Council, says his party's vision is to "make Essex great again".

Groan.
Local election 2026 results: Reform takes control of Essex County Council and Thurrock - BBC News