Labour is set to publish a dossier highlighting chaos in 12 Reform-led councils ahead of Thursday’s local elections, accusing Nigel Farage’s party of breaking promises and slashing services
Labour will attack Reform UK with its own record by releasing a dossier of “chaos and incompetence” in town halls across the country.
The document, to be published ahead of Thursday’s local elections, will point to a string of scandals and failures in the 12 councils Nigel Farage’s party controls. These include councillors being forced to quit, cuts to vital services and allegations of broken election promises. It comes as one of the UK’s top election experts predicted Reform could win more than 1,500 council seats on Thursday on a disastrous day for the Government.
Election guru Lord Robert Hayward said Labour faces shedding 1,800 seats, while the Tories are expected to lose 600. Reform is tipped to make breakthroughs in Labour strongholds in the Midlands and north of England, as well as in national elections in Scotland and Wales.
But Labour’s dossier warns voters to look at how Reform-led councils have fared in the past year – and accuses the party of failing. It says: “After last year’s local elections Reform took control of 12 councils across the country. It was an opportunity for Nigel Farage to demonstrate how Reform would use the power it was given.
READ MORE: Alastair Campbell hits out over Nigel Farage £5million gift from billionaireREAD MORE: Keir Starmer calls on country to ‘open eyes to Jewish pain’ in impassioned plea
“Reform promised to reduce waste and cut taxes. But in the councils they run, they are raising council tax and slashing vital services.”
The dossier claims that despite local associations and candidates vowing to cut taxes, bills have gone up. In Derbyshire, it points out, leaflets ahead of elections last year vowed to “cut your taxes”. But instead, the local authority confirmed it would raise council tax by 4.9%.
Reform insists that the promises on election leaflets were national pledges, similar to stopping the boats. The party claims it never vowed to cut council tax.
Similarly in Kent, Reform took over after distributing leaflets vowing to “reduce waste and cut your taxes”. But in January it announced council tax would go up by an above-inflation 3.99%.
When challenged about the wording earlier this year, Mr Farage told ITV: “Well, cutting taxes could mean not putting them up as much, I suppose. But I never promised cuts in council tax.”
Lincolnshire County Council leader Sean Matthews claimed in an election leaflet that the previous administration’s council tax rise of 2.99% was wrong “because hardworking people shouldn’t pay for their wasteful spending”. However, the dossier pointed out that the Reform council is now raising council tax by the same sum.
Reform insists that the promise to cut taxes was a national pledge, along with stopping the boats and freezing immigration. It said it never promised to cut council tax.
Meanwhile Kent County Council, built up as Reform’s flagship authority, has been plagued by infighting, with four councillors suspended after leaked footage showed leader Linden Kemkaran telling members to “f***ing suck it up”.
Labour’s Communities Secretary Steve Reed told The Mirror: “Don’t risk the chaos and incompetence that comes with Reform councils.
“Nigel Farage’s broken promises have seen town halls hike tax, slash services, and leave residents feeling short changed. This dereliction of duty isn’t inevitable. Voters can reject Reform at the ballot box next week.”
Labour has also pointed to councillors having to stand down in disgrace. In Leicestershire, the county council’s roads chief resigned after claiming immigrants were trying to make the UK a “Muslim state” in an email.
Charles Whitford – who has since joined Restore Britain, run by former Reform MP Rupert Lowe – told the BBC after a county council report into his conduct: “I responded in a personal rather than a professional way, and I am happy to apologise for that.
“However, I still think freedom of speech is an important thing.”
And the council’s deputy leader, Joseph Boam, was sacked in August last year, with leader Dan Harrison telling the Local Democracy Service he “wasn’t able to do the job”.
The dossier also points to leadership chaos in Staffordshire. Former Reform council chief Ian Cooper was kicked out of the party after being accused of making racist comments on social media.
And Reform was forced to elect a third leader after his successor, Chris Large, was alleged to have shared racist comments, which he denied.
A Reform UK spokesman said: “Reform UK inherited mismanaged councils operating in a completely broken system. Many had to make tens of millions of pounds of savings just to stay afloat after being brought to the brink of bankruptcy.
“Despite these challenging circumstances, Reform-led councils have been rapidly cleaning up the mess left by the Tories, delivering and identifying over £700 million of savings in their first year and achieving the lowest average council tax rises of any political party, all whilst making local services better and more efficient.”
Council tax
The dossier accuses several local Reform UK associations of pledging to cut taxes before the elections, but then raising bills once in power.
It points to election leaflets and emails sent to voters in Kent, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, East Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire.
And Worcestershire County Council hiked council tax by 9% – adding around £145 to Band D bills. Leader Jo Monk said the authority would otherwise face financial collapse.
Nigel Farage later said of Worcestershire: “I have to say, we took minority control of a virtually bankrupt council. I wish we hadn’t bothered.” Reform UK insists the promises were a national pledge, like stopping the boats.
Service cuts
Labour’s document says public services in Reform-controlled town halls are under threat.
These include bus services in Durham, while in Lincolnshire, this year’s budget included drug and alcohol reduction services being defunded, the cancellation of a £20m investment fund and £11m to improve coastal roads.
Nottinghamshire saw £2.8m cut from school building projects, while the leader in Warwickshire came under fire after floating the idea of making schoolkids walk up to five miles before qualifying for free transport.
The dossier says: “Across the country, residents in Reform-run councils are now being forced to campaign against closure of their vital public services including local tips, elderly care homes and adult education centres.”
Resignations and sackings
Reform-led councils have been rocked by a string of high-profile resignations and sackings in the past year.
Staffordshire County Council burned through two leaders in a matter of months after allegations of racism. Former Reform council chief Ian Cooper was kicked out of the party after being accused of making racist comments on social media.
And Reform was forced to elect a third leader after his successor, Chris Large, stepped down after being accused of sharing racist material on TikTok – which he denied.
And the row at Kent County Council, which saw leaked video show leader Linden Kemkaran telling members to “f***ing suck it up”. Four councillors were kicked out after the clip became public.
In West Northamptonshire councillor Joanne Blythe told the BBC she had quit and accused the leadership of “misogynistic undertones”. The local party said she had been suspended pending investigation after indicating her intention to become an independent councillor.
Leicestershire’s Charles Whitford resigned after emails showed he said immigrants wanted to turn the UK into a Muslim state, later apologising.