Reform UK is facing mounting questions over its claim to have saved £331 million at English councils it controls, with experts and opposition councillors challenging the validity of the figures.
The party, which took charge of 10 English councils in May, has repeatedly failed to provide evidence supporting its savings claim despite promising to share a full breakdown. Richard Tice, head of the party's 'Doge' cost-cutting unit, declared they were "going to war" with vested interests he accused of "ripping off" taxpayers.
Questionable Savings Claims
Detailed analysis reveals that many of Reform's showcased savings appear questionable, with credit being claimed for initiatives already underway before the party took control. When the specific savings initiatives described by Reform are added up, they account for only £71 million - leaving an unexplained shortfall of £260 million.
Local government experts argue that identifying significant wasteful spending without affecting services was always going to be challenging. "They are not coming into this at a point where everyone else has sat idly by until now," said Stuart Hoddinott, associate director at the Institute for Government.
Scrutinising Specific Savings
In Kent, Reform claims to have saved £7.5 million by scrapping plans to transition the council's vehicle fleet to electric by 2030. However, council officials' calculations show that proceeding with the electric transition would actually save up to £100,000 annually.
Green councillor Stuart Heaver called the claim "bogus," noting it "assumes those electric vehicles would not need to be replaced with anything." The plans weren't due for significant spending until 2029-30, making it easy to "cut" future spending.
In Staffordshire, Reform announced a £4 million saving by "refocusing" electric vehicle charging points from streets to car parks. Yet no agreement has been reached with the Department for Transport about whether the central government grant money can be spent differently.
Credit for Previous Work
Reform has claimed significant savings from IT contracts, including £30 million in Lincolnshire and £1.7 million in Lancashire. However, opposition councillors say these contracts were already in advanced development stages before Reform took control.
In Lincolnshire, the new IT service was designed over recent years and awarded to a company already designated as a "preferred bidder." Richard Davies, leader of the council's Tory group, stated that "by the time they had taken over in May all of the major decisions had been made."
Similarly in Kent, Reform claims to have saved £14 million by cancelling the sale of council headquarters. Opposition councillors counter that the building requires £65 million in repairs and will cost £2.3-2.6 million annually to maintain.
Bigger Promises, Fewer Details
Reform's most ambitious savings targets lack specific figures. The party suggests "millions" could be saved by reforming special educational needs provision and claims local government pension schemes are overpaying by £265 million annually across 13 councils.
However, Stuart Hoddinott described the pension scheme attack as "strange," noting these schemes "seem to be doing quite well, to the point where they have been able to reduce contributions."
Professor Tony Travers, local government expert at the London School of Economics, observed that Reform's approaches appear remarkably similar to other parties' budget plans. "There isn't a left wing or right wing way of filling potholes," he noted, adding that eliminating diversity programmes - a Reform focus - involved "tiny amounts of money."
As councils across England face continued financial pressure, the debate over Reform's savings claims highlights the difficult trade-offs local authorities must make regardless of which party controls them.
