Healthcare
Reform UK promised to improve the NHS, yet in Lincolnshire, where they control the council, they plan to cut the One You Lincolnshire scheme, which helps vulnerable residents prevent illness from smoking, drinking, obesity, and inactivity. Despite saving far more than it costs, Reform officials claim finances are “challenging” and argue people should take personal responsibility. This decision prioritizes ideology and cost-cutting over proven public health benefits. Reform’s broader pledge to “improve efficiency and cut waste” appears here to threaten vital preventative healthcare, raising doubts about their commitment to their own NHS promises.
Cutting bin collections
Reform UK campaigned on improving local services, including bin collections, while criticizing rising taxes and service cuts. Yet in Lancashire, where they now control the council, households may see collections reduced from every two weeks to every three. The council cites cost savings, highlighting a stark contrast between Reform’s promises and their actions.
Leisure centres cuts in Durham
The Reform-led Durham council plans to cut leisure centre funding and reduce council tax support for the poorest residents, while council leader Andrew Husband calls for pay rises for councillors. This contrast between cutting public services and seeking higher salaries has drawn criticism for appearing hypocritical.
Closing care homes
Reform UK’s proposal to potentially close care homes in Lancashire to cut costs has been labeled “unconscionable” by Lorraine Beavers, MP for Blackpool North and Fleetwood. The plan has sparked significant tension within the council. While Reform UK insists no final decision has been made, Progressive Lancashire—a coalition of independents and Greens—claims the council has already set a timetable for relocating residents, some over 100 years old.
A Reform UK councillor, Graham Dalton, threatened legal action after an opposition councillor questioned a potential conflict of interest in plans to close Lancashire care homes. Dalton, who co-owns the private provider First for Care GB, faced scrutiny for possibly profiting from the closures. Labour MP Cat Smith and councillor Kim Snape criticized the lack of transparency, calling for clear declaration of interests. Experts warned the legal threat could stifle public debate and accountability. Ten council-run care homes and day centres are under review, with public consultation ongoing, amid fears residents, including those over 100, could be displaced next year.
Warwickshire proposes cuting funding for home-to-school transport
Reform UK’s Warwickshire council, led by 19-year-old George Finch, proposed cutting school transport funding, forcing children as young as four to walk miles to school. Labour MP Rachel Taylor criticises this as unsafe, impractical, and a consequence of Reform’s failed cost-cutting promises. Parents fear the plan disproportionately harms vulnerable families in rural areas. Taylor applauds the Education Secretary’s rejection of the proposal and urges Finch to withdraw it, emphasising that local government must ensure children’s safety rather than shifting the cost of political mismanagement onto families. She warns that further reckless cuts could follow if unchallenged.
Lincolnshire council cuts flood prevention
In Lincolnshire, one of the country’s most flood-prone regions, the new Reform council has abolished the Flood and Water Management Scrutiny Committee, previously responsible for holding organisations like Anglian Water, the Environment Agency, and Internal Drainage Boards accountable. The committee’s responsibilities have been folded into the broader Environment Committee, now meeting eight times annually instead of four. This decision faced opposition from Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, and Independent councillors, reflecting a rare cross-party consensus against the change.
Lancashire County Council cutting nursery funding
Reform UK–run councils are cutting early-years nursery funding to fill budget gaps, deepening an already fragile childcare system. In Lancashire, proposed cuts will harm children’s futures, through job losses, nursery closures and fewer funded places in deprived areas. While the council may save around £3 million, the National Day Nurseries Association warns the changes could cost each nursery about £5,000, harming children’s futures rather than delivering genuine efficiency.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1JkjKDPZa8, https://lancashire.thelead.uk/p/reform-uk-lancashire-nurseries-funding-cuts-lancashire-county-council)
Derbyshire County Council Considers Scrapping Adult Education Service
The Reform-run Derbyshire County Council is considering scrapping its entire direct delivery of its adult education service and handing it over to commissioned private providers.
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