In at least six of these councils, making up around 4.8 million people, bills could rise by the maximum of 5 per cent
Reform has finally collided with the realities of local government, with party leader Nigel Farage now admitting that delivering the changes the party promised before the local elections last May is a lot harder than he thought.
Farage and his party had promised to cut waste and bring down people’s taxes. The problem with populism of course is that shouting slogans and soundbites goes only so far, scratch beyond the surface or subject plans to scrutiny and it all begins to fall apart.
The Reform leader was setting out his party’s plans to bring down spending and improve the country’s finances, which include withdrawing welfare payments EU citizens with settled status are entitled to under the withdrawal agreement, as well as cutting the foreign aid budget and raising the immigration health surcharge.
Asked about whether Reform led councils will now have to raise taxes despite pledging to cut them, and whether they should raise them by the maximum 5% they are allowed to without a referendum, the Reform leader said: “We can’t tell them what to do. They are their own living, breathing organisms.”
As many as eight of the 13 local councils run by Nigel Farage’s party have hinted at plans to raise council tax by next year.
In at least six of these councils, making up around 4.8 million people, bills could rise by the maximum of 5 per cent.
The Independent reports Farage as saying: “Will we cut debt? Yes. But can we give people a free ticket at this moment in time on council tax? No. And I never, ever thought we will be able to at this stage.”
Asked what lessons he has learned from local government, he said: “Getting things to change is hard.
“I think that’s perhaps the biggest thing that I take from these first few months.”
Yes Nigel, shouting populist slogans is easy, delivering change far harder.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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