Reform claimed that it has increased council tax by 3.94%, but that number is higher
Reform UK declared that it had delivered the lowest council tax rises out of any political party at a press conference yesterday.
Prior to the local elections in May 2025, local Reform campaigns were run on a pledge to “cut taxes” and “reduce waste”.
Reform’s Richard Tice said that Reform councils had increased council tax by the lowest amounts out of any other major political party.
The figure he showed was 3.94%.
Here is a breakdown of council tax rises across Reform’s 12 county councils:
- Lancashire 3.8%
- Worcestershire 8.98% (Reform minority)
- Staffordshire 3.99%
- Lincolnshire 2.9%
- Warwickshire 4.4% (Reform minority)
- Kent 3.99%
- West Northamptonshire 4.95%
- North Northamptonshire 4.99%
- Nottinghamshire 3.99%
- Derbyshire 4.9%
- Leicestershire 2.99% (Reform minority)
- Durham 1.99%
Reform also runs Doncaster City Council, where council tax rose by 2%.
On average, Reform councils have increased council tax by 4.32%, not the 3.94% figure that they provided.
While that figure is lower than Labour’s average increase of 4.7%, the Tories’ average of 4.9% and the Lib Dems’ 5.49%, the number Reform presented for its own councils is lower than the true average because it excludes its minority-run councils – Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Leicestershire.
For example, Worcestershire, a Reform minority council, had an 8.98% tax rise, which increases the average significantly.
Reform did not provide both averages when presenting the data.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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