Reform raised council tax by almost 9% despite pledging to cut waste and taxes
Opposition councillors have tabled a motion to remove the Reform leader of Worcestershire County Council from office.
The Lib Dems have put forward the motion calling for the council leader Jo Monk to be ousted as they have no confidence in her leadership, the BBC has reported.
Lib Dem councillor Josh Robinson criticised Reform for breaking its promise and increasing council tax by almost 9%.
Robinson said: “They promised to cut waste and cut taxes – elected officials should stand by their word.”
He added that “The council’s leadership has clearly failed over the past nine months.
“[Reform] promised to cut waste and cut taxes. When a clear failure has occurred you need to stand by your actions.
“The situation we face is grave, and I have no confidence in this leadership to enact it.”
This comes after a furious eight-hour debate on the council’s budget took place last week, which saw Reform raise council tax by 8.98%.
Monk defended the tax rise as “the responsible choice” for an authority that has been battling a financial crisis.
The government has given Worcestershire County Council £59 million in emergency government support for 2026-27 to enable it to avoid effective bankruptcy.
All seven Lib Dem councillors on the council walked out of the council chamber before the budget vote.
The motion will be voted on at the next full council meeting in May and will only be approved if the majority of the 57 councillors vote for Monk to be ousted.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
Left Foot Forward doesn't have the backing of big business or billionaires. We rely on the kind and generous support of ordinary people like you.
You can support hard-hitting journalism that holds the right to account, provides a forum for debate among progressives, and covers the stories the rest of the media ignore. Donate today.