Andrea Egan said "Nigel Farage only likes doing easy things that benefit Nigel Farage."
Nigel Farage has been accused of having “no interest” in solving the serious problems that councils face, after he said he wishes Reform “hadn’t bothered” taking minority control of ‘bankrupt’ Worcestershire County Council.
Unison’s general secretary Andrea Egan said that Farage has “no interest in solving the many and serious problems councils and the country face” and that he is more “suited to grift than graft”.
Last month, the Reform-run local authority approved a 9% council tax rise, despite the party having pledged to “cut taxes” in their campaign ahead of the May 2025 local elections.
Today Farage told the BBC that he regretted Reform taking the helm at Worcestershire County Council.
Speaking about Worcestershire, the Reform leader said: “I have to say, we took minority control of a virtually bankrupt council, I wish we hadn’t bothered.”
When asked whether he wished Reform had not won in Worcestershire, Farage said: “No, no, no – we didn’t win the election, we formed a coalition and we were always [going to be] on a hiding to nothing.”
A Reform spokesperson also told the BBC that Reform had inherited “a catastrophic mess from the Tories” in Worcestershire and that the party had “stepped up” and done its “civic duty” by taking control of the council.
Egan told Left Foot Forward: “Nigel Farage only likes doing easy things that benefit Nigel Farage. He has no interest in solving the many and serious problems councils and the country face. Problems that were all too often created by the band of former Tory chancers that have fled to Reform.
“The party’s only interested in peddling easy answers, not rolling up sleeves to fix problems. But the mask is slipping as reality bites. Getting the UK back on its feet is hard work, but Nigel Farage is a man more suited to grift than graft.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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