Say Reform win yet more council elections next year….

[Rivypike]

In addition to the ones they’ve won this year. Deputy leader Richard Tice has publicly said the party will use 'every lever' to thwart renewable energy schemes. Extend this to other Reform talking points like immigration and refusing to accommodate asylum seekers etc. How will the government deal with it ? An elected council v an elected government ?

An elected council vs an elected government? Surely this happens all the time? Current Tory councils, Labour councils from 2010-2024? Lib Dem councils will disagree with any number of government policies from either Labour or the Tories, as will SNP.

Why don't they like renewable energy schemes?

Because they are owned by (as a private company) or get donations from people with fossil fuel investments.

I believe they will, I also believe they will beat Haltons labour council hands down.
if this isn’t a wake up call for Labour then nothing will be

It's just a sign that they have not a clue about how local and central government work. In terms of reneable energy schemes, they might depending on circumstances, be able to deny planning permission. The scheme owners then appeal to government level, where they will get it.

Asylum seeker accomodation contracts is mostly allocated via private sector companies directly from central government. In many cases the council aren't even informed where the accomodation is. My local council, for example (just gone Reform, was solid Labour) even before the elections had officers working on asylum issues and even they didn't know where the housing was! But don't underestimate the power of money - in 2019 the Tories awarded 10 year contracts for asylum seeker housing at a cost of £4.5billion. No matter which side of the debate you are on, money talks. The private sector is raking in money, and they won't be allowing Reform to get in the way of that.

It doesn't mean Reform can't do damage (especially to local services) but they simply don't understant the spheres of influence of local government and who wins in a clash between them and central government.

@PhilippaGeorgiou interesting.

They have said they will use every 'instrument of power' to challenge the status quo, such as planning decisions and judicial reviews. I'm sure this will only have limited success but the public will see them trying. They can then say, 'government thwarted our attempts, this is why we need to be in power at government level'. It's not like they haven't thought this stuff through.

There's one other factor that Reform haven't taken into account. They are promising DOGE style cuts and council tax reductions because of all the "unnecessary expenditure" that they will be getting rid of. Before they promised that they really should have taken a good look at the budgets. After austerity - and I am not getting into whether they are right or not (they just aren't!) - there is no way councils can balance their budgets now. I used to work, until last summer, for a very large city council. The "entirely unnecessary" equalities team (equalities being a statutory duty so there has to be some!) consisted of one senior officer and two junior officers for the entire city. That's all that was left. So the saving there would amount to maybe £100k or a little more - not even enough of a council tax cut to get a bad cup of coffee per resident.

For many councils all that is left is statutory duties, and they are struggling to provide those at anything like an appropriate level. So when Reform have to cut adult and children's social care, refuse, street cleaning, etc., etc. they will discover just how much fun it is when your residents hate you! Of course they can try cutting terms and services that are already cut to the bone. Local authority employees are not known for their militancy, but I suspect that would be enough to make Birminghams refuse strike look like a minor skirmish.

They're absolute idiots. They don't even understand how the world works let alone how local government operates and what responsibilities it has. I wonder if they'll try to cut social care for the elderly because they think home carers just pop round people's homes to have a wee chat each day 🙄

But again - good luck with that. Care isn't the cash cow it was once thought to be, but again, most of it is locked down in private sector contracts whether in care homes or in client homes. Contracts that are generally 3 or 5 year procurements. And there are also procurement rules that must be followed - by law. And that is before you add on that in many areas - especially the areas like mine where they now have some control - are areas which have relatively stable populations stretching over many generations. Younger people who tend to get "tetchy" if you if you mess with grandma and grandad.

Absolutely. That was my thinking. ‘We stand for the little man’ kind of schtick. Could do it with every single bit of legislation that might affect their area.

Reform will be obstructionist but they offer no real solutions.

Reform will win any elections next year.

Why all the constant paranoia about Reform . It’s not like the other two parties have improved anything . The countries a shit show without Reform being anywhere near power . MN is such a left wing echo chamber .

Government can keep council's short of funds....delay funds etc the uk emits 1% of the global emissions for that one percent we are paying the highest in the world for electricity. Its being used to achieve the Fabian Society agenda of making us all about as poor as each other....they prize equality except for themselves members are most of labour PM Blair....have a look. If we were carbon neutral do you really think anyone would care. The U K has lost a lot of its standing many countries warn their citizens about coming here...we are deemed dangerous even Brazil!! The whole global warming thing has been weaponised against our people. Most houses won't be warm with air source heat pumps (£8,000 and replaced each 6 years) ..retro fitting rarely works. Our estate ran a pilot scheme to find this out !!
Going into debt for an electric car (which bursts into flames in accidents and doors lock) or burst into flames randomly. And noone has worked out how to recycle car batteries or the windmill blades
House insurance is refusing to insure house charging homes or having electric car in garage or drive brave new world

UKIP took Thanet some years back and argued each other to pieces within a year.

The 6 month rule will lower the number of Reform Cllrs
again
and life will go on