Councils now run by Reform - end of the beginning or beginning of the end?

[boys3]

So after 1st May Local Elections Reform have outright control of ten top tier Councils, and are the largest, or close to the largest party, in a number of others.

How will they get on do we think? Suddenly having responsibility and accountability for real stuff.

Just for a bit of context the recent National Audit Office report on Local Government in England.
https://www.nao.org.uk/reports/local-government-financial-sustainability-2025/?nab=2

These are the Councils they won outright. Number of seats they won and total seats on each Council, plus a link to the more detailed results. Some of the Councils have really good info sets with clear summaries and maps showing who won where. Others are a bit more basic. These councils deliver services for some 8 million people

Derbyshire
42/64 Derbyshire Results

Doncaster

37/55 Doncaster Results

County Durham
65/98 Durham Results

Kent

57/81 Kent Results

Lancashire
53/84 Lancashire Resuts

Lincolnshire

44/70 Lincolnshire Results

North Northants
39/68 North Northants Results

2 seats pending as ward election postponed due to death of a candidate

Nottinghamshire
40/66 Nottinghamshire Results
2 seats pending as ward election postponed due to death of a candidate

Staffordshire
49/62 Staffordshire Results

West Northants
42/76 West Northants Results

There are then 4 Councils where they are the largest party but short of a majority. Will Cons, or others, support them in any of these to give control? Or will others, incl Cons, coalesce to prevent that? We'll soon find out. If anyone knows already post away!

Cornwall 28/87. Cons have 7 seats so even combined well short of a majority. Lib Dems won 26 seats. I think more likely that Lib Dems will get support from sufficient Independents (19), Green (3) and Lab (4) to form an adminstration.
Cornwall Results

Leicestershire 25/55, so 3 short. Cons have 15 seats. So could easily support a Reform led adminstration. Or would they join with Lib Dems (11), Lab (2), Green (1) and Indie (1) to create a coalition administration that keeps Reform out?
Leicestershire Results

Warwickshire 23/57 so 5 short, Cons then have 9 seats, so could support to provide a majority. Lib Dems 14, Greens 7, Lab 3, Indie 1 - combined 25 so again short of a majority, Which way will Cons go?
Warwickshire Results

Worcestershire 27/57 so 2 short. Cons then have 12 seats, so could support to provide a majority. Or could join with the Greens (8), Lib Dems (6), Lab (2) and Indie (2) to thwart a Reform led Council. Equally only needs 2 of the 12 Cons to side with Reform to give them a majority and control though
Worcestshire Results

Of the remaining hung councils:

Northumberland Cons won 26/69, then Reform with 23, So the two combined have a comfortable majority, Or would the Cons look for support from 9 from Lab (8) Indie (7) Lib Dem (3) and Green (2) and avoid Reform. Northumberland Results

Buckinghamshire. Cons have 48/97 so 1 short of a majority. Reform only have 3 seats, but Cons only need support of 1. Equaly 1 of the 13 independents may provide that support. Buckinghamshire Results

In the others Devon, Gloucestershire and Hertfordshire support from Lab and Greens would give the Lib Dems control in each.
Hertfordshire Results
Gloucestshire Results
Devon Results

Lastly Wiltshire all down it seems to the Indies (7). Lib Dems have 43/98. Cons have 37 seats and Reform 10. Wiltshire Results

The final 3 Councils contested last Thursday all delivered Lib Dem majorities - Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire and Shropshire

The success (ahem) of these Reform council's maybe starting to impact elsewhere.

10 council by-elections last Thursday - ok only by-elections, however...

Just 1 of 10 won by Reform. Just one.

Only one (where they did win) saw them pass 30%, just, of the vote.

5 saw them get around or just under 25% of the vote - ie c.75%+ of those who voted chose not to vote Reform

The other 4 in the 10-15% range - ie c. 85% of those who voted chose not to vote Reform.

Though this is a LD site it lists all ten results

https://www.markpack.org.uk/175784/lib-dem-gains-from-labour-greens-and-conservatives/

Oh dear that video, at least no one was in the bath

Bunch of 🤡. Showing their true colours more every day!

God she's rude and she's not wrong about everyone watching them but what a rabble!

I forgot this one but they also refused to call for a permanent ban of fracking. Moot because it’s effectively banned anyway but as there was a fracking site in Lancs, it will upset a lot of people. Reform say they are being “pragmatic” 🙄

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy517l3y7do

The internal hunt underway in Kent it seems.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/oct/19/reform-kent-council-leader-launched-hunt-for-cowards-who-leaked-recorded-meeting

Nothing like a good witch hunt!

Kent County Council leader Linden Kemkaran faces possible vote of no confidence

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/kcc-leader-faces-possible-vote-of-no-confidence-in-wake-of-l-331377/

4 of those Kent councillors have been suspended

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgkenn4r15o

https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/people/it-feels-like-it-is-just-smoke-and-mirrors-reform-uk-claims-of-22-potholes-per-mile-along-derbyshire-roads-were-based-on-misunderstood-information-5367052

Reform’s cabinet member for potholes, highways and transport's claims that there were “22 potholes per mile” along Derbyshire roads were based on misunderstood information,

I agree with Marina Hyde in the Guardian, who pointed out that the government are seen as doing such a bad job for working people that they will vote for Farage, not because they agree with all that he says, but as a “fuck you” to the other main parties.

Well that’s why they voted for Brexit so it’s not implausible. Some people never learn.

KCC infographic on their savings (may need to wait for image).

Not listed - the saving thhey made on proofreading...

Fair bit of double counting and inconsistency there.

Not forgetting the oviffrcharging...

And they don't seem too clear about the savings (not the planet clearly) on EV cars either.

Cornwall

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/more-council-disaster-for-imploding-reform-in-cornwall-399480/?fbclid=IwdGRjcANm4-9jbGNrA2bZOWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEe39ELNRVap9X8sGXDKWd8iCD05sQ-TtGNV5kQ3u--zv2wa3TP998AgcBFIzU_aem_u6oD3AOUoZgPk11T-T2OOQ

Thankfully also @lkjhgfdsa though the biggest party (not sure if that is still the case with all these exits) Reform don’t run Cornwall council. Of course the then leader threw his toys out the pram in the weeks after the election as it became clear no other party or independent groups would support Reform to lead Cornwall council.

The interesting other point in that article is that a number of those leaving the Reform group are now badging themselves as independent councillors - though I suspect the views they each hold dearest probably won’t have changed.

Though this thread is about local councils, without wishing to speak negatively of councils if they can’t work together at that local level can anyone seriously think, in the highly unlikely event Reform were to somehow find themselves in the position of leading National government, they would last more than a few weeks.

thank you again @lkjhgfdsa and to everyone else who continues to post examples of the disaster that Reform are.

That's assuming Farage doesn't change the rules, have you not been watching what's happening in America.

He's said that's he's going to scrap a swath of workers rights and one is stopping redundancy rules is up there on his list. If you look at how Trump has circumvented the legal system to force through change....Farage will do exactly that ....there will be no appeals court or European court of Human rights.

Farage won't play fair and he will exactly what Trump has done

Unfortunately I think a reform government is slowly becoming a certainty. I met my local MP last month and I made my views very clear, weakness at number 10 will cost them the election. ID cards etc are not a priority when we have people are unable to get a dentist, housing or a doctors appointment.

To change the rules he’d need to be PM first. Though only a Senedd seat the result in Caerphilly last night wasn’t a ringing endorsement for future success.

Well I don’t know what they’re fixing in NE Derbyshire but there are so many roads closed some relatives/friends have had their morning journeys quadrupled and it’s difficult to work out how you can get to some schools/places some days. Though it’s said some roads are saying closed that shouldn’t be as no work being done.
It’s a complete nightmare and had no planning at all seemingly - often it feels this way when roads are closed anywhere - but this has shown how much worse it could really be - it is as if road closures are on steroids and deliberately stopping you getting anywhere.
All bodes well hmmm!

If you have a SEND child then you will absolutely feel the impact. Although to be fair, Kent is already horrific for SEND children. I really feel for anyone in these areas battling for an education for their child.

Zia Yusuf stepped down as head of DOGE on Wednesday

https://bylinetimes.com/2025/10/23/reform-council-asks-opposition-for-help-making-cuts-after-desperate-search-for-savings-falls-short/

https://share.google/zUktzsos84t0UpIy4

I’d refuse to pay my council tax if my council pissed it away like that.

£457 per flag

Locally sourced from China?