Reform UK's £331m Savings Claim: Do the Numbers Add Up?
Reform UK claims to have achieved a staggering £331m worth of savings in 10 English councils since taking charge in May. However, the party has refused to provide evidence for its claim, sparking questions over the accuracy of the figure.
A closer analysis of examples from Durham and Kent reveals that some supposed savings are questionable, with credit claimed for initiatives already set in motion by predecessors. In other cases, the supposed savings seem to be based on short-term cost-cutting measures rather than genuine efficiencies.
The situation is made worse by local government experts who warn that Reform's approach to identifying wasteful spending will struggle. "They are not coming into this at a point where everyone else has sat idly by until now," said Stuart Hoddinott, associate director of the public services team at the Institute for Government (IfG). The problem is that councils face significant trade-offs in services when cutting costs.
Reform UK's claims are also being scrutinized over several high-profile examples. One claim of £7.5m savings on a plan to switch Kent county council's vehicle fleet to electric by 2030 has been widely questioned, with calculations suggesting that the real cost savings would be much lower.
Similarly, the party's announcement that it has scrapped plans to sell its headquarters in Maidstone is seen as an example of "directional spending" rather than actual cost-cutting. The building is estimated to need £65m worth of repairs before it can be used.
In another example, Reform UK claimed that special educational needs and disabilities provision would save millions of pounds, but the idea seems theoretical and lacks clarity on how councils could implement such changes without breaching their statutory obligations.
On local government pension schemes (LGPs), Reform UK's claims seem to be based on outdated data, with some reports suggesting that LGPs have seen significant improvements in funding levels amid large surpluses.
Overall, it appears that Reform UK's savings claim of £331m may not add up. While the party has been able to identify some genuine cost-saving opportunities, its approach often relies on short-term measures rather than sustainable efficiencies.
Reform UK claims to have achieved a staggering £331m worth of savings in 10 English councils since taking charge in May. However, the party has refused to provide evidence for its claim, sparking questions over the accuracy of the figure.
A closer analysis of examples from Durham and Kent reveals that some supposed savings are questionable, with credit claimed for initiatives already set in motion by predecessors. In other cases, the supposed savings seem to be based on short-term cost-cutting measures rather than genuine efficiencies.
The situation is made worse by local government experts who warn that Reform's approach to identifying wasteful spending will struggle. "They are not coming into this at a point where everyone else has sat idly by until now," said Stuart Hoddinott, associate director of the public services team at the Institute for Government (IfG). The problem is that councils face significant trade-offs in services when cutting costs.
Reform UK's claims are also being scrutinized over several high-profile examples. One claim of £7.5m savings on a plan to switch Kent county council's vehicle fleet to electric by 2030 has been widely questioned, with calculations suggesting that the real cost savings would be much lower.
Similarly, the party's announcement that it has scrapped plans to sell its headquarters in Maidstone is seen as an example of "directional spending" rather than actual cost-cutting. The building is estimated to need £65m worth of repairs before it can be used.
In another example, Reform UK claimed that special educational needs and disabilities provision would save millions of pounds, but the idea seems theoretical and lacks clarity on how councils could implement such changes without breaching their statutory obligations.
On local government pension schemes (LGPs), Reform UK's claims seem to be based on outdated data, with some reports suggesting that LGPs have seen significant improvements in funding levels amid large surpluses.
Overall, it appears that Reform UK's savings claim of £331m may not add up. While the party has been able to identify some genuine cost-saving opportunities, its approach often relies on short-term measures rather than sustainable efficiencies.
. I mean, thats a lotta cash and if its not backed up by somethin solid, then its hard to trust. And yeah, Stuart Hoddinott's right on the money too - Reform UK isnt exactly takin over councils from scratch, they're buildin on what's already been done 
. Its also clear that some of these "savings" are just short-term fixes rather than real game changers 
.
. like, stuart hoddinott said that reform's approach is not gonna work 'cause they're just picking on short-term stuff instead of getting into the nitty-gritty 
. anyway, i don't think we should take them at face value just yet 
.
They also say they're scrapping plans to sell their HQ but that's just a fancy way of saying "we're not cutting costs" 
. They're just hopin' we don't dig deep enough to see the truth. I mean, they won't even provide evidence for these supposed savings. It's like they're tryin' to pull a fast one on us. And then there are all these examples of "savings" that are basically just short-term fixes or credits for stuff that was already planned by others. It don't add up, fam 
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. And local government pension schemes? Yeah, that's some outdated data right there 
. It's not surprising that they're getting slammed for this one.
. That's not really "savings", that's just good planning 
.
. Until then, I'll be keeping a close eye on these numbers 
like that's not just basic research costs or whatever? and scrap the headquarters for 65 million pounds? lol directionless spending, more like 
and those "millions of pounds" in special needs provision sounds like a recipe for disaster, too much red tape and less actual savings... reform uk's claim is pretty shaky 
. But I still think they need to do better to back up their claims. And those high-profile examples? Yeah, that doesn't look great