Overview

• A Doge unit audit found Kent County Council spent at least £1,000 on asylum seeker TV licences in 2022 and over £24,000 on activities such as trampolining, bowling and cinema trips.
• Since seizing control of 12 local authorities in May’s elections, Reform UK has deployed a team of software engineers, data analysts and forensic auditors to pinpoint and eliminate wasteful spending.
• Durham County Council leader Andrew Husband confirmed plans to reduce diversity, inclusion and equity training to its statutory minimum after reviewing existing modules.
• Councils under Reform UK control are set to raise council tax by the maximum five per cent to plug budget gaps, with the Institute for Fiscal Studies warning this represents the fastest rate of increase in two decades.
• Reform UK says funds saved from cutting asylum seeker provisions and streamlining training will be redirected to frontline services including adult social care, pothole repairs and SEND support.