With council workers under threat, Mike Short, head of local government at UNISON, questions the value of Nigel Farage's unwanted audits.

With budget cuts looming after the Chancellor's spending review, councils face another round of difficult choices on how to allocate scarce resources. So, it's no surprise many staff at Reform UK-led local authorities feel unjustly targeted – threatened, even – by the party’s controversial efficiency hit squads.

These units, modelled on Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), were announced following Reform’s local election wins at 10 councils in May. Letters signed by Reform leader Nigel Farage and sent to authorities state that Doge-inspired investigators will examine whether local spending is ‘robust, lawful and value-driven’.

Farage, who's an MP, also demands access to key council documents, including commercially sensitive procurement data and whistleblower reports.

Separately, Reform’s former chair and head of the Doge-style unit, Zia Yusuf, has pledged to tackle ‘wasteful’ spending.

Kent County Council was first to receive a knock from Yusuf’s merry band of data analysts and forensic auditors. A similar review is under way in Lancashire.

Damaged Morale

As the UK’s largest union, UNISON represents hundreds of thousands of local government workers and has deep concerns about Reform’s initiative. It's highly unusual for the leadership of a national party to demand access to such information and local staff are understandably feeling uneasy. If Keir Starmer had signed a letter requesting sensitive whistleblower reports and financial records be handed to the central Labour Party, there would be serious questions.

Morale among staff in Reform-controlled areas is already low, and UNISON will provide support during these unsettling months. The union is working with branches and regions to get a clearer picture of what’s happening locally.

A Smokescreen for Cuts?

Many council workers fear these audits are a smokescreen for further cuts to vital services and jobs. Following Reform’s election victories, Nigel Farage warned some council employees should ‘seek alternative careers’, indicating jobs linked to climate change and diversity initiatives could be axed.

There are also concerns that cherry-picked audit findings will be used to attack staff pay and conditions – especially after Richard Tice, Reform’s deputy leader, floated pay cuts and the (potentially illegal) idea of excluding new council employees from the local government pension scheme.

Surging Union Membership

Growing staff anxiety is reflected in UNISON’s membership. New recruits to the union surged by an average 167% across the 10 Reform-led authorities in the week after May's elections.

Of course, using external auditors to examine council finances isn’t new. Authorities have long been accountable to taxpayers and are transparent about how they award contracts, from road repairs to care services. But Reform’s approach is unprecedented: centralised, intrusive and heavy-handed. Many workers feel Doge teams lack a basic understanding of local government finance.

Nothing Left to Cut

It’s also unclear what this headline-chasing exercise will achieve. Reform says it wants to ‘identify wasteful spending and recommend actionable solutions.’ The populist rhetoric suggests councils are recklessly spending public money. But that claim isn't supported by the facts.

Most councils are skint. Local authorities’ core spending power has fallen by 27% since 2010, and UNISON research shows the annual shortfall between what they need and what they spend has exceeded £4bn.

Eight councils have issued Section 114 notices since 2018, effectively declaring themselves bankrupt. Far from squandering cash, many are selling assets to balance their books. With council tax rises capped and demand for services like social care and housing soaring, authorities are increasingly reliant on Whitehall bailouts.

So, it’s hard to envisage what ‘waste’ Reform will identify.

In this context, allocating dwindling resources wisely matters more than ever. It requires knowledge and experience.

Widespread Delays

Yet since the local elections, staff have reported widespread delays and inaction at Reform-led councils. Scores of meetings have been simply cancelled.

In Kent, for example, two fifths (40%) of key meetings between the local election and 4 July have been cancelled. That includes gatherings of the governance and audit committee.

Reform claims new councillors need more time to be trained. But UNISON understands some councillors didn’t realise and were unprepared for how much work is involved.

On 26 June, the leader of Warwickshire County Council, Reform’s Rob Howard, resigned after just six weeks, leaving an 18-year-old in temporary charge. While Howard cited health issues, something everyone can sympathise with, he also admitted the leader’s role was ‘extremely demanding’.

Elsewhere, confusion reigns. In one case, a new Reform councillor in Durham also worked for the authority and had to step down after realising he was banned from holding both roles.

Being a councillor is a serious responsibility. Local people and council staff rely on elected members to attend meetings, make decisions and support some of the most vulnerable in society.

Targeting Council Workers

The uncertainty caused by Reform's ‘Doge’ audits cannot continue. Targeting dedicated council workers who're doing their best in challenging financial circumstances, risks pushing them out of the sector altogether. And at a time when communities need them most.

To learn more about Reform UK, check out: Reform UK: What Britain’s fastest rising party stands for.