Farage pledges ‘total culture shift’ as he launches Reform UK local election campaign

Nigel Farage is set to officially launch Reform UK’s local election campaign, promising “a breath of fresh air in English councils up and down the UK”.

The party leader will formally kick off the campaign for the May 7 polls at an event in Sunderland on Thursday following a series of rallies across the country in recent weeks.

He is expected to highlight achievements in local authorities already under Reform’s control, asserting that voters are “already seeing a difference on the ground”.

Ahead of the rally, Mr Farage said Reform was “delivering a total culture shift in local government, sweeping away the establishment consensus and finally putting residents first”.

He added: “Where the old parties have failed and left behind a trail of ruined councils in their wake, Reform will deliver a breath of fresh air in English councils up and down the UK.”

Central to his pitch will be Reform’s claim to have identified £700 million in savings across its 12 councils, which Mr Farage claimed had been delivered “without touching frontline services”.

In November last year, Reform said its councils had saved £331 million.

Reform continues to lead in the polls and is expected to do well in May, adding to the 677 councillors it won in last year’s local elections.

But its claims to have achieved significant savings have been disputed by opposition councillors, while Labour has pointed to care homes and adult education services closing in Reform-run Derbyshire.

Labour has also criticised Reform for increasing council tax despite promising to cut the levy before last year’s local elections.

Reform now says council tax rises in authorities where it has majority control have averaged less than those run by Labour, the Conservatives or the Lib Dems, while describing below-inflation increases in some councils as a “real-terms tax cut”.

But this does not include Worcestershire, where Reform runs a minority administration and increased council tax this year by 9 per cent.

Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley said: “Reform’s promises fall apart the moment they take power.

“They said they would cut taxes and waste, but in council after council they’re hiking council tax and slashing services.”