Reform have cancelled democracy and are having an auction instead

After less than a year in power, a Reform council has cancelled democracy. For the first time anyone can remember, Durham County Council has just decided to cancel a full council meeting, “due to a lack of business.”

Council meetings are the forum where the public – you, know, the ones who pay the council tax – get to ask questions and see decisions made. Where other elected representatives get to challenge decisions. Residents will be asking if the councillors will hand back their allowances since they’re not bothering to hold the meetings they’re paid to attend. This contempt for democracy is a warning for what would happen if they won national power.

Cuts, cuts, cuts

It’s less than a year since Reform won Durham County Council with a landslide: 65 out of 98 seats. As predicted, they would struggle when it came to actually running a local authority.

Reform Durham were elected on a pledge to cut waste. But after fifteen years of austerity, services were already cut to the bone. Instead, they cut funding to town and parish councils, forcing a 6.92% increase in council tax precepts to make up the difference. Leisure centres and kids playgrounds are on the chopping block. A school free transport scheme has been cut with 143 kids now paying for passes.

They’ve abolished the council tax reduction scheme. Thousands of people in poverty are now liable for council tax. Report after report shows that this just racks up debts onto the most vulnerable. Many of those affected experience mental ill-health or physical disabilities. People just end up in a debt spiral with court orders against them. Councils rarely get their money back. It’s counterproductive – the extra despair increases pressure on local services.

The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute charity, chaired by money saving expert Martin Lewis, described councils’ polices of sending in bailiffs as “worse than loansharks.” There’s a total of £6 billion in council tax arrears across the country, and it’s rising year on year. You can’t get blood out of a stone.

The fact that Reform Durham have ran out of policies to implement makes a mockery of their claim to take back control. They still collect their £13,300-a-year salaries though, and that’s without any extras for being on committees.

So here’s the question: does the evidence show that Reform are on the side of ordinary people?

Discrimination and bullying

In a move that surprised literally no one, we did see a lot of performative actions around flags. Notably, they removed the Pride Flag just before the Durham Pride event. So apparently they support ordinary people, but not if they’re queer. And their deputy leader in Durham, Darren “Crafty” Grimes, posted on social media that he refused to attend Diversity, Equality and Inclusion training. Except there wasn’t any – he made it up for attention.

Like all parties, Reform’s voter base is a coalition of different views and values.

There’s always been a nasty, xenophobic streak to Farage personally. 34 independent witnesses cite extreme racist comments and bullying. But he’s not racist enough for the ethno-nationalist culture warriors who are splintering off into Advance UK and Restore UK.

The shine is coming off Reform. They lost the Caerphilly by-election in November. Farage had been hanging round the count looking to do some media gloating, but high-tailed it out of Wales once they could see the piles of votes. He’s not even in the corner of his own candidates.

Losing ground

Reform lost in Denton and Gorton. And were sore losers. In Durham they lost the Murton ward by-election earlier this month, with an 11.2% swing against them. After less than a year in charge, Reform Durham are down to 60 councillors.

Many Reform voters were drawn to Reform on a “we don’t trust politicians” and “no one is on our side” line.  Most of us would agree with that. A lot of people believed that same line when Boris Johnson used it, despite being an Eton-educated Bullingdon Boy.

They can see their high streets declining. They can feel the cost of living crisis. Once you get past the tribal hard-liners, many Reform voters don’t really think Reform have any answers, they just want to send a message. They want to be heard. Instead, they are seeing neoliberalism being imposed on the Reform Party from the top. They’re wondering why loads of ex-Tories with serious corruption records are taking senior positions in their party.

Corruption

So Reform Durham have snubbed families with kids, people who live in towns, LGBT+ people, those with disabilities, those with mental health problems, and of course, anyone who doesn’t fit their definition of British. But who have they supported?

Welsh Reform leader Nathan Gill is serving a ten and a half year jail sentence for accepting Russian bribes. What a patriot. Although whether he supported Putin or just his own bank account is hard to tell.

Farage certainly supported Trump’s idiotic attacks on Iran, which are wrecking the finances of millions of Britons. Then changed his mind when he realised he was out of touch with the public.

Reform are keen supporters of tax dodging, too. Earlier this month, Richard Tice MP, Reform’s deputy leader, was rumbled as having dodged £600,000 in tax through a rare legal loophole. He then doubled down saying he was all in favour of tax avoidance.

Farage himself is never seen in his constituency. He’s too busy earning more from side-hustles than any other MP in Parliament – over £1.1 million. A true man of the people. Remember that next time you’re wondering if you can afford a holiday.

Here’s another question. What prompts a man who is already a multi-millionaire to spend his time saying whatever he’s told to say for £70 a pop on Cameo? Including pushing dodgy crypto currency investments. Is that the behaviour of someone who is serious about fixing Britain? Is he really on your side, or is he for sale to the highest bidder?

Reform have cancelled democracy, and are having an auction instead.