Reform UK Faces Legal Barriers and National Constraints After Local Elections

Reform has pledged to slim down councils by cutting DEI roles, climate programmes, and remote work, warning affected staff to consider new careers.

Sarah Pochin (R), the new Reform UK MP for Runcorn and Helsby, arrives with leader of Reform Nigel Farage (C) and Richard Tice (L), deputy leader of Reform and MP for Boston and Skegness, followed by Reform MPs James McMurdock and Lee Anderson ahead of her swearing in at Parliament in London on May 6, 2025. Leon Neal/Getty Images

Reform UK’s dramatic breakthrough in the May 2025 local elections—securing control of 10 councils and winning a mayoralty in Lincolnshire—has thrown a spotlight on the party’s plans to reshape local government.

Reform leader Nigel Farage has framed the results as “a truly historic landmark.”

He pledged to “slim down and refocus” Reform-led councils to cut waste and improve productivity. Councillors were told to drop diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training, reject climate initiatives, and expect audits of council spending.

Farage warned staff working in climate, DEI, or remote roles to “seek alternative careers.”

But with gains in council leadership comes scrutiny of Reform’s pledges, as well as legal and institutional roadblocks.

What Can Councillors Actually Do?

The reality is that councillors, though democratically elected, operate within a tightly constrained framework.

They shape local policy, represent constituents, and help determine strategic direction. However, they do not manage staff, control day-to-day operations, or make unilateral decisions on employment.

Personnel matters are handled by council officers, who are trained civil servants, politically neutral, and bound by employment law and statutory responsibilities.

Any attempt by elected councillors to unilaterally sack DEI officers, end flexible working contracts, or strip climate initiatives would run against employment protections.

UNISON, the UK’s largest public service union, has already issued a warning to staff in Reform-led councils.

“No employer is above the law,” said UNISON General Secretary Christina McAnea, encouraging staff to join the union to receive support.

Her message echoes growing unease among local government employees, particularly following Farage’s remarks in Durham and Mayor Andrea Jenkyns’s statement about slimming down the Lincolnshire workforce, which is a remit technically outside her powers.

Limits of Localism and Cash-Strapped Councils

Local government in England and Wales operates under a framework set by central government. Key services like adult social care, education, and housing are subject to national legislation and budgetary limits.

Farage has acknowledged these limitations, admitting that Reform does not have a “magic wand” to resolve funding shortfalls or meet the growing demands of an ageing population.

“I understand all of those things but refocusing and higher productivity from those that work for council... in the future, in where we run councils, there is no more work from home,” Farage told ITV News.

Years of austerity have left many councils struggling to perform even basic functions. A record number of local authorities requested government support this year just to balance their budgets, and more than ever have applied to raise council tax above the normal cap to stabilise their finances.

With little fat left to cut in councils’ budgets Reform stressed the need to “reduce excessive expenditure,” which it said comes from initiatives like climate change.

However, spending on DEI or climate adaptation is often tied to statutory duties. For instance, councils must meet equality requirements under the Equality Act 2010, and many environmental projects are linked to national targets on carbon reduction.

On immigration, Reform has vowed to “resist” asylum seekers being housed in the county council areas it controls, arguing that local taxpayers should not be left to shoulder the costs.

Councils must legally accommodate asylum seekers where directed by the Home Office, with any effort to refuse likely to result in judicial review and sanctions.

Nigel Farage, front left, with Reform UK Chairman Zia Yusuf, front right, unveiled 29 councillors who have defected to his party during a press conference on March 17, 2025. Lucy North/PA

However, Reform Chairman Zia Yusuf said the party would use “every instrument of power available” to challenge such placements.

Speaking to the BBC about the use of hotels for asylum housing, he said, “A lot of these hotels—there has been litigation around this already—a lot of these hotels, when you suddenly turn them into something else which is essentially a hostel that falls foul of any number of regulations, and that’s what our teams of lawyers are exploring at the moment.”

Yusuf acknowledged that local authorities have limited power compared to Westminster, but framed the policy as part of a broader political strategy.

“That’s why this is part of a journey to making Nigel the prime minister with a Reform majority,” he said.

Audits and Taskforces

Reform has pledged to tackle what it calls “wasteful spending” by launching taskforces to audit council budgets, cut taxes, fix potholes, and prioritise core services like bin collections.

Speaking on May 2, Yusuf said the party would root out “woke waste”, citing examples such as “building cycle lanes nobody wants” and promised, “We will look for corruption, and where we find it, we’ll bring the fraud squad.”

The call for stricter oversight comes amid growing concerns about the state of council finances. A recent report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warned that the government lacks sufficient oversight of local authority finances and is failing to account for long-term risks like climate change, rising health costs, and global instability.

The PAC also highlighted a deepening audit crisis. Just 10 percent of councils submitted reliable financial data for 2022–23, forcing the National Audit Office to decline to sign off on the Whole of Government Accounts for the first time ever.

Although councils are already subject to audits, Freedom of Information requests, and oversight by the Local Government Ombudsman and central departments, Reform argues that existing checks are not working.

The party claims that procurement processes are poorly managed and sometimes corrupt, with multi-million-pound contracts too often awarded without competition.

A More in Common post-election briefing suggests that while many Reform voters are motivated by national issues—particularly immigration—their top local priorities remain firmly rooted in council responsibilities such as road maintenance, housing, and council tax.

In response, Reform pledged to fix the potholes, collect waste bins, and cut taxes to address public needs on a local level.